New Front End & Alignment and Still Wearing Tires??? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

350SL4spd · #1 11-01-2007, 11:24 PM

Hey all,

I've got a major issue w/ my '91 300E. Out of the blue I started getting some very loud wheel noise on the highway one day. No major incident; no potholes, curbs, debris, etc. It's the left front tire and the wear is very obvious on the inside edge of the tire. So I took it to the dealer for an alignment and they wouldn't touch it w/o replacing both Tie-Rod Assemblies and the Drag Link & Shock. (Both Front Shocks, both Front Wheel Bearings, and the left Ball Joint were replaced around X-Mas last year.)

So the Tie-Rods, etc were replaced and when the alignment re-commenced it turned out, of course, that the Control Arm Bolts were frozen, so I had to throw another $900 at getting them hacked out and replaced (new Bushings too while they were in there). Then they finally got the alignment done.

Long story short, the noise & tire wear still exist.

Any ideas what could be causing my continued headache? What is the F is there left to replace?

I have had nothing but nightmares with the local dealer. I have to fight and claw just to get my car looked at. It's one of the more elite dealerships in the country, in one of the most affluent areas (they got 2 or 3 of the new Black Series coupes...), so they have no respect for my 'old' w124. I'm obviously going to have to go back, but I need to be as educated as possibly to get these bastards to even talk to me (and I'm no louse, I've been wrenching on Germans since I was 13yrs old).

Any help on where else to look for this problem?

-Matthew-

Pete Geither · #2 11-02-2007, 05:57 AM

They should have given you a printed readout on the finished alignment specs. If it is dead on, there should not be a problem with tire wear. The noise is another problem possibly. You didn't say if it was a rotating noise, or a noise when you hit a bump.

Ara T. · #3 11-02-2007, 06:05 AM

Call them and ask them what's up. Like Pete said they should have given you a readout, and/or you should have asked for one.

350SL4spd · #4 11-02-2007, 12:12 PM

The noise is definitely speed related in the front left tire and is causing obvious wear on the inside edge of the tire.

The paperwork that I received from the dealer stated that they were able to set the caster, camber & toe-in to factory spec.

I am obviously going to have to bring the car back in, but I want to get as much info on anything that could be wrong in the front end. The dealer is over 30min away and, between getting a ride there and dealing with them, I lose more than half a day everytime I go out there (I've been there three times over this already).

Any suggestions?

75Sv1 · #5 11-02-2007, 12:30 PM

My suggestion is if the wheel bearings are properly spaced or tensioned. I've had wheel bearings that were worn, shot or loose cause problems. Any Indy mechanics in the area? I've had some of my cars in various places for alignment and they did the alignment, but didn't look at what parts were worn. One guy I take mine to has caught a few things. Also, just thinking, but check the shocks or struts. I've had some stick or go bad. Causes problems. I've hear to have the car aligned after changing shocks or struts.
Tom

350SL4spd · #6 11-12-2007, 02:48 PM

Hey guys,

Well, I had it out with my dealer and received at least a little better treatment over my last few visits, but they can't solve my problem.

The car now has an entirely new front end in the last 10 months: Front shocks/wheel bearings & the left ball joint 10mo ago, and all new tie rods, drag link/shock and control arm bolt/bushings this month, as well tires rotated & balanced the last time in.

The dealer has had it on the alignment rack no less than three times and has had everyone from the Shop Manager to the Head Tech go over the front end. They say the front end is perfectly aligned and that there are no parts left to replace (coming from the dealer, that's saying something). But it is still rubbing tires. Same wear pattern on the inside edge of the left front tire.

Obviously anything like a damaged control arm or a bent frame would become incredibly obvious when they got it hooked up to the computer. But everything comes out roses with their numbers. The last thing the dealer could tell me to do was replace the tires, but I'm currently running the second post-alignment 'fresh' tire on that corner with the same results: that the wear pattern gets it's teeth in after about 30 miles.

When I went over the car one of the techs at the dealership he immediately felt the wear pattern and commented that that particular wear pattern was almost always indicitive of a bad strut on the w124's, "But I see you already replaced those".

Is it possible to get a bad strut right out of the box? I put in Bosch HD's straight from Phil, less than 11mo ago, but could the strut have come from the factory with no oil in it?

The dealership has no idea what else to do with it & I'm still rubbing tires. any ideas??

Thanks.