m a x i m u s

so, i need an alignment ... car is pulling slightly right. the other thing is my front tires are shredding, presumably bc of the bad alignment or something else that has gone wrong with the suspension.

i plan to take it to the dealer to have them check it out because i still have warranty. i also want them to do the alignment.

i will also buy new fronts, but not from the dealership.

my questions are:

(1) is it really worth going to the dealership to do an alignment as i have read on the forums?

(2) if they do the alignment on the "bad" tires, and then i go buy new tires, will i have to have the alignment redone?

bhamg

max - Your alignment will only be as good as the tech who does it. My C63 has been aligned by two dealers - the first job was just OK - the second job great...that was at W.I. Simonson in Santa Monica. Obviously, I recommend you get it done there. And do it on the new tires.

edit: The alignment tech at Simonson is the best I've ever dealt with. After my car was on the rack we went under it to go over some things...alignment specs, the adjustable bolts, my coilovers etc...and the drifting-to-the-left issue that never went away even after the first alignment. He really nailed it.

m a x i m u s

So what is causing the drifting issue? And the other not so good alignment, was that at bev hills MB? And how much do try charge you for an alignment?

bhamg

There were a fair number of people who had the drifting issue circa 2009. Most went R, some went L, even after the under-10k miles one-time free alignment that covered this issue. I now have two adjustable camber bushings and one adjustable caster bushing installed...no more drifting. That is where tweaking by knowledgable alignment tech comes in. The first crack was taken at Calabasas. I forget what the alignment cost, perhaps $185.

Mischievous M

IMO i wouldn't bother going to dealers for any wheel / alignment related issues. In my experience BMW, VW and Merc dealerships send their customers vehicles to sub contracted wheel experts in my case my brother's shop for adjustment and slap on a ridiculous 45% on top of contracted costs.

m a x i m u s

would those camber and caster bushings be a warranty item? i was thinking if the car is still under warranty and isnt aligning properly, then warranty should cover it, right (unless the car was in an accident). did you pay for the bushings plus the alignment itself?

bhamg

Only if diagnosed in the first 10k miles and after an unsuccessful attempt to remedy, meaning alignment is within spec but the car still drifts one way or the other. Quite a few of us have had an issue where the car drifts left, i.e., potentially into oncoming traffic and against a crowned road surface. That IMO is a safety hazard. If the car drifts right they'll probably tell you "they all do it," meaning the nature of the crowned surface will inevitably draw the car to the right. But my car was solidly in spec and still drifted left.

The non-adjustable to adjustable bolt replacement needs to be approved by a factory rep. The rep was there when my car came in and approved the bolts under warranty. Of course the wild car is the front tires...Pirelli's have been known to have their problems.

m a x i m u s

thanks for the info. i actually took my car to the alignment shop that i usually go to, and the front passenger toe was way off, and the rear passenger toe was slightly off. the car tracks straight now.