Strange low speed handling

[Mercandy]

Hi Everyone It's been a while but here goes,
car is 1998 W202 250turbodiesel.
If at low speed ie walking pace when I turn to the right the N/S front wheel seems to slip side ways and feels absolutely dreadful, quite scary really It's much worse on a wet surface.The front tyres are low on wear and due to be replaced this weekend but I've driven cars in the past with bald tyres and never experienced anything as scary as this.
Is this a normal Merc thing or is mine in need of some serious attention?
Any advice gratefully accepted.
Cheers Andy

 

[KLP 92]

Hi Everyone It's been a while but here goes,
car is 1998 W202 250turbodiesel.
If at low speed ie walking pace when I turn to the right the N/S front wheel seems to slip side ways and feels absolutely dreadful, quite scary really It's much worse on a wet surface.The front tyres are low on wear and due to be replaced this weekend but I've driven cars in the past with bald tyres and never experienced anything as scary as this.
Is this a normal Merc thing or is mine in need of some serious attention?
Any advice gratefully accepted.
Cheers Andy

I have a W202 250TD, i've never experienced that prob!! I would probably get your mechanic to have a look at it!

 

[Doodle]

I have occasionally felt what Andy is describing, but it only happens on loose surfaces at walking pace with a fair amount of lock on.

It's not a Mercedes specific thing, it's a rear wheel drive characteristic. The rear of the car is pushing, the front wheels don't have quite enough grip and scrub forwards slightly, normally with a slight juddering feeling. There's nothing wrong, it's just the combination of low grip surface and extreme lock pushing the tyre sideways.

 

[Chris Murray]

Does the steering go light? Are you moving on the base of the seat when it happens?

 

[BTB 500]

Tyre pressures?

 

[MangoMan]

Does the steering go light? Are you moving on the base of the seat when it happens?

HUH ????

 

[grober]

wheel bearing,trackrod end,balljoint check

LOOSE WHEEL or WHEEL BEARING. Jack up the car and wiggle the wheel and take off the hub grease cap and have a look at the castelleted nut/locking allen screw
DODGY TRACK ROD END / STEERING LINKS. get someone to move the steering wheel back and fore with engine on for power assistance and look for unusual movement of any of the above.
I have a feeling that model has a rep for knocking out its FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINTS top and bottom so worth checking out also

 

[grasmere]

if you have wide tyres thats what happens - the car 'pushes' the wheel across the loose surface - unless its just started of course in which case check for loose bits

I get that effect with my 225 47 17 's but they dont wear unevenly either

 

[Mercandy]

Thanks every one,
It's been doing it for a while now well before last m.o.t the car did need a new bottom ball joint on the O/S but everything else checked out. When I get the tyres fitted (michelins 205/55/16) I might get a four wheel alignment done at the same time to check the geometry, can any tyre specialist do this competently or would I be better off going to stealership?

It's not a Mercedes specific thing, it's a rear wheel drive characteristic. The rear of the car is pushing, the front wheels don't have quite enough grip and scrub forwards slightly, normally with a slight juddering feeling. There's nothing wrong, it's just the combination of low grip surface and extreme lock pushing the tyre sideways.

I've had RWD cars before and never felt this. It doesn't judder as such it sort of jumps 3 or 4 times as I pull off my driveway.

 

[Benzowner]

When on wet concrete in a multi mstory car park I also experience this. Seems as though the grip is not qhite there and the wheels are moving sideways. My tyres were also on their last legs, it may be just lack of grip with the car being pushed from thr rear.

 

[Mercandy]

Well got the new tyres fitted and still got the same problem although not quite as bad, I didn't get it tracked up maybe I'll get round to it this week and report back..........