Hi, I have a w111 1971 coupe ,a question about the subframe mount and front suspension geometry is burning a hole in my mind. I know that the engine is held by a subframe which is held to the chassis by subframe mounts, when the car is raised on the lift by it's jacking points the subframe goes down from the weight of the engine, and I notice that the front wheels toe out clearly.
I assume that similar situation can be faced driving normally on bumpy roads, which make the toe out quite dangerous.
Is this normal and expected, or do I have a problem maybe needing subframe mounts replacement?
I did my homework and did a lot of searching but couldn't find any reasonable answer, I am about to finish putting the car back on the road, I defiantly don't want to put another danger on the road.
Please help.
Thanks.D

When you last had the car on the road, did you notice any abnormal noises from the front end when going over bumps or rough roads? The sub mounts are a pretty common need on these cars, particularly now since they're so old.

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Regards,
Aaron

I wouldn't expect the engine to move the sub frame in your case as the sub is being held from the body not suspension. The body side of the spring is where the wheel loads are transferred. Now, if the car is very rusty, I've seen cars bend when lifted from jacking points rather than the suspension.

When wheels go into droop ( or compression ) , steering angles will change, that is normal and sometimes by design.

Just so we have the terms correct, toe is viewed from above and measured in front of axle and rear. If the front has a smaller distance, the wheels are toed in. If larger distance in front, that is toe out.

Camber is viewed from the front. If the top of wheel is tipped towards the center of car, that is negative camber. It tipped towards the outside of the car, that is positive camber.