# Car sideways **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** m-class, mercedes-benz\ **Created:** [April 11, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616 "2011-04-11T21:24:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/1 "2011-04-11T21:24:30Z")
I was driving behind a Mercedes today. It was an early 90s model, but it had a temp dealer tag on it. I guess this guy had just bought it. It as driving crabbed down the road. He was going straight, but I could see the entire left side of his car. Is this just alignment or was the frame bent? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/2 "2011-04-11T21:28:08Z")
My bet’s on crash damage, but I guess it’s possibly a really bad alignment. It doesn’t have a ‘frame’, it may be the mounting points for the suspension that are out of kilter. ---
**Author:** ![realbinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@realbinky](https://community.cartalk.com/u/realbinky)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/3 "2011-04-11T21:30:15Z")
probably frame, or the alignment so off with limited ability to correct on the older car. I used to see an crappy nova a number of years ago (10-15) often on the highway, that must have lived me. That thing was more than a full tires width off. That is, in dirt, it would leave 4 distinct tracks if it went straight. Freakiest thing ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/4 "2011-04-11T21:36:09Z")
I could see all 4 tires too. It really looked strange. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/5 "2011-04-12T03:19:49Z")
The rear axle is twisted and going in a different direction. So either the underside axle mountings are bent or it can be corrected with alignment. Never had that problem but its not a bad idea for someone to drive behind a car being test driven just to make sure it is tracking straight. I got a feeling it was rusted to heck. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/6 "2011-04-12T03:29:32Z")
That’s called Dog Tracking. It’s caused either from a bent frame and/or broken rear suspension components. Tester ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-sideways/63616/7 "2011-04-12T17:33:46Z")
Where I’m from we call it “crabbing”. Crabs walk sideways. I agree that when it’s that bad it’s more than likely from crash damage. On vehicles with four wheel independant suspension it can be introduced by a bad alignment, but I’d be hard-pressed to imagine anybody doing that poor a job.