freefall

So after getting schooled by Vic that I need to do an alignment after the new wheels were put on I took some picture of the process in which lasers were used. The car was out of whack and they were only able to fix the toe and told me to go to the dealership for the Camber and Caster.
Let me know you thoughts....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerfboy/7510568872/http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerfboy/7510568872/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/cerfboy/, on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerfboy/7510570074/http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerfboy/7510570074/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/cerfboy/, on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerfboy/7510570752/http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerfboy/7510570752/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/cerfboy/, on Flickr

AmmarYasirA

INterestingggg.....doesnt look too good though... ride feel any different?


And I bet the dealership is going to give you crap for putting on aftermarket 20's on your car...

hyperion667

dealer is where I go to get aligned.....

freefall

Nah...they'll be pissed that I didn't get my HREs from them but thats it. I feel very lucky with my dealership...The guy that sold me my first MB is now the GM. My kid took her first steps in the waiting room. I feel like Norm walking into Cheers when I go there....

The shop I took it to today actually did the toe for free because they felt bad that they could finish the job...

The ride feels better now too....

Mr. Happy

Freefall, is it the new wheels or the lowering kit that create the misalignment? I didn't think it was both.

Vic55

Its the drop.... and -2.1 and -1.9 camber is not bad at all for your drop. Toe is the main reason for tire wear. My tires were scrubbing after my drop and it wasnt due to negative camber but due to toe.

Think of Toe as look from a birds eye view down on your tires and see them not aligned correctly front and rear (one tire not facing the same direction or more). What is created is a dragging effect as you drive the car creating the scrubbing. Negative camber is actually wanted for more spirited tracking and driving in turns.

We dont have camber adjustments on these cars. You can buy camber bolts if you choose and serge can install them. Where did you go to align the car?

freefall

Thanks Vic. That makes sense. What about the Caster. Should I go to the dealership for that? I went to Coast Auto in S. Laguna. They were really cool over there...

otakki

Sounds like dealership is the only place to go for alignment. They are probably going to twist my arm when it comes to price for the service since they have the monopoly on aligning our cars.

desired_speeds

The dealer charges something between $130-160. I consider that reasonable because my friend went to Firestone with his 08 CLS and they told him they don't offer lifetime alignment for MB, BMW, etc. and that a single alignment would be $250.

otakki

That's a relief to hear.