MayhemLikeMe

Gentlemen,
A little story how this project came about and the final outcome.......

Having lowered my 2005 SL65 with a Renntech DLM I was completely dissatisfied with the amount of negative camber while at the new ride height. Combined with a 100 octane Speedriven ECU upgrade and methanol injection, traction suffered greatly while riding on the inner edge of the tire.

My solution was to purchase and install K-mac bushings front and rear. While the fronts went well (you can adjust camber AND caster) the rear was another story. The reason is that as you pull the "control arm" in towards the center of the car to correct the camber you have to effectively shorten the lower "caster control arm" as it is at an angle to chassis centerline.

The front K-mac bushing kits do all of this but there is no adjustable bushing available for the rear for the lower "caster arm". The result was a binding and squeaking rear suspension that was very difficult to align and did not handle well at all.

Having been a builder of off road chassis and suspensions the solution was simple: build an adjustable, heavy duty control arm. So that is what I did.

The result has been excellent. Vehicle handling characteristics, alignment difficulty and noise issues have all been addressed. My SL rear wiggle has been all but eliminated and traction has been improved due to an almost zero degree rear negative camber.

I suppose that these links will fit other applications but fit would have to be confirmed by maybe matching OEM part numbers..

The factory bushing remains in the "knuckle" in part to mitigate road harshness and the frame end is a military spec, PTFE lined race, 40k lb yield heim.

BTW, I should also mention that I have heim jointed rear toe links in the equation as far as handling goes.....

Enjoy the photos....

MayhemLikeMe

A few more photos.....

byronburns

really nice work! Are the threaded adjusters protected in the pipe? It would seem like they could wear after time. making adjustment tough.

MayhemLikeMe

Thank you Byron. I did not use a tube adapter in this application in order to keep a nice thick wall with a small outside diameter. The tube are direct tap with a liberal amount of anti seize......enough for years of service.

EXECMALIBU

I would like to buy a pair for my SL65...

Same issues. The rear-end feels like it is on marbles during accelleration after the Speedriven tune...

Jeff
execmalibu@gmail.com

(310) 456-8833

MayhemLikeMe

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate the kudos. I have not really thought of building them for other folks but I really don't see why I couldn't. I almost actually dropped the entire rear subframe and was going to optimize the rear geometry and heim link everything but the time was just not there. Besides, sometimes it is easier to make one change and quantify the result as you go.

I'm not sure that forum rules allow me to post a price as I am not a vendor so if anyone is interested PM me and I will send you the info.

MayhemLikeMe

PM sent!

byronburns

sounds bullet proof to me. very good anti-seize is like liquid gold!

cnterline

What toe links do you have ,I have mb arts and heim joints are noisy after very low miles

V12TTenthusiast

I've been trying to get MB Art Toe links but I think they went bust. All I can find are Renntech Toe Links but Renntech never got back to me if I need to buy their cambers or not and a pair of Evosport Toe Links that a vendor I know of still has as Evosport went bust too. But 1300-1400 for Toe Links, I'm kinda curious how much you paid to fab up those bad boys

Leeward

So you feel it is necessary to fit the rear suspension K-MAC Camber and Toe adjuster along with your caster adjuster arms to fix excessive inner edge tire wear?

The K-Mac kit does adjust toe, after all, and that is a uniball adjuster, isn't it?

MayhemLikeMe

I also have the Mbarts toe links but I used my own spec'd heims to keep down noise and increase longevity. You really need to have a PTFE or nylon liner in the race......

MayhemLikeMe

[QUOTE=V12TTenthusiast;5928604]I've been trying to get MB Art Toe links but I think they went bust. All I can find are Renntech Toe Links but Renntech never got back to me if I need to buy their cambers or not and a pair of Evosport Toe Links that a vendor I know of still has as Evosport went bust too. But 1300-1400 for Toe Links, I'm kinda curious how much you paid to fab up those bad boys[/QUOTE

Well, I do not see why I couldn't do it.....One thing is that you would have a fabricated frame mount instead of the cc machined one, but who will ever see it? I would need to research the materials I would like to use and mock up some frame brackets so it would be a 3 or 4 weeks to initially get a set out but faster on subsequent sets.....

I suppose that I could do the pair of toe links for $775 shipped (CONUS)......just guessing by what the material costs are for the lower control arms which are $825 shipped......

Feel free to delete that portion of my post mods if in violation of mbworld policy......

MayhemLikeMe

Well, to get the camber right after lowering I had to go Kmac as it is currently the only choice and when I did it became evident that the lower"caster" control arm needed to be shortened, so I fabricated my own lower arms.

My main concern was traction and getting more of the tread surface flat on the road as I don't (as many of you) carve canyons in my 4600 pound beast but instead push the acceleration and speed envelopes.

The rear Kmac kit does come with toe adjusters but they are just offset bushings......better and stiffer material than what the factory uses but still bushings nonetheless. ...that is why I used the heim jointed toe links.....it is like a puzzle and everyone is just trying to fit one piece at a time....

K-Mac

Have been asked to provide input re this thread.

First do need to point out we are in our 50th year manufacturing, designing suspension bushings. Along with manufacturing the World’s largest range of front and rear Camber, Caster, Toe adjuster kits - Audi to Volvo with over 20 design patents.

