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So, after reading Bash's threads for the last few days and even having given him a suggestion as to a company who are, certainly as far as the Mercedes forums that I frequent are concerned, the best there is, I find myself with an interesting question.
Today I've had both front bottom ball joints replaced on my kzn185 on standard tyres, along with both rear springs replaced with Roughtrax +20% rated springs, as recommended by Barry.
Before the surf went in, it drove like it had since the day I picked it up. Dead straight steering, no pulling, no uneven tyre wear, no noticeable problem.
Tonight, when I picked it up, I was told to get proper computerised four wheel alignment done as the steering was 'snatchy'. I asked if perhaps the rack bushes had gone, the arb bushes had gone, the rack ends needed replacement and if the track rod ends had packed up. I was told that everything had been checked twice and it was solely down to the tracking.
He showed me the graduated camber bolts and the paint marks were not aligned. He did not have a four wheel alignment set up and so said that it could only be the alignment and that I must go elsewhere to sort it.
Is that correct?
Snatchy is not the word! It feels solid but it wants to do anything except drive in a straight line.
It's as though the steering rack is no longer connected to the chassis.
The last time I drove anything that would suddenly wander off to the left or right that badly was a 70's car in the 80's!
It's a hard pull. Nothing seems to predetermine which way or when it'll pull. The steering doesn't seem loose, it just suddenly needs a fairly large correction one way or the other every 50 metres or so.
Any suggestions, or will new bottom ball joints really throw it that far out?
One was knackered, the other one wasn't bad.
Today I've had both front bottom ball joints replaced on my kzn185 on standard tyres, along with both rear springs replaced with Roughtrax +20% rated springs, as recommended by Barry.
Before the surf went in, it drove like it had since the day I picked it up. Dead straight steering, no pulling, no uneven tyre wear, no noticeable problem.
Tonight, when I picked it up, I was told to get proper computerised four wheel alignment done as the steering was 'snatchy'. I asked if perhaps the rack bushes had gone, the arb bushes had gone, the rack ends needed replacement and if the track rod ends had packed up. I was told that everything had been checked twice and it was solely down to the tracking.
He showed me the graduated camber bolts and the paint marks were not aligned. He did not have a four wheel alignment set up and so said that it could only be the alignment and that I must go elsewhere to sort it.
Is that correct?
Snatchy is not the word! It feels solid but it wants to do anything except drive in a straight line.
It's as though the steering rack is no longer connected to the chassis.
The last time I drove anything that would suddenly wander off to the left or right that badly was a 70's car in the 80's!
It's a hard pull. Nothing seems to predetermine which way or when it'll pull. The steering doesn't seem loose, it just suddenly needs a fairly large correction one way or the other every 50 metres or so.
Any suggestions, or will new bottom ball joints really throw it that far out?
One was knackered, the other one wasn't bad.
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