Got nothing on GL board, maybe you guys know:
Before I got my CPO GL, I asked for lots of service tossed into the deal in advance (tip on negotiating, friends: retail MB dealer selling price discounts may be more difficult to obtain than lots of free servicing because huge margins make service greatly valuable to buyers but low cost adders for the selling dealer). One job was an alignment. It's been 15,000 miles and all is well, no obvious need for another alignment quite yet.
GL has air suspension. My service receipt upon delivery showed that I got a dealership "ride height alignment." How could this differ from the ones I get from my extremely competent expert suspension guy for all my other cars? That is, isn't the car always at "ride height" if he just drives it up on to his rack and works his magic? Frankly, MB dealers charge 3-4 times normal for this service, and most dealers don't have the same grade equipment as my specialist has at his disposal (at one of the Detroit Three's hi-po test garages, highly calibrated)* or the same degree of expertise with someone who does them all the time and slowly, not speeding through for the economics of gaining against the book time payment.
Can't I just get my usual guy to do it next time when I'm ready later this year? If it was a steel-sprung ML, I would not even ask. With Airmatic or whatever -matic MB now calls it, I start to wonder if the dealer procedure requires sending some computer commands via the proprietary diagnostic machines to somehow properly set the car up for the alignment. For their quoted pricing, maybe they bring Elvis Presley back from his grave to croon to the cars while the tech tickles the toe settings. . .

*When I got my new Miata this month, that franchised dealer declined to check the alignment per my request stating that his rack was ancient and not as good as I'd find elsewhere given that I'm the type to check even a newly built car's settings.

 

Air suspension must be calibrated to the proper ride height. If done correctly, and assuming all suspension parts are good (ball joints, bushings), the camber and caster will fall within factory recommended specs. Mercedes "alignments" usually consist of nothing more than setting the front and rear toe.

See this but be advised your suspension angles will be different from the ones I quoted for my W211.

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ml#post6862688

Speaking of Miatas, I'm on my fifth NA; lucked out and found a 1996 garage queen with only 42,000 miles on her, fully optioned and with thousands of dollars worth of after-market goodies installed. New Miatas are better handling and quicker but there is just something about a classic Miata.... :-)

 

My first was a 95 NA then, after 12 years in withdrawal, a 07 NC (for sale after giving me 8 years of pure pleasure) and now the new ND RF LE MT. I posted a picture, click my name.
So, MB: Maybe I don't quite understand. To check and correct alignment one does not put the truck on a rack and check wheel positions, etc., and then make physical adjustments for toe, camber and caster? It's done like your ride height calibration exercise, using the official MB computer hook up to program height corrections for caster and camber specs, but then only toe gets physically adjusted?

 

The MB has nothing at all like the eccentric cam bolts on the Miata. What is described as an eccentric bolt for a Mercedes is just a bolt with a slot in it. If slot is at 6 or 12 o'clock position, the camber and caster are set by the tolerances of the ball joints and bushings. With good quality control the camber and caster will fall into the recommended range (which can be quite large; e.g. -1.7 +/- 0.5 degrees on my W211 rear wheels). As ball joints and bushings wear, the Mercedes "eccentric" bolts allow you to shift the control and thrust arms outward (bolt slot to outside of car) or inward (bolt slot to inside of car). On a W210 and W211 and a few other models, you can get a one-time +/- 0.3 degrees of camber change (with associated caster change). PITA to install the slotted bolts.

After the above, the only way to change camber is to raise/lower the car, or install aftermarket adjustable bushings or camber arms. That leaves only toe adjustment.

The ND RF is a good-looking car....

 

"Mercedes "alignments" usually consist of nothing more than setting the front and rear toe."

So, going back to this earlier statement and taking into account the thoughtful and clearly conveyed caster camber discussion, let's assume my still newish truck ride height remains at spec. In that case, may I assume that my usual suspension expert may check and adjust the toe in the regular manner?
I mean, he's really expert, likely more so than the dealer techs who dabble on their rack, plus less than one-third of dealer cost. A toe check isn't worth 225, and I'm not in the habit of spending my money unwisely -- wait, except for when buying a hugely depreciating asset with costly upkeep... not a rational decision, but still a purchase I'm enjoying.

 

That is a correct statement.

 

You've been very helpful and informative. I thank you.