At K-MAC we use the race track to stay at the forefront re ultimate testing and development. This all out 10/10ths competition allows us to constantly prove the strength and durability of all our suspension products.

With situations where race track safety scrutineers actually insisting that for safety and reliability K-MAC and only K-MAC adjuster/bushing kits will be allowed to be used.

It is therefore with dismay that the actual premise of this thread is squeaking and binding.

Have therefore set out below the logic behind refuting both these flawed claims and also the supposed need and manner to rectify.

1. Success on the race track is through these bushings having no metal to metal contact. Only way squeaking could take place (as with any suspension component) is if a bolt/nut was loose. Current generation of K-MAC – the lock nut design makes this a virtual impossibility.

2. Rectification of this non- existent squeak/binding problem, it is suggested necessary to supply adjustable thrust (caster) link arms. But with K-MAC Camber adjusted to maximum positive position (to reduce inner edge tire wear) the change in the actual radius angle on the W211/AMG models is only ¼” (5mm).

That’s right, minimal – and the K-MAC Camber bush is designed to accommodate this meaning binding is simply not an issue.

Both arms easily travelling through their required suspension arcs. It is the same design considerations we take into account with all K-MAC kits covering 1968 through to current Mercedes models.

3. Extra rear Toe adjustment. All K-MAC rear Camber kits are supplied with (precisely adjustable) Toe bushes. This extra Toe adjustment range is necessary to compensate for the new found Camber capability.

The K-MAC toe bush design also features a 100% upgrade in load bearing area further increasing life-span and the advantage of improved response by eliminating unwanted side flex when cornering or lane changing.

4. Re heime or Spherical bearing links (Toe and Camber). As any race driver knows it is not long before the thin PTFE lining pounds out resulting in noisy metal to metal contact.

K-MAC Camber, Caster, Toe and in fact all our bushings have long since set new industry standards over the spherical bearing/link approach by incorporating unique patented and proven designs resolving this premature failure, yet allowing the much desired taut, instantaneous brake, traction and steering response. Along with maintaining critical 2 axis movement to prevent binding of all the multi link arms featured on Mercedes vehicles.

5. Finally – Re the adjustable rear thrust arms. At K-MAC we already, for the race industry, manufacture simple, easy to install, precisely adjustable front bushings. All the features of length adjustability, 2 axis rotation and elimination of the OEM soft bush composition and air voids. Result is no more fore/aft movement under brake and acceleration.

Another advantage of the K-MAC design is that the OEM feature of - light weight forged alloy arms - is retained. Bush extraction/insertion tools are included. 3 only parts numbers cover all including AMG:W211, 219, 230 (#502526-4), W212, 216, 221, 250 (#502526-5), W204, 207, 215, 220 (#502226-4). Price only $295 per kit. Fedex air is $45 (Or purchased with a front Camber and Caster kit, rear Camber and Toe adjuster kits Fedex is $85) – US/Canada.

Leeward

It's kind of hard to cut through the verbiage there and find out what you're trying to say, K-Mac.

Forget the fifty years and all the sales spiel, what are you saying about your kits for the rear of these cars?

K-Mac

OK, quick summation...

Background - Mercedes models there's only front and rear Toe adjustment ex-factory.

Experiencing costly, premature inner edge tire wear, reduced traction - there's no Camber facility to be able to return vehicle to within factory specs.

So its precise adjustable - K-MAC elastomer bushings (both front and rear) versus rigid heime/spherical bearing ended link arms (for rear only).

But as the race industry would point out for day to day commuter usage, these paper thin teflon or PTFE lined spherical bearings soon pound out allowing metal to metal contact.

While K-MAC patented design bushing have been extensively developed, race tested and refined over many years to resolve this problem.

Result - Long term durability through just the right amount of shock absorption, no binding of arms in usage, improved steering response - without the undue ride harshness of spherical bearings!

kustom2k1

kmac, where can I find your price list?

Leeward

They do make it hard, don't they?

Other sections of their website have the prices, but not for Mercedes!

If the letter after the part number is:

E - $130
F - $190
H - $320
I - $345
J - $380
K - $480

Just to save everyone the trouble of going from page to page in the K-Mac catalog!

F1BHP

K-Mac always comes on and says these problems don't exist, if this is the case and it is always problems with the install, then they are still failing by either not giving sufficient fitting instructions or poor customer support.

Every report I have seen on this platform in regards to the K-Mac rear system has over time reported noise from the rear end, maybe it is the kit causing issues with other components as they claim it is impossible to be the K-Mac part causing the noise.

The advertising that gets triggered by key words like camber, lowering, toe links is very annoying especially when it is on threads of people who are actually using the products.

Please K-Mac do yourself a favor and try to understand the problem rather than just defending your product, with advertising thrown in.

K-Mac

Yes we do create controversy. But this is all part of inventing new products with majority of companies merely sitting on the fence.


(Having more patents and patents pending on alignment kits than all other manufacturers combined).


1. Re noise from the rear – either metal to metal contact and/or bushes pounding out through a loose connection.


We resolved this with a failsafe locking system!


2. While our elastomer bushings with twice the load bearing area of OEM have proven themselves now over a 21 year period with minimal requests for replacement bushings – not even warranting a separate part number.