bvlaw

My 08 S550 4matic seems to be pulling to the right. I've always had good luck using the local Firestone service center for alignment/tire issues with my wife's Denali. Anything special about the S that I should only have the dealership perform the alignment or should I be OK taking it down the road to Firestone?

RajwanyS550

I have mine done at firestone. they did excellent work. the mechanic who worked on it is pretty experienced.

brownbomber

I have for about 2 weeks had the pulling to the right. I need an alignment and I will call Firestone to see what the cost versus going to the dealership.

RajwanyS550

All f'stone r not the same. Make sure they have somebody good who can wk on the car. Their lifetime align is under 150 only. Good luck

mattmancustoms

biggest difference between firestone and the mb dealership is that the dealership has all the tools required to measure ride height. firestone has no way to measure this. also if a bolt kit is required to adjust the front camber or caster, firestone has to order it--mb dealer has it in stock.

RajwanyS550

What does ride height got to do with allign. Also most firestones r completely equipped.

ghaffar23

When performing an alignment on the newer MB's, they often check for the spec height in addition to the traditional alignment. I asked why they do this and they explained that the air suspension could be a contributing factor to any potential alignment issues.

mattmancustoms

its very hard to explain but the ride height has a huge effect on the alignment of all cars. hence the reason when someone lowers/lifts a car the alignment is thrown off drastically. so ride height has a huge role in the alignment of a vehicle.

Em Bee Lover

My S550 has factory issued Continentals specifically for the vehicle. I had a strong pull to the right (politics aside). The alignment done shows things are straight. It still veered strongly. I suggested putting the right front wheel/tire on the left and vice-versa. Guess what? Teddy Kennedy lives. It pulls strongly to the left now.

I had a rear tire moved to the left front and put the "puller" on the rear and the car trails like a string. Advice--check to insure the tire hasn't had a belt shift or similar. Simple test. It may save some time, money and headache. Maybe not your solution, but satisfied my issue. Good luck.

benztech10

in my experience 90% of the time pulling issues with mercedes vehicles are due to tires. try to find a shop with a tire balancer that has straight track installed. straight track measures pull of the tires.

JoeVal

My family doctor is very good, however when I got my nose hit in an accident he sent me to an otolaryngology specialist. Why? The Specialist sees ten times more cases than he does, so he keeps more up to date.

The same with wheels and tires: the specialty shops (Firestone, Yokohama, Tire Rack, or Mom 'n Pop's) are so much the best that tires are not covered by the automobile warranty, but by the tire manufacturer's warranty. Now, the same difference that exists among car repair shops also are found among wheel and tire stores and service. So select carefully, by equipment, cleanliness, personnel, and references, to determine who is more convenient for your balancing and alignment needs. And if they further specialize in axle and suspension service, so much the better.

Balancing should be done in a machine that does static balancing and dynamic balancing (simulating the car in motion at different speeds and road conditions).

Alignment should be done with the tires pressurized to standard speed and road conditions expected in coming use, and the gas tank full. All considerations will follow manufacturer's specifications, unless corrections are requested by the customer beforehand.

brownbomber

I just got that Lifetime alignment from Firestone....

It drives tight and straight. That's all I could ask for!

I love my car again.