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Hi friends. I have a 2007 S65 that I have not yet aligned since purchase 7 months ago. The car pulls a little to the right on highway speeds so I expect an alignment would help.
I was told that in order to properly align my vehicle, only certain shops can accomplish this due to my ABC suspension. I can't just allow a Big O tires to get underneath it and get a proper alignment. Is this accurate?
I was ALSO told Mercedes vehicles almost never need camber and caster adjustments but rather just need toe adjustments. Is this also true?
A fortune can be spent on alignments so I'd like to make sure I'm doing it right while also doing it efficiently. Thanks!
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
I had mine done on my 2007 S600 at the MB Dealer when I changed out a control arm. The warranty would only cover half of the alignment because I only did one control arm. How do you do half an alignment? Stupid warranty rule.
I had mine done on my 2007 S600 at the MB Dealer when I changed out a control arm. The warranty would only cover half of the alignment because I only did one control arm. How do you do half an alignment? Stupid warranty rule.
Was there anything special to how they did it vs. other common shops? I called one of the "common" shops around here and he said he can't adjust camber or caster on my car, nor do a "bag test."
Was there anything special to how they did it vs. other common shops? I called one of the "common" shops around here and he said he can't adjust camber or caster on my car, nor do a "bag test."
I had my Jaguar dealer do it on my 2008 CL550. I have a relationship with them due to our other car, and they could get me in a lot faster (and it was $45 less, which didn't hurt). They had no problem doing it.
the standards for road camber allowing rain to drain off is not fixed around the world. And others suggest anecdotal evidence it helps maintain separation vs on coming traffic. Which means they build roads that makes car turn to the nearside. To some degree a manufacturer can compensate making the car track straighter
but these days it seems they set for the predominant markets and stuff the one's that drive on the other side - I drove a LHD Lexus in NL this year and it pulled much worse than my allegedly corrected RHD Mercedes in the UK
as for Mercs not needing correction, might be applicable for LHD countries with similar road building standards to Europe, but they are pretty shocking in the UK - measure and check where the results tell you the car is - often one side needs it castor correcting - using the funny washers that allow you to move to an effectively longer or short lower track control arm from the standard bolt hole location
Re Camber and Caster adjustment - OEM the reality is there is none !
The often quoted, reassuring full "Front and Rear '4' Wheel Alignment" is only Front and Rear Toe "directional" adjustment. It is new car industry's best kept secret.
No essential Front or Rear Camber to "adjust tire contact angles" spread load more evenly. To cater for day to day commuting, encountering high cambered roads with excess, premature passenger side edge wear.
Also altered height / Camber change brought about by load carrying or lowering. Fitting wide profile tires or simply having ongoing adjustment capability for curb knock damage. With no Front Caster adjustment either - to compensate for Camber change, resolve steering pull, improve steering response and directional control.
It is all to do with cost cutting and ever increasing speed of factory assembly lines.
On querying all "Align Tech" can state to try and placate - is that Toe adjustment is now within factory specs !
We saw the need therefore to re instate from the 90's. Front Camber and Caster along with Rear Camber (and extra Toe) to resolve costly premature tire replacement.
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Rear Camber (and extra Toe to compensate) #502326K $480
Front and Rear kits replace at same time "the highest wearing bushings". Unique KMAC patented design allows precise single wrench adjustment. Accurately (under load) - direct on alignment rack.
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AUDI to VOLVO - KMAC Experience Of Resolving OEM Suspension Shortcomings Since 1964!
Just an FYI, first make sure all your suspension components are in good shape or an alignment will be wasted. If you have access to a seasoned Indy shop, they should be able to get it done. MB suspension is not rocket science. I’ve used the same suspension Indy for years. Good luck
When I looked around my now gone 221 in the rear the suspension did not have any adjustments at all. In the front I know for sure there are no adjustments other than the toe. Full alignment on these cars is just to measure and set the front toe. Everything else comes with the manufacturing accuracy.
But, there is a very important tricky part in this, the ball joints of the lower control arms.
Normally in a car you can feel for the worn ball joints by hand after you just jack the wheel up but not on these cars. The bottom two control arms having their own ball joint with the geometry it is built with cause so much force in the joints that you cannot make them move by hand force (unless you are extremely strong) no matter how worn the joints may be. Experienced this with the car I had after paying for alignment that was wasted money.
Only after disconnecting the upper ball joint from the wish bone upper control arm and then lowering the suspension down allowing the hub assembly to rotate as it lowers and relieves the forces from joints it is possible to find worn lower ball joint, which mostly is the one in the end of the load bearing rearward arm. Nobody does this check before alignment measurements so with these cars alignment goes wasted very easily if the lower ball joints are old.
Another thing: The ride height greatly changes the toe so the toe needs to be set at correct height. Lowering the front of the car opens the toe. This is probably why the S-class does not have different ride height between SPORT and COMFORT setting like the E-class does where ride height does not change the toe or change is miniscule.
I don’t think many alignment shops have capability to set the car to the correct ride height during alignment (toe) check.
the rear has toe adjustment (which of course then messes with camber a bit) the inner end of the arms have an eccentric mess up - if the garage loosen too much a strange washer can slip out of place and leave you stuck - took an indy that is one of the UK most well know merc specialists 3 hrs to get the washer to behave on one side on mine..... and they were only swapping the arm because the tyre place doing the alignment "just like all Audi's the bush has spun in the arm - and there's nothing we can do to get it back in alignment"... well the arms where cheap thank goodness, but there was NOTHING wrong with them at all - just the stupid washer he allowed to slip out of place - ONLY loosen half a turn or so
the front has full adjustment - but you need to swap the washers - the subframe has three bolt positions - factory wrong, better or worse. The BEST way to fix is to grind back the lug and ONLY use the special washers to hold the bolt in the new correct position as a one off fix. But you can replace the bolts with weaker stupid one's with a cut out and use the special washers (they sell an adjustment bolt kit). The idea of the bolt is that it allows a workshop to see its been adjusted and easy almost instantaneous adjustment of that arm is available - but its utterly pointless - you only need to build the car correctly once - because Merc can't be bothered when they make them - hence proper merc dealerships do the washer only fix - the fun is the steering rack stops you taking the bolt out to do both washers on the camber adjustment !!!
Agreed on rear adjustment…..it’s critical to get it right. When I had a 221, I lost a tire from accelerated wear caused by incorrect setting. Tire blew at hwy speeds.
My lazy fault for not checking tires often enough.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
