If your UCA bushings are original, you can be all but certain that your mechanic's diagnosis is not accurate. The bushings sag over time until the limits of camber adjustment are exceeded. New camber adjusters are not the solution.

There are countless domestic models which use the exact same method of camber and toe adjustment as a W123. There is nothing exotic about the manner of adjustment.

I had a steering pull develop (not immediately, oddly enough) after sliding off the pavement and into the gravel one slippery morning.

Turned out the UCA balls were completely worn out. I can't recall why I decided it was the UCAs that were wrong -- I think maybe I saw the boot on one was expanded a different amount vertically after I jacked the wheel up off the ground to investigate the damage I'd caused. There was no outward appearance that they were bad -- the wear was still entirely internal (the plastic cup liner was ground away).

Those front springs are a doozy, I doubt I could have pried hard enough with a prybar (assuming I could even get one in there) to cause any movement with the car on the ground, and I know for certain I couldn't have squeezed the ball together hard enough to have seen the movement with the wheel off the ground.

Replacing the UCAs and their bushings (which were still in good condition) fixed the problem. Interestingly, both sides were worn out the same way, and neither seemed to affect the alignment before or after the repair.

When I cut the UCA open, you could see they had a plastic liner that was completely worn through (see the "what's in your balls" thread). I suspect one shifted when I slid into the gravel and then the front end was unbalanced. If I'd just kept driving it, it might have slopped back into position and the pull self-corrected.. now there's a scarry thought.

__________________
'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

How many domestics use spreader bars? How many domestics have 9 degrees of positive castor?

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

In theory, almost any vehicle would benefit from the use of a preload bar. In reality, the extent of the benefit is vastly over-rated.

Perhaps you could tell us what W123 design characteristic makes the use of a "spreader bar" so essential.

Excellent point. A technician who is in the habit of setting 7.25 degrees of positive caster could become totally bewildered trying to set 9.75 degrees. It's such a different concept!!!

I don't know but the tone of your post comes across as condescending. I'm not a Mercedes engineer so I'm not going to second guess them.




Again, another condescending tone. Yes the concept is the same, but some alignment machines aren't equiped to measure that high.

This forum is for helping people. If you disagree with someone you can use a more polite tone.

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

Excellent point. You were not being helpful when you insisted that a W123 alignment is so complex that it can only be accomplished at a dealer.

That's not what I said at all. You are misquoting me to substantiate your position. I said he really ought to take it to a dealer. Chances are they will be better able to do it than some other place.

Now not only are you being condescending, but you are also misquoting what I said. Your tone isn't helpful and it discourages people from participating in this forum. There are much more polite ways to disagree with someone.

Scott

__________________
Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

I don't think that dog is going to hunt. I am quite certain that I did not misrepresent the "spirit and intent" of your comments.

To wit:

What is it about a Mercedes that makes it different from "other cars?"

My position is that any reasonably qualified and equipped alignment facility is perfectly capable of aligning a W123. The frequently promoted theory that a MB alignment is a a "dealer only" procedure is neither accurate nor helpful.

While on the subject of "dealer" alignments, here is a very interesting comment from another recent tread:

We're beating a dead horse at this point. Peace be with you tangofox007.

Scott

__________________
Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

I think his position is that "most" "alignment" places are just advanced jiffylubes, and are incapable of dealing with a car that needs more than toe and caster adjustments... so a dealer should be a safe choice for alignments...
not always the case though. many dealers are only versed on the last 10 years of cars... YMMV

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Well, it's certain that Firestone didn't know what they were doing. Since starting this thread I've talked to a very knowledgable MB mechanic who has worked on W123's forever. Unfortunately, he doesn't do alignments, but he highly recommended a local, non-Firestone place that he says knows what they're doing.

I'm going to check in with them later this week and see what they have to say after looking at the car. I'll let you know how it works out.

Randy

While there are exceptions, the odds are generally not stacked in your favor when dealing with a "chain store" auto repair facility.

While it is certainly possible to find an independent shop that is competent and is willing to spend the time required to properly align a M/B, for a member that walks into a shop without any prior knowledge, the risk is very high that the shop will not perform the task. The simply won't spend the time for $70.00. They also know that there is no recourse if the don't do it properly.

With the dealer, they have some sense of the needs of the vehicle and there is a modicum of professionalism present in most cases.

BTW, I'm in the exact same situation with the SD. Finally got it finished and need to take it to an independent who I already know is highly reputable or to take it to the dealer where I have an inside connection. For me it's a bit of a quandary on which path to take.

Am I missing something obvious, or has the eccentric bolt been rotated past max camber?

The neutral position is with the lobe centered in the lower half, right? So, max negative camber would be with the lobe rotated inboard 90 degrees. In the pic it looks like it's above that

From the pic, it looks like he's got lots of adjustment left to dial out the excess negative camber. But I wonder about how it got rotated that far over? Maybe the Firestone mechanic tried to rotate it?

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