1981 300D 149,000 miles

Hi Guys,

The previous owner bought 4 Dunlop 195/70 Tires when the car had 110,000 miles. He had it aligned at a independent tire shop.

I see the following comment in the receipt:

"LF Camber is at max adjustment/ RR toe is out, no more adjustment/ Steering wheel off center". I assume the alignment took place since they charged $ 69.95 for it.

I'm approaching tire purchase season so I crawled under the car to inspect the steering and suspension components. Everything looks dry and thight. The ball joints rubber is in pretty good shape. The car pulls slightly to the right and the steering wheel play is acceptable to me. The ride is smooth with no strange vibrations.

The previous owner rotated the tires no too long ago. The tires currently in the back are living their last miles but the wear is even. The front tires have may be 40% left and don't show any signs of unusual wear.

My question is: what component(s) are involved in adjusting camber? What do you suggest I should do about the LF camber adjustment being at max?

I want to be prepared when they put the new tires and lecture me about suspension components and why I should spend at least $ 1,000 for them to be able to align the car.

Thanks

I was waiting to see what advice some of the veterans would offer, but I'll toss out what little I know. I spent last Friday afternoon aligning the front of my '81 240D with some home-made measuring tools. My tires were wearing horribly quick on the outer edges. The toe-in was 5/8" when specs call for only 1/8". The tie rods adjust toe-in and also center the steering wheel.

The camber on mine was off a little, but I don't have a large enough wrench to fit the bolt and nut, so I left it. Camber is adjusted by an eccentric bolt on the inside end of the lower control arm. I'm not sure exactly what is meant when your LF camber is adjusted to the max, unless something is severely worn or damaged/bent.

The front end is pretty straight forward. If the tie rod ends, ball joints and bushings are tight when you shake and otherwise inspect them with a suspended wheel, I would think you're in pretty good shape.

One note: when you adjust the camber, it also changes the caster setting.

You might want to try posting this on the diesel forum--there's some pretty good advice floating around there. However, hope this helps a little.

Sounds like you have excessive negative camber at the left front wheel. Negative camber is when the top of the wheel leans inward, toward the car. Take a look and compare it to the other side. This will also cause the car to pull to the right. Unsurprisingly, it also wears the inside edge of the tire.

Camber is adjusted via an eccentric on the inner end of the lower control arm. Put simply, it allows the lower arm to be moved inward or outward.

Given that the lower control arm is at its maximum inward adjustment, you almost certainly have a problem with the upper control arm. The upper arm has a ball joint at its end which locates the top of the steering knuckle. The upper arm is not adjustable. I see lots of old 123s on the road with inward leaning front tires; it's a common wear item. The upper ball joint is not replacable seperately, it's only available with a new upper arm. Cost is modest - I've paid ~$60 in the past. Installation is not difficult.

Have a mechanic whos knows these cars inspect the suspension. Ball joint wear is a safety item. If the ball joint fails, your front suspension falls apart and "steering control" becomes a relative term.