[marc dykeman]

My 300 is eating front tires. The alignment shop says the right side camber is out so bad that it can't be adjusted. I don't want to take it the 50 miles to a dealership just to have them give me 2 or 3 equally expensive solutions.

All the front end suspension components have been replaced within the past 3 years. Nothing is loose.

How is the front camber adjusted?

Is this camber problem most likely an issue with the frame?


thanks

 

[Rmac58]

An alignment shop that can't align a front end? Then it's not an alignment shop, don't ya think?
Don't mean to add insult, but consult somewhere else.

 

[79Mercy]

My camber was totally out of wack and a tire shop made it even worse. Please, save yourself the hassel and just take it to the dealer, I paid 125 out the door.

 

[minas de cobre]

this is what adjusts camber- photo taken from front of car under bumper. its the bolt and nut in upper left that go through an eccentric washer. you loosen the nut, then turn the bolt to turn the washer around. not a huge amount of adjustment, but hard to believe that on a an un-molested car with new parts that its beyond the range of adjustment.
so maybe get a second opinion. un-even tire wear is usually other causes un less you have extreme camber going on. was it lowered?

 

[winmutt]

Only take it to the dealer. NTW had the nerve to charge MORE and I had to go back 3 times. But I was in a pinch when it happened.

 

[DOUGLAS MARTIN]

Took my 1980 300D to a local shop, front end messed up beyond belief - wandering, shaking, tires ruined in no time. Trip to racing shop revealed how messed up local shop's work was - left and right sides had different caster, etc. Dealer is probably best way to go.

 

[marc dykeman]

Thanks everyone,

I need to figure out if the camber can even come in anymore before I take it to the dealer.

So, is the offset bolt the only way to adjust front camber? Will different sized spring pads have any affect?

 

[winmutt]

If everything all the rubber is really new and the alignment shop is claiming what it is claiming, they don't know jack. My guess is that not everything is as new/in good condition as you claim. A worn spring could cause it but I sincerely doubt. LCA bushing/ UCA frame bearing/UCA joint are things I would be looking at.

 

[marc dykeman]

The UCAs and torsion bar bushings are 2 years old. Put in new ball joints and bearings last year. Rebuilt the LCAs, replaced the guide rod mounts and bushings, replaced the tie rods, and replaced the springs this year. Not much left to do on it. All good OEM parts

The only thing left is either a bad frame or bad alignment shop. I'm hoping its the shop...

 

[winmutt]

LCA bearing at the frame?

 

[marc dykeman]

Is that the part of the LCA where the offset bolt attaches to the frame?

If so, yes.

 

[winmutt]

Is that the part of the LCA where the offset bolt attaches to the frame?

If so, yes.

And you had it aligned after all of this work and everything was ok and then suddenly you are out of alignment again? Have you been down there to examine the bolt positions? Do the work yourself?

 

[marc dykeman]

After doing the front end work, I had it aligned by a shop that told me everything was fine. A couple of (too many) months later the right tire was severely worn on the inside, so I took it to a place that works on old mercs. He told me that the right side camber was too far out to fix, saying that all the old 123s are rust-prone (no!) and that the frame was out of whack. There is very little rust on this car, and it's all underneath the mid-section.

The tires were wearing unevenly before, but it's hard to tell why they were wearing, given the state of the front end at the time.

I will have to check the car out when it stops raining. Maybe I reversed the offset bolt or something.

thanks for the help,

 

[81240D]

alignment

Go to a Dealer. or a Shop that does 4 wheel alignment

Where is a Suspension alignment .

also my 1981 240D was pulling. it was the Tire was out of balance.....

 

[sunriseclub]

My 83 300DT has been pulling slightly to the right and has finally wore the sides of the old tires. The tires were so old, I just continued to rotate the tires until no more tread was showing.

This week I put new tires on and took the car over to Big O Tire to get it aligned. The print out the alignment guy handed me showed it way out and that he put everything back within spec. The pull is gone. However, now the loose gear box really shows since I'm not holding the wheel to one side.

So I took to car to an independent MB shop recommended by another MB owner. The shop owner looked under the car and told me that the alignment should NOT have been done since both Upper Control Arms are worn out and turned slightly within the bushings. OK, that is one downfall taking a MB to a general shop. Yes, Big O did the alignment and I think did a fine job, but did not know enough about the MB to look for all the warn parts. The good-bad of the story is that all other front end parts were replaced by the previous owner before I bought the car. I guess it's time to pony up and install new UCAs and get it aligned again.

BTW, the MB shop also pointed out other items that are near failure on this car that I had missed: Both flex joints, Trans cooler lines, fan clutch and differiential mount. All are now on order.

 

[79Mercy]

That total BS your frame isn't out of whack, the dudes head is whats out of whack.

Take your car to the dealer and be done with it. I had a small tire shop align my car and they screwed the entire front end up. When turning the steering wheel would jerk to the left and would lock up and was hard to pull back.

The dealer made it perfect.