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Chrysler 300 - AGAIN with the "crown sensitive" crutch/gambit!

18 messages,  Last post on Sep 15, 2009 at 3:33 PM

You are in the Chrysler 300/300C/300C SRT-8 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Chrysler 300, Chrysler, Sedan


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#12 of 18
Re: [doctony] by xtec
Apr 10, 2007 (2:53 pm)
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Replying to: doctony (Apr 10, 2007 12:47 pm)

doc-
If I remember right your in the Syracuse area.I lived in that area ,and I used to go to the Chrysler dealer in
Fayettville.At the time I went there they did good work,I'm not sure about now.I would if you can,get a 07 so you know most of the bugs are gone.I'm worried also about what going to happen to Chrysler,I've been buying Mopars for over 30yrs.Good Luck..
#13 of 18
Re: AGAIN with the "crown sensitive" crutch/gambit! [doctony] by batista
Apr 10, 2007 (4:14 pm)
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Replying to: doctony (Mar 29, 2007 2:02 pm)

Doc Tony you are a hardcore Mopar man.
You are considering your 3rd 300?
I would have avoided DC after the first no fix.
I guess I am not very loyal. I have owned 2 chevys and one DC.
#14 of 18
Re: AGAIN with the "crown sensitive" crutch/gambit! [batista] by doctony
Apr 11, 2007 (7:23 am)
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Replying to: batista (Apr 10, 2007 4:14 pm)

Well, it was a progressive kind of thing: When I first saw the new Chrysler 300 series model in 2005, I loved the looks of the car. It was unique and I felt the Mercedes influence on the vehicle or 'Euro' design, if you will, was rather striking! When the 'crown sensitive' thing happened and the 'bolt and shim kit' fix really didn't help matters, it was then that the first AWD models began appearing [if you recall there was an initial delay with the All Wheel Drive models] and this AWD option was a plus especially with the severe winters up here in the Adirondacks! Then too, I figured the 'crown sensitive' issue would be eliminated with the AWD model. It wasn't! Lessened, but not eliminated.
 
Further, as the model years went on [2006 model and then the first 2007's], the problem became much lessened and who is to say what design modifications were done when the 2005 models showed such a heavy propensity for the 'very' discernible right hand pull, AKA 'crown sensitive' issue.
 
I tried a 300 C 'Hemi' V8, late 2006 model, and the car was smooth and straight. Problem is when you make the move to the 'C' class V8 'Hemi' 'and' you want the AWD, well, the difference in trade-in plus up-front cash layout for the V8 Hemi with AWD can be considerable! But there are always deals or specials here and there or in some cases low mileage 'C' class vehicles available [including demo types] and the savings can be equally considerable. Sidebar: I really like that "magnesium pearl" paint scheme! As most know, including myself, when you buy brand spanking new, you 'pay' big too!
 
And there IS great truth to the axiom that the moment you drive off the lot with a brand new vehicle, thousands suddenly disappear in almost instant "depreciation" because even after a first owner driven 100 miles, yeah, 100 miles, the vehicle is suddenly "used" or, as they [read: the dealerships] say today, "pre-owned", not to mention getting banged for the taxes! But that's another thread where the owner gets the hit for the trade-in/trade-up and then the same vehicle is subsequently sold for thousands 'more' than when the owner was allowed for the trade-in! Akin to the 3 or 4 thousand dollar 'detail job' so to speak. Let's face it, dealerships are in the business of making a profit any way they can!
 
My gripe is having to deal with the bugs of a new model and then doing the up-trade thing for what was originally a 'known' [witness the 2005 TSB] problem but explained away with such terms as, you guessed it, "crown sensitivity" or, get this one, "overly sensitive tracking issues on 'certain' [emphasis mine] roadways" passed off as "the nature of the vehicle" with the word "vehicle" no doubt duly substituted ... for the word "beast."
 
Doc Tony
 
Hey! There's always the lottery!
#15 of 18
crown sensitivity & things by brit5
Sep 23, 2008 (8:31 am)
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There are two issues here.
 
First issue is the incorrect jigging of a number of early C300's. This is a genuine manufacturing flaw & it is partly corrected by the offset bolt bandaid. Depepending on the magnitude of the jigging error, the offset bolts may or may not correct the problem, but the chassis fault itself cannot be fixed.
 
Second issue is crown sensitivity. This results from a deliberate design feature that is intended to give the front tires more "bite" in cornering & provide reduced understeer and sharp steering response that is normally completely absent in large heavy cars with long wheelbases. The front end geometry is similar in concept to that seen on a road grader -- the front wheels lean into the turn as they are deflected right or left. This greatly reduces lateral tire slip and sharpens steering response. It also introduces a pronounced crown sensitivity -- it is neither a manufacturing nor a design flaw and cannot be removed.
 
It is there for sure on a crowned road, but takes only a little steering pressure to correct, and on flat roads it is absent. I quite like the sharp response -- the car has amazing right-left transitional response & tracking despite its 4,000 lb weight, slow steering ratio and 120 in wheelbase. My 300C is enormously more agile than my 300M ever dreamed of being.
 
Chargers have exactly the same geometry & have identical steering response.
 
Some folks don't like it -- so be it. I'll keep mine, thank you very much
#16 of 18
Re: crown sensitivity & things [brit5] by smithed
Sep 25, 2008 (10:20 am)
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Replying to: brit5 (Sep 23, 2008 8:31 am)

Can you describe what the incorrect "jigging" actually means?
 
Certainly my 2006 300C seems to run straight on flat surfaces (and like a scalded dog, as is said), and has some sensitivity to a crowned road, but only if I think about it.
#17 of 18
Re: crown sensitivity & things [smithed] by brit5
Oct 03, 2008 (6:15 am)
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Replying to: smithed (Sep 25, 2008 10:20 am)

In this case jigging refers to the positioning of chasis components for welding and other assembly operations. The incorrectly aligned chasis assemblies had front suspension attachment points so far out of spec that there was insufficient alignment travel to make the vehicles run straight. Some cars could be more or less satisfactorily fixed by using offset bolts that increased alignment travel. Others were beyond remediation.
#18 of 18
Re: crown sensitivity & things [brit5] by pipex
Sep 15, 2009 (3:33 pm)
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Replying to: brit5 (Oct 03, 2008 6:15 am)

There is a TSB for "pull to the right" problem
 
You have to move the "rack" and resecure it with new bolts.
 
I found the TSB myself and brought it in to the dealer. Wheel alignment guy said he had never been shown thyat TSB before. He proceeded to do mine and we road tested the car. I now have 62,000 miles on it and it;s still steers perfect.
 
After the first wheel alignment and nothing had changed, the dumbazz Service Manager told me that they were made to pull to the right so that in case of a medical emergence the car wouldn't drift into oncoming traffic. I informed him that he had a mental problem and should see a psychiatrist ASAP. lol

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