S-Prihadi

Hope this helps........
Cyan/blue tick is the Caster Adjustable Bolt kit. Red is the Camber adjustable bolt kit. Same bolts kit used. Since adjusting either one, will effect BOTH, so best to have BOTH adjustable bolt kits. So 2 bolts kit per side, total 4 bolts kit .



oops I mixed up the color...sorry. But u will understand

MBNUT1

Thanks for the diagrams. I am assuming they are for a RWD. Do 4matics have the same front suspension as RWD and does that enter into it and why did the dealer and Indy say there was only one adjustable bolt per side?

S-Prihadi

Yes, I use my VIN for the EPC, so RWD and not 4matic

S-Prihadi

I read thru again information on this post and some other post too.
I would like to create less confusion for those wanting to do camber and caster bolts adjustment/repair kit.
Mud, I don't want to start a new post, I hope you don't mind if I place compiled information here yah.

First : Parts name confusion. English is not my first language, so the parts name I am using is based on the EPC or WIS.
There is no right or wrong for calling control arm, control strut, cross strut, cross member, thrust arm , front arm, rear arm and etc etc. It is confusing though

Reference is WIS AR40.20-P-0263EW Adjust camber and caster at the front axle , on this post : https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post8120116


Based on right hand drive, RWD E400 2014 facelift version, not 4matic.

For CASTER - Strut Rod , also known as Torque Rod ( Rev 17 Aug 2020 )





For CAMBER , Cross Strut aka Cross Member




Old documents I seen, claimed that the Camber/Caster Adjustmet/Repair Bolt Kit is only capable of 0.3degree or 20' (minutes) worth of FIXED angular correction.
However, none is W212 related, but older version. Lets assumed in W212 application it is also worth 20' of correction.
1 degree = 60 minutes of arc

Mud's 4Matic ( Left Hand Drive ) installation is here : https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...tallation.html
It seems the 4matic is blessed with much easier working space for tools.

My working/tool space sucks for caster and I will need a crowfoot wrench. It is not the sway bar being the issue, it is part of the sub-frame which won't alllow room.
For camber is do able, but I need to modify ( drill) my impact short socket to accept the protruding caster bolt out of the nut. Now I can't get socket to fully insert.
I have to use socket where possible, so that I can torque it down to 100Nm + 180 degrees easier than using crowfoot wrench with socket drive.




Tools : Torx bolt E20. Nut is 21mm. What is on my car, same sizing and head pattern are the correction bolt kit/s.


CAMBER - If steering boot is not removed ( I dont want to remove ), can't use deep socket.




No 1 = hopeless-ly too short
No 2 = must drill and enlarge hole to accept the protruding bolt.
No 3 = Must remove steering boot, still no guarantee I will clear steering tie-rod.


CASTER - Dang, a tool nightmare




1,2,3 to loosen nut is possible with that flex head rachet, but to torque it I still need the crowfoot wrench head , so that no need to remove sway bar.








On order, ETA 2 more days..........let see if I can work on Caster bolt using this : JTC brand, 16 pcs set
http://wtc.vn/professional-tool-set-...oot-wrench-set

Something like this close up: Higher resolution

If I can't loosen the Caster bolt, then I will visit my usual workshop.... LOL
For now I am making excuses to buy more tools.

Shall update

Mud

S.P. I think it's great for you to add to this thread, especially with the highly detailed info you provide.

MBNut, yes, my car is a 4matic. As far as I can tell other than different spindles, the rest of the suspension architecture is same as RWD with one control arm, one thrust arm per side. The primary camber adjustment is in the control arm bolt. The primary caster (but still affecting camber) adjustment is in the thrust arm bolt. In most cases the one control arm bolt per side is used for camber adjustment but installing the second thrust arm bolt adds a bit more adjustability to caster and camber. As I mentioned in my case the tech used both bolts per side to get the car aligned. Even if your car only needed the primary camber adjustability now, installing both bolts on each side saves work and time later if it did need additional tweaking.

MBNUT1

Mud thank you very much for the follow-up.

So here is the story. You sent me the three bolts and they sat around until last Christmas. I started to get a driveline whine and I wanted to get the motor mounts replaced. I had had the transfer case rebuilt the year before and took it back to the indy that rebuilt it. He said that he thought that it was the front differential making the whining noise but would need to look the fluid to be sure. We ultimately decided to wait until it got louder which it did. I had gotten a good deal on motor mounts from the dealer and when I asked the same indy to install them he wouldn't so I called another indy and he agreed to install them. I asked him to look at the driveline noise and told him what the other indy had said and told him that the tcase had been rebuilt. He comes back and says its the front diff and he can get a used one with less miles. So I had done some research which told me that the whole front subframe had to be dropped to do the front diff which meant that I was going to get the mounts installed for free. So I said go ahead. Given that the subframe was going to be dropped I thought this is a good time to put in those bolts I got from Mud. But I knew I only had three. Go to the dealer and to get one and tell him I have three and he looks at his parts schematics and tells me it only takes two. I go back out to the car and call the indy who is doing the work and he agrees that it only takes two
Given the bigger picture issues I assumed there was some confusion on my part and accepted their answers as correct. I regret not hopping on here and getting that cleared up because now it sounds like I should have gotten the other two installed also at that time.

After they install the replacement diff and mounts they call me and say "Hey we still hear a whine" Sure enough it is exactly the same as when I took it in. the show me my diff fluid with metal in it and say the diff noise is gone now. They put it on the rack and we all listen to it and determine that it is the transfer case. Their claim was that the diff was so loud under the car that they couldn't hear the transfer case. The only good part was this indy called the original indy and got him to agree to rebuild the transfer case.

Getting back on topic the car has driven straight since the two camber bolts were put in so I haven't had it aligned yet but a local dealer is doing the $300 service for $150 and I really don't like how the front end feels. It doesn't feel perfectly solid over surface street bumps. So I was thinking about taking it there and getting the front end inspected and aligned. I don't want to pay them to install the remaining two bolts which is why I was trying to understand where the first two were installed. Sounds like they were placed in the front control arms correct? and do you think that I should go to the trouble of installing the two remaining bolts prior to having the front end looked at and aligned?

Thanks

Mud

I'm really sorry to hear about the drivetrain issues. I hope that this last time around gets it right.

Personally, if the car's driving straight I wouldn't do anything until it gets aligned. At that point you could see if they were needed, or to install regardless, or not install. At the very least if the car needed that additional range you could hand them the bolts. There's no way they could refuse to install packaged oem bolts unless they were trying to add markup on the same parts. On my car they were very easy to install and the frame holes are rectangular to accommodate these type bolts and washers. If the cars already raised its just a few minutes to swap out each bolt.
I'm thinking that if your car has the 2 bolts currently installed they would be in the control arms as this is the designated spot for primary camber adjustment.

S-Prihadi

Roger that, thanks.
.

MBNUT1

If I get my car aligned and decide that it needs struts afterward will it need to be aligned again?

S-Prihadi

The "STRUT" you refer to is dampers/shock absorbers or the arm/strut/cross-member ?
If shock absorbers replaced, no need alignment.
If you change the arm/strut/cross-member , I am sure you need to do alignment as the bushing will be very fresh.