Would appreciate if someone can list down the correct alignment specifications for the W124, specifically a 230E (guess it should be similar to a 300E). I've got the Haynes service manual but I'm not too clear about the toe settings given. As stated in the manual, it lists out total toe settings for the front and rear being 0°20' and 0°25' respectively. Qs is, how can one translate total toe settings to individual toe settings for left and right wheel? I noticed that left and right toe readings are shown on an alignment machine. Should the left and right toe settings be similar?

In the rear each sides toe is adjustable relative to the car. In the front each sides toe is adjusted relative to the thrust angle that the rear toe projects. This is to get the steering wheel straight.

Because the front wheels steer the car, toe relative to the car is not relavent as you can point the wheels anywhere. To read the actual front toe from the machine the wheels are moved to the center with half the total toe being on each wheel.

The measurements you gave are in degrees which is the best way to measure as the angle never changes as you move from the axis of rotation. Unfortunately my whole experience is with toe set in milimeters. A total of three is midrange in the front and 5 in the rear (2.5 on each side). (This is from memory). Toe measured in milimeters matters where you read it as the demension increases as you move from the axis of rotation.

Note that a rear toe with one side zero (straight ahead) and the other 5mm toed in would have the right total toe (5mm) but would have a thrust angle (the position the wheels are centered toward) pointed off to one side. After aligning the front wheels to this thrust angle the car will track like a crab but the steering wheel will be centered. At this thrust angle most would not notice the crab gait. If one drove behind this car one might notice.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician