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  #1  
Old 03-29-2002, 06:29 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Schenectady, new york
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'89 420SEL Alignment

Tires on my '89 420SEL were worn badly on the drivers side of the car, I took it to my local tire store for new tires and an alignment. They told me the left side of the car was tilted one centimeter downward and unless I replaced both the springs and the shocks doing the alignment would serve no purpose. With the car tilted one centimeter downward on the drivers side it would be impossible to properly align the car. Shocks pass the single upward bounce test on all four corners. Any truth to the one centimeter tip indicating bad springs and shocks? Can the car be properly aligned with the one centimeter tip downward on the drivers side?




'89 420SEL 133,000

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  #2  
Old 03-29-2002, 09:01 PM
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I had a broken spring in the back end that cause a slight tilt, but there is no alignment adjustment for the rear wheels in these cars. It may be possible that your spring is broken and should be replaced. You should always replace these things in pairs, including shocks. Did a MB dealer tell you these things? I my experience very few places can handle a Mercedes alignment unless they are trained and equipt by Mercedes.
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Old 03-29-2002, 11:26 PM
PaulC
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Shocks do not govern ride height, springs do. Did the 1 cm difference include or exclude the difference in wear between the right-side and left-side tires?

Were the left-side tires worn evenly across the width of the tire, or on an edge?

I think the issue is not whether a 1 cm lean precludes proper alignment, but if the root cause of the lean does so. At 133k, the springs may be ripe for replacement.
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  #4  
Old 03-30-2002, 01:15 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
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I concur with 420 SEL. I had a terrible time getting a proper wheel balance and alignment at a local, well-regarded tire shop.

I started a post called 'bad wheel balance or bad tires" several weeks ago, and I got a lot of good advice from other members, Benzmac, Stevebfl, and other MB techs.

You can read all about tire balance and alignment issues on this thread.

What's clear is this - you need to go either to the dealer or an MB-specific independent that has the right alignment tools. Hunter is the company that makes popular alignment machines that many shops use, and they work with MB for theirs. There are special tools that are required to a proper alignment on an MB, and only the dealer or a good independent will have these.

Last, check the website www.gps9700.com . They make the balance machine that properly balances a tire. Enter your zip code, and a whole list of shops should be listed. The MB dealer near my house uses this machine, and the difference in ride was astonishing.

Fwiw, worn out tie rod ends can also cause this kind of tire wear.

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