PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - wheel alignment DIY

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Just had the 300SD aligned with the full setup (lasers and all) for 25 bucks. Normal charge for the shop is 40 dollars. IMO its worth taking it to the place (if you can trust them) for this simple job. Sure the average 34-40 is 1/2 a days work but an improperly done alignment can cost you a whole lot more in tires. :)

BTW this is the 2nd time any shop has ever touched my car. First to do the exhaust (REGRET THAT) and then this time to do the alignment. I know the guy personally and he is a good friend of the family (owner) so I trust him :)

Wow thats involved, I'd rather pay someone to do that and devote my time to other things. Thanks though.

Thanks, whunter.

Thanks for the info on the alignment. Sounds like I should just take it to someone.
I can't believe the cheap prices some of these people are getting for alignments.
$25??? $30??? I'm sure here in metro Atlanta, they're more like $80, and that's at a small general shop, not even a MB mechanic.
I called one independent MB shop, they wanted $140.

Whunter, Where is the DIY?

Remember the "spare time" comment...Roy is usually quite busy.

by everyone's posts it appears there used to be a DIY. I couldn't find it.

"quite busy" - this thread was exhumed 2 years posthumous! Its practically a skeleton.

Must be us folks out here in "Rural America"

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbach36 (Post 1228538)

Thanks for the info on the alignment. Sounds like I should just take it to someone. I can't believe the cheap prices some of these people are getting for alignments. $25??? $30??? I'm sure here in metro Atlanta, they're more like $80, and that's at a small general shop, not even a MB mechanic. I called one independent MB shop, they wanted $140.

Astorg MB in Parkersburg charges $39.95 for a 2 wheel alignment and $79.95 for the 4 wheel version......

SB

whunter, does this mean....

Does this mean that my pair o' jack stands and a long 2x4 or piece of pipe is obsolete??

SB

DIY wheel alignment

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Giant (Post 1067769)

Hmmm. being able to align the car with tools from Home Depot. I like it.:rolleyes:

Since I have two vehicles with adjustable caster/camber at front and rear ...
autocross setup ... and got tired of shopping wheel alignments that will set "what I want" rather than what the book says ... I use this Longacre Racing gauge, from Pegasus Racing <http://www.pegasusautoracing.com>

http://franklynb/home/mindspring.com...185-W-CASE.JPG http://franklynb.home.mindspring.com...125-W-CASE.JPG http://franklynb/home/mindspring.com...185-W-CASE.JPG http://franklynb.home.mindspring.com...185-W-CASE.JPG

I made a simple adapter that fits where the grease cup would normally close the front spindle. I tried to "cookbook" a DIY from a laser gauge, but the camber adjustment required too much qualified machining, and didn't have enough resolution. The cheapie laser versions also required the car to be VERY square to the wall, as a 1 watt LED fades pretty badly when its out of square even a little bit.

AND, they're all red, which doesn't work well in daylight.

The Longacre "differential bubble gauge" setup is a very nice feature for zeroing in the camber. You set the caster by twisting the wheel to 20 degrees. II lay out alignment marks on the shop floor with tape.

It takes some iteration to get the alignment tweaked, as the camber is affected by caster adjustments.

By far, the biggest P.I.T.A. currently is jacking the car up and down to remove the wheel, pull the grease shield, attach the adapter, put the wheel back on, switch sides, yada, yada. Poor planning on my part.

For the next iteration, I'll make an adapter that can stays on the car providing the grease shield functionality, and attach the gauge by its provided magnetic back. The adapter/shield needs to be wide enough to reach the Bundt hub cap surface , cause the mag gauge won't fit in the Bundt hole. If you're using steel wheels, this isn't a problem.

A second gauge would also be nice, as adjusting camber on one side often affects the other.

I made a homebrew "trammel" bar for measuring toe that bungees to the wheel and tire assemblies. Don't have a pic handy, and I'm not proud of the first try. its a 1-1/4" aluminum tube with a couple of sliding "jaws", and an IKEA paper tape measure laminated to either end.

$200 in parts + some hobby lathe and drill press time. Longacre also makes a digital version, but it seems overkill to me.

If someone has a picture or sketch of the "tensioning bar" used to preload W123 front wheels for caster, I'd be interested in a copy.

--frankb

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/big....asp?RecID=883

Hey.. just out of curiosity since I have a used Hunter wheel alignment rack now, what is the degree of caster and camber for the 123 chassis?

Soo, the DIY is gone into oblivion then?

I remember reading that only MB dealers have the proper equipment to do an alignment on a MB. Is that incorrect?

Yes. Some alignment shops have the proper equipment. The Belle Tire in Ann Arbor does, for example.

-Jason

The piece of additional equipment is a spreader bar.

links to other DIY alignment data