2007 C220cdi estate, W/S203. Both my front tyres are very badly worn on the outside - down to about 1mm with the inside still about 5mm. The passengers side is slightly worse than the drivers. Is this normal ? If not, I don't want to replace them only for it to happen again. The car has done 18200 miles, and has always pulled hard to the left - been told it's very camber sensitive. Alignment was checked and adjusted by Mercedes a couple of times for the pulling but I gave up in the end.Adam
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- C270CDi Estate (late 2004 facelift model) - Bought 2005, Sold 2022.
My 54 Reg C270 estate is exactly the same. I'd almost say it drives left, rather than pulls or drifts. Dealer says it's fine - says in fact mine is better than most. If that's the case then I'd hate to drive a bad one.
I swapped the front wheels over myself and that made it somewhat better, but I expect that's just the extra wear that was on the nearside and is now on the offside and is tending to offset the pull a little bit.
I've given up with mine and both the issue and the dealer telling me it's normal (they wouldn't even check the alignment) has put me off having another Mercedes - it makes the car tiring on long journeys (which is all I use the car for) as I'm fighting with it all the time.
I swapped the front wheels over myself and that made it somewhat better, but I expect that's just the extra wear that was on the nearside and is now on the offside and is tending to offset the pull a little bit.
I've given up with mine and both the issue and the dealer telling me it's normal (they wouldn't even check the alignment) has put me off having another Mercedes - it makes the car tiring on long journeys (which is all I use the car for) as I'm fighting with it all the time.
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Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Personally I think that the camber angle must be wrong, for that is excessive, tyres only come with 8mm and if you are down to 1 mm on the inside, with 5mm on the outside the tyre life must be very short.
Also in my view the car would be very sensitive to drive due to the unequal contact on the road, and would account for the car wanting to go where it wants too.
I can give you the correct figure if it is of any use.
Also in my view the car would be very sensitive to drive due to the unequal contact on the road, and would account for the car wanting to go where it wants too.
I can give you the correct figure if it is of any use.
I have a print out from the last time they did the alignment test.
Front axle camber before adjustment:
left, -0 33'
right -0 43'
After adjustment:
left -0 34'
right -0 44'
I think is -0 degrees 33', if that makes any sense ?
I'll get the depth measured properly with a guage. On the service they said Outer 3mm, Centre 6mm, Inner 5mm. It's alot worse on the outside now..
Cheers
Adam
Front axle camber before adjustment:
left, -0 33'
right -0 43'
After adjustment:
left -0 34'
right -0 44'
I think is -0 degrees 33', if that makes any sense ?
I'll get the depth measured properly with a guage. On the service they said Outer 3mm, Centre 6mm, Inner 5mm. It's alot worse on the outside now..
Cheers
Adam
Dieselman
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Those figures appear ok and the o/s wheel has slightly more neg camber than the n/s.
33' is 0.5 degree, so nothing.
If the wear is just the tread scrubbed off but not featered then it's due to overuse of the power steering and gheneral cornering.
Try turning the wheels without the engine running and you will understand how much grip and scrubbing takes place when turning, especially if stationary.
Dieselman
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You should be rotating them every 6,000 miles. Fronts wear the edges, rears the centre.
Wheel alignment is such a fussy thing - my dealer tried the "camber sensitive" line with me for ages, until I took him out to a favourite dual carriageway bend and challenged him to take it at 70. Turned out to be a combination of alignment and a power steering fault.
Runs dead straight and true, yes there is a little camber induced drift but it's more like the car is talking through the steering than trying to kill you.
I really like the steering feel in RWD cars, that's the main everyday advantage of being RWD, you should be able to tell what the front wheels are doing through the feel in the steering and control with the lightest of touch, anything other than that and I'd say it's broken.
Runs dead straight and true, yes there is a little camber induced drift but it's more like the car is talking through the steering than trying to kill you.
I really like the steering feel in RWD cars, that's the main everyday advantage of being RWD, you should be able to tell what the front wheels are doing through the feel in the steering and control with the lightest of touch, anything other than that and I'd say it's broken.
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Which angle is it that cant be done without the jigs, caster or camber, my age is taking its toll
ckember
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had similar issues on my C270. I know that the uneven wear is quite common on w203's other threads on here go into more detail.
As the tyre has to be below 1.6mm over the middle 75% to be illegal and as long as the wire is not showing through you should be OK. for a while at least
Have you had a four wheel alignment not just the fronts?
As the tyre has to be below 1.6mm over the middle 75% to be illegal and as long as the wire is not showing through you should be OK. for a while at least
Have you had a four wheel alignment not just the fronts?
jadefox
Active Member
So am I right in thinking that it's perfectly ok to switch the front tyres around? I am having a similar problem on one of my front tyres at the moment, the outside edge is wearing faster than the inner one. didn't know I could possibly swap them....?
What the tyres are telling you the alignment is not correct, take it to the tyres shop to get it aligned. If MB said it nothing wrong, they are wrong or they are aware of the problem but cannot fix the problem. This is not a DIY job it needs laser alignment tools.
Roger Jones
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I agree with Dragon: it can't be right, whatever the results from the last time it was checked. Go to a good tyre shop with laser-alignment kit:
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=57
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=57
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Dieselman
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And the tyres are not marked as rotational. If they are they will have an arrow clearly marking ht edirection of rotation.
This means they can only run on the same side of the car, which is not ideal.
Cross rotating is the correct method of evening wear as all n/s tyres wear the outer edge more than o/s tyres.
This means they can only run on the same side of the car, which is not ideal.
Cross rotating is the correct method of evening wear as all n/s tyres wear the outer edge more than o/s tyres.
jadefox
Active Member
If you have the same size wheels back and front then yes is the answer for you
Thank you, but mine are different back and front, but couldn't I change them left to right? If you see what I mean?
Dieselman
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Thank you, but mine are different back and front, but couldn't I change them left to right? If you see what I mean?
As long as they are not rotational.
C'mon, stop mucking about. Get the jack out...
jadefox
Active Member
haha, I need a nice strong man to offer to do it for me 
and how do I tell if they are rotational?
and how do I tell if they are rotational?
