Wheel Alignment (again)..

[Ade B]

After a quick skim through old posts I couldn't find anything on this, my CE has pulled to the left slightly since I've had it, which doesn't really bother me, however I noticed recently that the steering wheel seems a couple of degrees off center to the right (clockwise), again which doesn't bother me at the moment from a driving point of view but..

Does the tracking/wheel alignment running out have any adverse affects on the car in the long term? The tyres are wearing evenly and the car pulls up in a straight line.

Cheers

Ade

 

[Dieselman]

Increased tyre wear and driver fatigue. It depends on the amount it's out by.

 

[Ade B]

If thats all then I can live with it for now.
Re the steering wheel its not out by much, but now I've noticed it..

My current concern is the amount of rust on the front undercarriage bolts meaning adjustment may involve a lot more than simply tweaking bits (grinding + swearing or ££££ for someone else to do the same). Might save this one till I have to do something more major with the front end.

Cheers, helpful as ever.


Ade

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
If your rear wheel geometry is adjustable which i suspect it is (it is on a 202) may i suggest you get a full 4 wheel alignment.
For the car to track correctly the front wheels need to be aligned with the rear, and if your rear geometry is wrong inherently the front will be.
My C230K has been very skittish from the day i got it (105,000 miles and 6 1/2 years), unusual wear on front tyres etc.
Well needing 2 tyres (unevenly worn) and being advised that the Track rod ends would need replacing soon. I decided to use these people after a recommendation from another MB forum.
Well after getting the car back it was totally transformed, it really was like driving a completely different car.
I was also given a before and after report on the geometry, showing me what they had to adjust.

http://www.pro-align.co.uk/amc/index.htm

 

[frog1520]

I was also given a before and after report on the geometry, showing me what they had to adjust.

http://www.pro-align.co.uk/amc/index.htm

I got my W140 aligned a few weeks ago at the liverpool place advertised on the above site. Good service, and an excellent job. Really knew their stuff....

And dont forget to print out your 5% off voucher from the website!

 

[coupe deville]

what about the nitty gritty guys ---how much ???

 

[andy27168]

It cost me £34 +vat for putting it on the machine, plus 2x £10 +vat for the adjustments it needed, wether i got this any cheaper because i bought 2 tyres as well i,m not sure.

 

[Dunx]

I got mine done by Pro-Grip in Bonnybridge (near Falkirk, if you're interested!); I got their details from the pro-align site. It cost £45 + VAT for a 4 wheel alignment incl adjustment; albeit I have other problems that are causing excessive neg camber, so this couldn't be brought back into spec.

Great service though...

 

[Rob77]

I got a 4 wheel alignment and adjustment done at Thistlethwaite's in Bolton the other week for £40 all in. I got a fully detailed before and after print out too

 

[Ade B]

Had the 4 wheel alignment today, 2 new track rod ends (I've now replaced most of the undercarriage on the car ), Mrs B reckons the car still pulls to the left..

Will check tyre pressures as ns front has a slow puncture (dinged alloy) and loses a couple of psi over a few days.

Garage have cheerfully agreed to look at the car, earliest I can do is next Monday..

Any thoughts - I've just had the front lower wishbones and rear subframe bushes replaced.

Is there no end to this....


Ade

 

[wheels-inmotion]

Had the 4 wheel alignment today, 2 new track rod ends (I've now replaced most of the undercarriage on the car ), Mrs B reckons the car still pulls to the left..

Will check tyre pressures as ns front has a slow puncture (dinged alloy) and loses a couple of psi over a few days.

Garage have cheerfully agreed to look at the car, earliest I can do is next Monday..

Any thoughts - I've just had the front lower wishbones and rear subframe bushes replaced.

Is there no end to this....


Ade

Front wheel alignment or "tracking" as it's commonly known cannot make a car pull... The most likely reason would be the front camber or castor, both of which are adjustable on your car once the adjuster bolts are fitted.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I thought most UK roads tilt slightly to the left for water drainage?

I have noticed that my car pulls slightly to the left on the inside lane of the motorway and slightly to the right on the outside, no, I haven't noticed what happens in the middle lane!

 

[ray_hennig]

Mine too ...

After a quick skim through old posts I couldn't find anything on this, my CE has pulled to the left slightly since I've had it, which doesn't really bother me, however I noticed recently that the steering wheel seems a couple of degrees off center to the right (clockwise), again which doesn't bother me at the moment from a driving point of view but..

Does the tracking/wheel alignment running out have any adverse affects on the car in the long term? The tyres are wearing evenly and the car pulls up in a straight line.

Cheers

Ade

My 300CE had the same problem some time ago and it would steer right here in France and left in the UK - nothing to do with road camber - it was the car.

Replacing the (in French 'relais de direction' - idler, I think - on the opposite side from steering box) solved it. Less than €100, all in.

RayH

 

[Deleted member 6183]

My 300CE had the same problem some time ago and it would steer right here in France and left in the UK - nothing to do with road camber - it was the car.

Replacing the (in French 'relais de direction' - idler, I think - on the opposite side from steering box) solved it. Less than €100, all in.

RayH

Maybe the road camber emphasises the fault?

 

[Ade B]

I understand that the CE suffers from the affects of camber due to the nature and geometry of the steering, however, I'm pretty sure something's amiss, the tyres are starting to show uneven wear and now that I've replaced a lot of the bits, I'd hoped that this and the wheel alignment would have sorted it..

As mentioned, I'll ask the garage to look at camber and castor..

Driving to Nottingham tomorrow so I guess I'll be able to see if there is any improvement.


Ade

 

[Dieselman]

What figures have you ended up with after the 4 wheel alignment.? A slight amis-alignment of the rear wheels will cause your fault, including the offset steering wheel.

 

[Ade B]

What figures have you ended up with after the 4 wheel alignment.? A slight amis-alignment of the rear wheels will cause your fault, including the offset steering wheel.

Not sure, Mrs B took the car to here .. I suspect there are none as it was only £37.50 + VAT for the alignment, which when I asked they insisted was the full monty and not just front tracking... Will find out when I go back on Monday.

Ade

 

[c240yaz]

Front wheel alignment or "tracking" as it's commonly known cannot make a car pull... The most likely reason would be the front camber or castor, both of which are adjustable on your car once the adjuster bolts are fitted.

Yes it can, if the camber of the road is severe and the alignment is toeing out too much, the car will pull towards the downward slope, left.

 

[bolide]

You really need to put new tyres on then have the car setup. If the alignment's out the front tyres can wear conically and the car will never go in a straight line

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[wheels-inmotion]

Yes it can, if the camber of the road is severe and the alignment is toeing out too much, the car will pull towards the downward slope, left.

Alignment is a longitudinally shared angle. Other than a perfect dynamic 0 toe any displacement is lateral and is not influenced by camber, toe as a force doesn't know what camber is.

Camber is conically compressive allowing the tyres to be individually aggravated by the road crown. The result of this is an "eventual drift" not a pull.

A camber pull is where the conical compression is not matched, meaning the tyres deformity favors the road crown accentuating the road crown hence the pull.