We still call them frame shops but the bulk of their work. If not almost all is pulling unibody related stuff.

To answer your original question - no, the car isn't dead. But as others have said you'll need a good frame shop. Measuring the wheelbase is a good diagnostic starting point but ultimately you need someone to pull everything back straight if it's out of whack. They'll also tell you if something weird is bent but it sounds like you've pretty well covered that.

The frame shop will set your alignment too. Someone suggested the dealer for alignment. Unless you LIKE getting screwed I'd avoid that. The dealers have the same equipment as the alignment/frame shops (there are several brands) and the settings are simply THE settings - any decent frame shop can set everything back to where it was or tell you why not (the second option is unlikely). In fact, they'll use the specs to assure that their pull is right.

Good luck

Dan

I found it quite easy to set alignment on my car when I helped along with the alignment.

adjust toe to zero, adjust camber, (keep dialing toe to zero) - then caster (keep dialing toe to zero)

set toe in a bit more than required (install piece of wood and jack as spreader bar) - check and fine tune.

We followed the manual word to word and even the tech said its very simple, in most cases the green techs try to adjust the camber/caster at final toe and get lost in it. The 10 degree camber plays tricks on you.

btw - whiskey tango - the alignment specs are not the same across the entire W124 range, the manual specifies it. The hunter machines have the spec but they are a botched up mix of all. When you go for alignment give the shop your alignment specs in decimal degrees (thats what most machines are set to)

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Will you please tell me what the specs are or tell me where I can get the manual you reference? I booked an appointment at a frame shop for this Thursday.
thx

When I need to straighten a frame, I just tie one side to a tree and have ~ 10 guys pull from the other side. If all else fails, we just bend the other side to match the already-bent one.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

this is the link for it

http://w124-zone.com/downloads/MB%20CD/W124/w124CD2/Program/Chassis/40-0001.pdf

supported by the user ps2cho,

the very top one is the 1995 E300D spec, its in whole degrees. In decimal degrees it would be

camber -0.08
caster 10.16 (with wheels turned manual test - 9.9)
toe in (with spread bar) 0.33

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

On that list of specs for different models, I do not see the 1987 300D which is identified at Mercedes-Benz W124 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
as a 124.133. I have seen that designator used widely elsewhere for the 87 diesel model but the alignment specs are not included on the sheet that you linked. Any guess as to where I could find the specs?

__________________
87 300D 265Kmi
Factory rebuilt crate 603.96x engine at 200K

the sheet speaks of 124.13 (note the last) diesel models in USA case would be

124.133 = 87 300D
124-131 = 95 E300D

the major difference to note is the build date cut off of 10/88

This is because the pre 88 cars had a different drag link and idler arm and sat a bit higher too.

You will also notice that the 124.128 (2.5 turbo 300D) also should follow the same specs - its in the same chart.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

A good alignment shop may pick out the problem ,bent suspention parts could be the culpriet but these dont just give way without some kind of welded piece which holds it in place also being weakened.A FRAME SHOP/BODY SHOP ,(not all body shops have frame machines which also fix UNIBODIED CARS) ,THEY NEED TO find these weak ends and inspect for bending and weld TO FIX before the new suspention pieces can be bolted back on.

thx but here's a question about the decimal degrees

is it camber = -0.08 or camber = 0.08 ?
same for "caster 10.16 (with wheels turned manual test - 9.9)"
is it = -9.9 or 9.9
i know, probably stupid questions but I know nothing about this.

I should have known ps2cho would have had this, he has lots of very helpful information.
Thanks again.

the camber is in negative

the caster is positive.

the 9.9 value is for test because the original tool to measure the caster on a W124 and 201 is a scale device that hangs on the ball joint pinch bolt and nut, If you look at it the bolt has an indent for this tool also.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Thanks Z, I'm trying to anticipate any questions the frame shop might have.
If they let me inside the shop I'll try and take some photos of the work in progress.

Make sure you ask them to check the spring perches on both sides. With a shot that your car took it may have weakened the welds.

__________________
96 E300d

Will do. thx

Update;
Well, the guy at the frame shop was "interesting". He said it would take 2 hours to "set up" the car on the rack and then another hour to pull it into shape.
My appointment was at 7:30 and the car just sat in the lot for 35 min. then it was driven onto the rack and it sat for another 20 min. This was starting to look pretty bad and sure enough the guy that was suppose to be working on my car went to work on a different car. Then they started to place the markers for the computer. It really took about 10 min to do that ( not 2 hours as the owner had said). The owner finally came out and told me that the pivots for the LCA were bent and they couldn't do anything that day.
This is exactly what I had told him 3 times before they ever looked at the car. He wanted me to pay another
$1400 at some future date. I think I'll look around for a different shop!
A complete waste of time and money.