I noticed a few days ago that my '05 roadster began to pull slightly to the right. First thing I did was check the tire pressure, which turned out to be fine all around. The pull has increased a bit over the last two days. However, when I step on the brakes, the pull disappears. I'll probably take it into the dealer this week, but I just wondered if any of you folks have experienced anything similar.

 

Is it pulling to the right or just following the crown of the road? Mine has a tendency to go right over long stretches of road or follow the grooves left by heavy trucks.Not sure why applying the brake would alter it unless you have wheel bearing issues.

 

It might be the brake caliper dragging.

 

Or just the alignment.

 

Maybe it's a liberal?

Is it pulling or drifting right? I find that with the wide tires mine will gradually drift right or left depending on which lane of a 2-lane interstate I drive on. It pulls hard during braking when there are truck tire indentations in the road tar.

Where the road is not crowned, I can take my hands off the wheel and go for 1-3 tenths of a mile before it starts to drift much. My Audi, also with wide tires, has the same problem with truck grooves but tends to drift less on the highway.

 

Been having the same problem with my car pulling to the right for several months now. Any advice would be appreciated, but here's what all I've already done.

1. Alignment by a dealer...twice. Said it was dead on the machine.
2. Talked to a body shop about a bend in the frame. They said ulikely, why don't I check a radial tear in the tire.
3. All tires were either swapped from side to side or even wheel to wheel. Also had the front tires replaced. No change.
4. European car specialist said he knew the problem. Replaced the control arm bushings. $2,700 later, car still pulled to the right.
5. Next they got a camber kit installed. Corrected the pull some, but not all.

I've thought about the brake drag, but there seems to be no change in the steering when I brake.

Also, the steering column is off about 5-10% to the left which again shows that the car drifts to the right except when I'm in the left lane on the interstate.

So to top all this off, the rear window has now come unglued and like everyone else experiences, you have to replace the entire top...if you can find one. Another $3,000 installed by a professional upholstery shop.

I give up and the car is out the door next week unless I can get the steering problem figured out. Why keep dumping money in the car?

Thanks.

 

Have you checked the steering damper?

 

Per the maintenance schedule all steering components are to be torqued at 50,000 mi.
Does the car pull when on a flat surface ( large parking lot)?

 

There is a "How To" on fixing the window on here.....just look.....and a steering dampner will more than likely take car of your "pulling to the right" and there is a how-to and website for ordering a $40 dampner...window and dampner can all be done by you at home...with just time invested....go to the search feature and pook that in, or one of the members may just post it up for you...I'm mobil right now...

 

Jack the front wheels off the ground and see if the power steering pulls the wheels to the right.

 

Have you figured out the problem? Mine is doing the same thing.

 

I hope so, it's been 14 years since OP started this thread!

 

You must consider the condition and crown of the road; Get to a large FLAT parking lot and see if the pull to the right is still there and consistent. First thing to do is replace the steering damper and then test again on a flat parking lot.

 

Crossfires do that. And it's the ROAD. Mine, here in DFW, has an awful time on surface streets but it's fine on the interstates.
My Ford Ranger is almost immune to this. But if you compare the two vehicles, you can't compare them. The Crossfire is intended stay stable in curves, it has more camber, it has independent suspension and wider tires than the pickup.

If the pull is ALWAYS there, then look at tire pressure, alignment, tire condition, a hung-up brake and steering stabilizer. (THat means just CHANGE the stabilizer.)
If it's fine on good quality roads designed for speed (like I40), then it's fine, it's the damn roads.

 

one way to correct for the crown of our roads on left hand drive Mercedes cars as we have here in the USA driving on the right of the road, is to increase the castor on the right front wheel by about one degree above specs. This is a common alignment correction on Mercedes automobiles. which has proven effective.