I know it sounds too simple but check the tire pressures. Set them to the recommended pressure (listed inside the fuel door) and see what difference it makes. I took mine to one alignment shop and after they decided they couldn't do it, the tire pressures were all over the place and over-inflated. The car pulled in odd directions with road variations. I probably could have done as good a job with strings and levels.

Many shops barely know how to set toe and caster or camber is way over their head. The shop I found does alignments with a high dollar, laser unit that literally tells them what/how much to adjust. The shop uniform is bib overalls but I've seen a multitude of various exotic cars that are trusted to them for tires and alignment. Believe me, it is better to find the right shop and spend a little more to have the job done once.

__________________
Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I had something similar a few months back and the issue was below. Check your upper control arms. Been on a few months despute using a Moog part versus Lemforder. Might be worth pulling a front wheel for a look see.

__________________
82 300TD
75 300D
99 F350 Crew Cab 7.3 Powerstroke

I put a Lemforder tie-rod end in the front end of my 220D a little less than a year ago. Had to replace my upper ball-joints last weekend so I took another look at it. The rubber boot on the tie rod end had completely self destructed. Most miserable part I ever put on a car in my life. I'll have to post a photo of it when I take it out as a warning to fellow automobile owners.

I'm highly embarrassed, but I have to let everyone know i found the problem...

I don't recall drinking at all the day i put the new tie rods on and adjusted them... I was off by a couple inches... INCHES!!!

oops. yea, so i corrected that. drives great. steering is exactly how I expect, and how it should be.

I'm trying to come up with a better method to do this, as I've done tie rods on everything but the w124 so far, and at its current working/not working ratio i figure it'll need them soon.

Now all I have to do on the 123 is find my door lock leak, and find some way to get rid of that stupid throttle linkage mess on top of the valve cover. the little plate piece has a bad notch worn into it and makes the throttle sticky.

__________________
1982 300D (w123, "Grey Car")
1982 300D (w123, "Blue Car")
2001 Ford F150 "Clifford" (The Big Red Truck)
1997 Dodge Ram 2500 12V Cummins
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 12V Cummins
Previous Vehicles:
1995 E300D, 1980 300SD, 1992 Buick Century, 2005 Saturn Ion

The usual procedure for replacing tie rod ends is to COUNT the threads exposed on the ones you are taking off....and replicate on the new ones.... that should get it close enough to drive to the alignment shop....

__________________
1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

ball joints good? tried a pry bar on them? - you may have to heave on them

__________________
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)

Counting turns on a tie rod does not always work due to varying distances from the ball to end of thread. It will get you close but there is a better way.

Measure the distance from the tie rod end cap center to the other tie rod end cap. Sometimes there is a divot in the cap or a grease fitting ( mostly older USA cars ) This will be the most accurate method short of measuring actual toe at the wheels. Using the angle iron method is pretty fast, reaching the tie rods to adjust is somewhat difficult when reaching around the wheel but it can be done.

Yep, measuring is more accurate. Then with a tape measure you can rough in the toe alugnment so you can drive to the shop. Worked for me twice now.

__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

Its best to adjust camber first.

Wow, that's surprising. Lemforder is supposed to be one of the better brands. I tend to stick with Lemforder and Stabilus/Boge for suspension parts. Karlyn and Meyle can be a hit or miss. Never URO.