I have 87’ 300TD and I noticed some uneven wear on the tires. My wife brought the car in for a front end alignment and it drove straight before (with a very, very slight pull to the right – but nothing excessive) but now it pulls hard to the right. Additionally, the steering wheel is cocked to the right (wasn’t before). I called the shop and spoke with the guy who did the “alignment”, and he said he only adjusted the “toe” or “tow” and didn’t touch anything else.

My questions are:
- if the toe is adjusted and nothing else touched, can that effect how straight the car drives?
- Are Mercedes more difficult to align then other cars?
- What parts could fail that would make the suspension “un-alignable”

Thanks!

-Mike

The guys around here ALMOST got mine right (wheel is cocked LEFT, and the tires squeal when I make tight left turns, but not right turns).
I've heard that you need to take it to the MB dealer because they need to hold something with a special Mercedes tool while doing it. Or at least that's the un-technical story I was told, anyway.

And as far as "unalignable", wear in the ball joints, and control arm/sway bar bushings, (everything rubber), can add play, but I still believe that there is a "best it will get" middle of the slop adjustment. And that shouldn't pull to either side.

Yes, they are. These old Benz's run huge caster numbers and someone that's not good with alignments will make more of a mess than you started with.

Ask around and take it to a good alignment shop, not the local Midas or Tire guys.

Oh, and expect to pay for it. If I align an old Benz here it usually runs about $150.00 or so.

jim

Its better than the story I got from a shop that did alignments. They told me that they needeed "special equipment" to do the alignment correctly, and they didnt have that equipment. That equipment had something to do with weighing the back end of the car down, or something like that......


I knew they were handing me a load of scheisse (greman for $h!t)..... I took it to a local NTB and they did it with no special equipment, just the regular alignment stuff that all alignment places have.. lol

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1983 Mercedes 300D
Atlanta, GA

You paid to have a job done correctly and it wasn't. Hope you put it on a credit card or a check so it's easy to stop payment.

There is nothing hard or mysterious about Mercedes alignments. I wouldn't even think of returning a car without a centered steering wheel or if it hadn't passed the final test drive.

Find another shop and tell others to stay away from that one. If the shop you used has ASE Certified mechanics, write ASE and complain specifically.

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You can get farther with a smile and a gun than you can with just a smile.

1984 300D
1985 300CD
1980 300SD
1993 SL500

Absolutely. The toe adjustment will affect this almost more than any other alignment setting. I agree with Tirebiter: stop payment or demand a refund, then find another shop with a reputation you trust. These guys are jackasses.

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'81 300TD turbo <<sold 12/05 to another diesel nut

My alignment was done recently by a Dobbs, which is a regional chain of tire places (good ones, but tire places all the same), and it was just right. The receipt said, "Thrust Alignment - Front" and "Recenter steering wheel". They did it along with my new tires, and its just fine. I don't think any 'special tools' are necessary, though its possible that its a little more tricky than a ford escort.

peace,
sam

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"That f***in' biodiesel is makin' me hungry."

1982 300TD Astral Silver w/ 250k (BIO BNZ)
2001 Aprilia SR50 Corsa Red w/ 5.5k (>100 MPG)

i pay about 70 around here.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

$111. here in So. Florida at Weber. All they do is allignments.
Done manually over the inground pits.
Has a 1 year guarantee to stay alligned.
The only place every dealership takes their cars to for allignments...
referred there by my MB mechanic....who said DON'T go anywhere else.

So, I think it matters.

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'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

Is there a way to center the steering wheel without taking it to an alignment shop? My alignment is ok but the steering wheel is not centered.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

Good shop would have done that...if some idiot has not had the steering wheel off that idicats the tie rod ends are not adjusted in a balanced manner....

and more is at issue here than just the steering wheel...it will effect the turn signal cancelation and left to right steering lock also.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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