I am in Oman, no way here to get the wheels aligned.
I have resealed my steering gear and installed the steering coupler correctly aligned with the steering shaft/gear box in center position. Steering wheel has the mark at 12 o' clock...so the wheels should be 100% straight forward...... I wished.

Front wheels turn slightly to the left at gear box center position (and I recall it was so before i removed the leaking gear box). And they are Not parallel!
What can this be?
Tie rods have not the correct length?

In theory the front wheels should be 100% parallel and straight forward looking if gear box is in center position. Is this a correct assumption?

If tie rods are the reason...how is the procedure to adjust with common tools?

The tie rods should be the same length . Remove them both and check how much different they are. One is probably long and the other short. This is a common mistake done in alignment shops . The tie rods should be 347 mm long (+or- 2mm ) .

Thanks Mercmad,

Is this all there is? Seems to be easy...
I could bring the tie rods both to 347mm as precise as I can, install , done?
In theory: Is the Toe at Zero (i mean wheels 100% parallel) ? Or is there a Toe in of a couple mm?


Martin

Depending on what you've got available this thread might give you some ideas on how to go about getting things a bit better aligned.

How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I checked the tie rod lenths and direction of rims:
I locked the steering gear box to zero with the lock pin (steering wheel at 12 o'clock).
I have the car on stands in front, rear on wheels.
I mounted spare rims (without tires)
Both rods are within the 347 +-2 mm.

Left side seems to be aligned pretty well (If I look from the front back and align both edges of the front rim I end up exactly at the edge of the rear wheel.

Right side: If I do the same here (remember the tie rod here is also within spec... the the ligned up rim is further than the inner side of the rear wheel...

This is called a toe out? Well and an asymmetrical one.

Does anyone have a clue what is going on?
At least no wonder that the steering wheel is not at center position when I am driving straight.

DO you think something bigger is coming up? Was there an incident before damaging a member? Or would you just lengthen the right side tie rod until the right rim is lining up as does the left one?

Are we shooting for slight a toe in ... like couple mm both wheels pointing inward or straight forward with zero toe?


Martin

You do want a slight toe-in. The specs I find show a degree angle. Seems to be about a 1/3 - 5/12 degree spread. I don't know how to translate those figures into a distance measurement so this isn't much help to you.

I've never set the alignment on stands. I suppose it would work but I've always had the car on the ground.

Is there a centre rod that is also adjustable? If so how long is that and how long is it meant to be?

If I were you I'd be making up some slip plates and get the car back on its wheels on the ground.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

The center drag link is not adjustable.

__________________
Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

You can only do this on the ground, and you MUST drive the car in and out of the shop to settle the suspension. Then measure on the rear rim from side to side and then do the front side to side( a string line each side is easy). The difference is your toe in or toe out .
lock the wheel in the straight ahead position so the steering cannot move . Adjust the side which is point out out too far or in too far.
Toe in is 2 mm ( + or -1 mm) .
Toe in allows for slack in various components so the wheels will in effect run straight while driving .

Correct!

Thanks,
Right now I am about to install 'new' old cylinder heads and I can't put the car back on wheels also because I need to have the airsuspension working...with engine running ...I have no air compressor pumping 10 bar.

So I'll probably eyeball and lengthen the right tie rod until it looks better for the eye and then fine adjust with car on wheels as you suggest with the string line. (I see that with car on wheels the tie rods are slightly 'longer' due to the change in angle)
Am I doing rear wheels with 2mm toe in also? or front wheels only?

Where exactly is the 2mm (+or - 1mm) toe in measured? Is it on the rim edge or on the tire edge?

Thanks for all the information.

Martin

Thanks Mike,
with some trigonometry we could figure it out....
Is this 1/3 -5/12 degree spread in total or per wheel?
This should then correspond to the 2mm (+or - 1mm).
Same question here: Is the 2mm measured as a difference between the 2 wheels as a total or has each wheel a difference of 2mm from a straight string line. This would end up at 4mm in total?
Martin

Combination. 2MM total difference from the rear of the wheel and the front of the wheel.

You will NEVER get the alignment set without the suspension at its proper level. I overlooked the fact of the car being a 300SEL. I'd just "rough" the alignment in and not try for anything precise because you aren't going to be even close.

Think of alignment being a series of interlocked triangles, each sharing one corner (and not the same corner either!). If you move one point then each triangle has either a side or an angle changed. So, as suspension height is changed then it has an effect on the shape of each triangle.

Mike
I think I got it.
I have an idea at least: Set steering to center (lock screw in gear box)
Then I could use the floor jack and bring one wheel up to riding height (height where I can lock the airsuspension valve
Then use the string spanning from rear wheel to front wheel ...and make the difference of 1mm rear and front of wheel.
Do the same on the other side.
Done.

What do you think?
At least a good guesstimate.
Martin

Nope. Toe is the relationship between the front wheels. The rear wheels have very little to do with the equation. You can set the toe on jack stands but the second you place the car on all four wheels it (and the rest of the alignment specs) will change.

Get the car running, the suspension at its proper levels and THEN work on the alignment. You're just spinning your wheels otherwise.