camber on a CLS

[effbee584]

CLS 320cdi - just replaced front tyres due to excessive inner wear. Front toe in/out adjusted (I recently hit kerb at about 30 avoiding a white van on my side of the road) Full alignment check done shows front camber angle at -1.31 right and more than -1.5 left, rears about the same. Easy to adjust says the guy on the eccentric bolts that were NOT fitted. Off to MB dealer, eccentric adjustable front bolts ordered, none available for the rear. Plan to have the front bolts replaced and camber adjusted asap.
Did some homework on appropriate camber angles, not found exact figures but 1.5 seems about right on the front.
Questions ..........
1) Does the front camber angle need adjustment on my car at all?
2) What is standard camber angle on a CLS?
3) Should I ignore the rear camber figures or are they OK?
Any info appreciated
Also is it right that its not possible to swap CLS wheels (same size) front to rear?

 

[sinewave]

You don't need to know any figures as long as you use an experienced operator preferably using a Hunter Rig.


Welcome to Align My Car


Click above to see a local specialist.

 

[effbee584]

Don't know name of kit but its brand new state of art latest laser set up used by STS in Norwich,
even so there must be some figures?

 

[sinewave]

Of course there are figures!

They will be pre-programmed in the machine for your model.

Point being is you don't need to know what they are before going.

You will be given a full colour printout with the before and after results in numerical and graphical formats.


Does STS come up un my link??

 

[effbee584]

Of course there are figures!

They will be pre-programmed in the machine for your model.

Point being is you don't need to know what they are before going.

You will be given a full colour printout with the before and after results in numerical and graphical formats.


Does STS come up un my link??

I do have colour printout and they also project on to a tv monitor so imagine it will be same kit, can't verify through your link because won't accept any postal town.
From what you write I imagine the machine gives a graphic indication of centred position irrespective of the actual angle because the car model is set by the operator, am I right?
As someone who used to set up flying controls on military aircraft, I do like to know how things work.

 

[sinewave]

Seems there's 3 STS's in your location on the website!

Centre Locator

Not sure why you can't see that on your pewter??

 

[effbee584]

Seems there's 3 STS's in your location on the website!

Centre Locator

Not sure why you can't see that on your pewter??

Sinewave - thanks for the info, link would not work on my iPhone but does on my iMac and delighted to say that the place I went to is listed - STS Tyre Pros.

Would still like to understand more though, eg if the printout shows a graphic with the arrow over to left or right and a reading of 1.4; should the camber be adjusted until it is graphically central and the reading zero

I imagine so, and that the reading of 1.4 is actually the amount the camber is out, not its actual setting, what do you or anyone think?

I'll be back tomorrow with the adjustable bolts, so all will be set correctly, and I can 'interrogate' the operator.

It seems there will be nothing I can do about the rears unless I change the appropriate suspension arms.

Thanks again Sinewave.

 

[sinewave]

Here's a printout of mine.

It's not spot on due to being lowered but it's far better than it was and drives great.

 

[effbee584]

Update on Wheel Alignment with new 'adjustable' bolts.
For the front, a set of 4 bolts bought from MB, as an 'alignment kit', £57, part no A000 330 00 18.
They differ from the standard ones in that they each have two longitudinal grooves. These grooves match protruding notches inside the standard bushes allowing two different positions, so not 'adjustable' as such. Seems short sighted that plain bolts are fitted at manufacture! However after being fitted, the settings improved dramatically, although as already mentioned it seems max range is about 0.20, not a lot. But on my car sufficient to put all the front settings dead central.
For the rear, there are no 'adjustable' bolts available, and no built in adjustment so the rear camber will have to stay as it is. If the rears
don't wear on the inside, I'll forget the camber issue, time will tell.

Any one else found a way of adjusting rear camber on an E Class or CLS??

 

[amg_Charged]

I had the same problem with the rears, there is a company somewhere in the states that does adjustable arms, they are expensive, and I choose to stick on a set of Bridgestone MOs and tracking done on a hunter machine and forget about it, after trying Pirelli then continental the bridgestones IMO are the best tyre for my car, drastically reduced wheel spin and provide great grip in the wet

 

[effbee584]

I choose to stick on a set of Bridgestone MOs and tracking done on a hunter machine and forget about it

Me too, don't notice any effect on driving, the rears have only done 5k and will probly last for my ownership of the car.

Very strange engineering oversight by MB.

 

[st4]

Don't get me started on camber adjustments....

LOL

 

[srg70]

Hope you guys are still catching up on hear? i have an issue with inner tyre wear being nearky down to the thread and over 5mm on the rest of the tyre. Had a geo test done today after having some suspension work done and results are still over tolerance. Any ideas ? Hope you can see the picture of the geo test.
Geo Test 10.3.17 Photo by Simon_Glastonbury | Photobucket