124 rear suspension toe & caster - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

babymog · #1 01-04-2016, 10:13 AM

My rear suspension has a bit of a caster issue (bottom of wheels out, don't remember but think that's negative?) and a touch of toe-out.

Bushings are all good / fresh, including lower wheel carrier bushing, bearings good, ... no way to set toe on these.

Question is: is this a result of my having the car riding a little low (dropped less than an inch)?

dieselbenz1 · #2 01-04-2016, 10:49 AM

Here you go

Mercedes W124 Rear Suspension Guide

Stretch · #3 01-04-2016, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

My rear suspension has a bit of a caster issue (bottom of wheels out, don't remember but think that's negative?) and a touch of toe-out.

Bushings are all good / fresh, including lower wheel carrier bushing, bearings good, ... no way to set toe on these.

Question is: is this a result of my having the car riding a little low (dropped less than an inch)?

I think you probably mean camber (and not castor).

Bottom of the wheel "out" is negative camber

(Picture borrowed from google image search)

This is indeed often due to ride height. If your leveling control system is a bit low or the springs are a bit too low (now after all these years) or there's just too many tools in the back(!) then you could be having this trouble.

Chapter 40-0001 in the (W124) FSM on startek has the relationship between ride height and rear wheel camber

Chapters 40-0331 talks about the camber related problems - can be due to bent / damaged camber strut.

Chapter 40-0332 has information about setting the toe (via the eccentric bolt on the track rod / pulling rod(?))

babymog · #4 01-04-2016, 12:41 PM

The 124 cars I've owned do not have adjustable rear suspension links. These were eliminated before our cars were built, although you can buy adjustable links aftermarket (for lowered suspensions, mostly performance parts). So unfortunately the adjustment is not possible on a stock suspension.

However, my question was answered by your postings: my lowered ride-height is causing my alignment issues and can only be resolved by raising the car back to stock height (yuck), or by buying aftermarket/performance parts to make the camber & toe adjustable on the car.

I lowered the car only slightly, by installing the (1-bump?) slimmest factory spring pads on the springs, and also by adjusting the leveling control so that there is no hydraulic pressure at no-load in the car (springs only). It isn't dramatic compared to some "slam" techniques, but was enough to make the car look nice, ride level (no rake), and handle/ride as good as stock. I did not expect this small change to cause such a problem with alignment.

The last rear tires wore out a bit fast, primarily from a bit of wheelspin and some drifting in my curvy drive to work. I did know that I had some toe-in and neg. camber but wasn't worried about it until I replace tires (just did that).

I think I'll avoid the aftermarket suspension parts (most have really hard bushings) so that I can keep my cushy ride, play with raising the car a little and maybe find a "happy medium" where I have only a little toe-in (does improve cornering) but not as much as current, hopefully I'll still be a little lower than stock.

Thanks again!

Stretch · #5 01-04-2016, 01:13 PM

There is stock adjustment for toe (on the back of W124s and W201s) but no stock adjustment for camber. If you want that then you need to buy the after market things often talked about on the W201 board over on BW. If I remember correctly, I think user JamesDean was playing about with these a few years back perhaps he can help if you want more information about that.

pwogaman · #6 01-07-2016, 10:35 PM

babymog · #7 01-08-2016, 09:51 AM

Perfect timing, THANKS!