Tracking

[zoros]

Could some kind soul please provide me with the correct 4 wheel tracking specifications for an SL55 AMG (2002) model.

I have had it laser tracked twice now and it stills pulls to the left. Suspension has been checked and all looks OK.

I have my suspicions about the figures they are working to.

Thanks in advance

Z

 

[C43AMG]

Get in touch with Wheels in Motion 01494 797825

 

[whitenemesis]

The 'correct' specifications i.e. as supplied by MB will still leave the car pulling left. What is required is a slight 'tweaking' ..

As suggested, contact some one who knows how to sort this properly - Wheels in Motion

 

[kamalpatel12448]

+1 for WIM, I'm sure he can help you out with this.
Kamal

 

[zoros]

Thanks guys. Why does the car pull left if the correct MB spec is applied - surely that cannot be allowed?

 

[kamalpatel12448]

Road camber plus set up. If you look at US forums they complain it pulls the other way. WIM sorted mine to perfection, when MB Stevenage failed three times!
Kamal

 

[thebig1]

Is there anyone in the midlands anyone recomends?

 

[C43AMG]

Thanks guys. Why does the car pull left if the correct MB spec is applied - surely that cannot be allowed?

If you go into WIM website all will be explained.

 

[zoros]

Just spoke to WiM:
Wheel Alignment Experts Chesham | Car Tyres Fitting and Wheel Alignment Specialists

Good news: 90% of SL55's pull to the left AFTER the correct MB settings have been applied. This is because they haven't designed out the fact that some of their cars are RHD?? This sound absurd I know but it appears this is the case.

Bad news: If the problem ISN'T ironed out, you will experience excessive tyre wear.
ONLY WiM can engineer this out with their kit and they are in BUCKINGHAMSHIRE! They won't release the details either (which I think is perhaps not very professional - they have special settings it seems but won't release these to other garages because they want ALL the business for themselves (my words, not theirs)).

A real shame to be honest, I thought we were all in this together when it came to sharing experiences.

I'm having severe difficulty accepting this "design issue" by MB and cannot believe that they are aware that 90% of all their SL55's are driving around with a design flaw which can be easily eradicated overnight.
Never mind, I shall persevere and get there in the end. IF I find any good news in this dept, I'll report back.

Atleast it is a know issue and not peculiar to my car.

 

[zoros]

Just spoke to MB themselves.
Their chief technician states that ALL (RHD) MB's pull to the left!!!! To a greater or lesser extent! If a customer complains, they will first check the alignment on their kit (£90+vat) and align it to MB spec. IF the customer continues to complain about pulling to the left, MB will then adjust the steering geometry using adjustment bolts, until the bias is neutralised. This can increase the cost to £260 + vat should you need to have everything done to rectify the problem!
The car then has a slightly assymetric geometry bias which it will need for the rest of its life (IE: specific geometry settings for that particular car). Bit like an instep in your shoe forever .

This is insane! First car in my life where this bias to the left is treated as: normal! Plain bloody insane.

 

[st13phil]

MB use suspension geometry that is slightly different to the norm. One of the benefits is high speed stability, while one of the disadvantages is that the cars are more sensitive to road camber. It's nothing to do with the car being RHD or LHD. If you drive your car on the right hand side of the road it will pull to the right.

WIM (and others) know how to bias the suspension settings so that you car will run in a straight line on the left of the road. However, if you cross the channel and drive on the right, the pull to the right will be more pronounced. Your choice.

 

[Edgun]

You need to chill mate mine very slightly pulls to the left however handles perfectly. No undue tyre wear. Relax and enjoy your car.or buy a Ford Focus diesel.

 

[zoros]

Obviously not a perfectionist Edgun. If I buy anything that costs just shy of £100,000 - I expect it to run in a straight line and no-one will convince me otherwise. Believe what you like but this is a totally unacceptable trait for a supercar. My last "supercar" didn't have weird individual set ups like this. It's a myth and It shouldn't be the 'norm'.
If I drive my "supercar" down the middle lane of a motorway with NO camber and the car pulls gently to the left because its 'designed' to do so. MB should be ashamed of themselves.
Of course I'll live with it because other aspects of the car outshine it, but when the constant "nagging" is with you 24/7, it's going to drive me insane.

I remember many moons ago, I had the same thing with my Lotus and the (then) stock answer was: It's designed in, to ensure the car veers away from oncoming traffic if the driver becomes incapacitated. It was a mad and totally untrue statement then as this one is now. A load of Boll*x.

If St13phil knows that WiM can fix it, why don't they share that data with everyone else then? What are they playing at?

Rant over.

 

[Edgun]

This is not a supercar did you pay 100,000 for it no you didn't get over it and get on with it.

 

[zoros]

What's what I paid for it - got to do with it? The car cost £100,000 new - the end.
You get what you pay for and the buyer doesn't expect to pay for ANY car that wanders off the road of its own accord - in a straight line.

Thanks for the counselling anyway.

 

[Sp!ke]

I had my really iritating left pull issue sorted by WIM and the now car feels totally neutral regardless of camber.

There is a post by WIM on this very forum explaining what causes it and how it can be addressed.

 

[Edgun]

What's what I paid for it - got to do with it? The car cost £100,000 new - the end.
You get what you pay for and the buyer doesn't expect to pay for ANY car that wanders off the road of its own accord - in a straight line.

Thanks for the counselling anyway.

The one I bought was 126k new. You must have bought the cheap version btw paid 14500 for my supercar.supercar my ****.

 

[st13phil]

If St13phil knows that WiM can fix it, why don't they share that data with everyone else then? What are they playing at?

WIM are competent people who understand suspension geometry, but they aren't the only people who understand suspension geometry. They have shared how they bias the suspension settings to eliminate the pull to the left caused by the road crown on this very forum, so I don't understand where you're coming from.

Also, have you given a moment's thought to the fact that your car's pull may be due to tyre bias? If it pulls to the left on a perfectly level road, then it's a distinct possibility.

 

[redjules51]

Been driving my CLK for 4 years.

Slight pull to the left. Does it bother me? NO
Uneven tyre wear. NO
Do I enjoy driving the car. YES
Do I get paranoid about it. NO

 

[zoros]

You're missing the point redjules. It's not about whether it bothers you, it's not about uneven tyre wear even. It's about owning and using a product that is not fit for purpose. Can you try to get your head around this very simple concept?

St13: Tyre Bias? Why haven't all my other cars and all the cars of all my neighbours had this problem? Honestly, next - someone will blame the ozone layer for MB's failings.............