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  #1  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:03 PM
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How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D

G'day Folks,

I've recently rebuilt and renewed the rear and front suspension of my 1981 W123 300D. I've also attempted to do a four wheel alignment. I've done this for “fun” as a hobby. I plan to take my finished efforts to the dealer to get the ultimate verification of the method and my ability.

This method is not new – it is an amalgamation of information I've found from several sources.

This method is not a quick method – it takes a long time – it is fiddly and for many people I guess they will find it frustrating. It has the potential to save you money, however, there is no such thing as a free lunch – read on!

Quick note about safety:-

If you do this to your car you are potentially doing something dangerous. It is not only dangerous performing this technique - cars on slip plates do move! - but it is also potentially dangerous if you get this wrong. After adjusting suspension components don't head straight off into the sunset trying to break the land speed record. Take your time and be sensible – make sure your car is doing what you expect it to.

Warning:- At present I have not taken my car to the dealer to get a 4 wheel alignment to confirm the validity of this method.

__________________
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!
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  #2  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:04 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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Step 1:- Preparation preliminary checks

I'm sorry to start with a lecture but these irritating preliminary steps could potentially save you a lot of time and effort.

Before you start it is best to check

1)The condition of your tyres – bulging side walls for example could mess up your measurements
2)Tyre pressures need to be correct
3)The car should not be overladen – take out all of that stuff in your trunk!
4)The fuel tank should not be empty – it is best to do this with a nearly if not a full tank
5)The condition of your suspension components should be good
6)The car should be level AND on a level surface (this was difficulty for me)
7)Your wheel bearings should be correctly adjusted and your wheel bolts need to be tight.
8)Your wheels must not be damaged

I think these are the main things to check. Even so read through this thread for a better overview:-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=134630

(Please do this: undoubtedly whunter is more experienced than I am)
__________________
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!
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  #3  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:05 PM
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Step 2:- Preparation of the set up

The first thing I did was to make up some slip plates and get the car on a level surface. From the pictures, you can see that my driveway is a mess. Over long distances it is approximately level but over short distances each concrete bit isn't. I ended up using plywood on the underside of the slip plates and checked the levels of each slip plate with a spirit level. It took a long time to sort this – I recommend using a better level surface like a garage floor if you can.

I made my slip plates from pieces of aluminium sheet with grease in between. You can use other stuff, it doesn't have to be aluminium. For example, I thought of melamine backed wood. Make sure that what ever you use it won't crush / splinter / break under the weight of the car. You just need two flat smooth surfaces with grease in between.

I planned to put the car on four slip plates, but as Internet shopping isn't always as reliable as it should be, only 7 of the 8 aluminium plates turned up... so I put the car on 3 slip plates. The right hand rear wheel was on the ground. This turned out to be a fortunate compromise. I've found that having the car on 3 slip plates works fine. The wheels move nicely on the slip plates and there is a sense of security that the car won't slip off and crush something. It is very easy to push the car about when it is on slip plates – I understand the warning given in this link now!

http://www.elantragtclub.com/id554.html

(This was found from this thread http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=134630 )

I'll say it again => Working with a car on slip plates is dangerous: I found that a good check is to turn the steering wheel from lock to lock to see if the car slips off the slip plates. If it slips off then your car will not be on a level surface – you need to go back to the start and correct this.

Once the car was in position I bounced it up and down to get it to sit properly.
Attached Thumbnails
How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-state-my-driveway.jpg   How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-making-grease-plates.jpg  
__________________
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!
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  #4  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:07 PM
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Step 3:- checking the car is level (Optional?)

I have added the “Optional?” bit in the title above because in order to adjust the ride height of a standard W123 and W126 (without level control suspension) you need to either replace the rubber shims that are fitted above the springs or you need to replace the springs... this is likely to be a bit extreme for most of us. However, I've added in a general method in case you want to check this out.

If you have different circumference wheels / tyres on the front and the back or you have decided to lower the front or jack up the back then you're kind of on your own. I don't know how to account for that... but the following might help:-

As far as the FSM chapter 40-300 is concerned (for a standard car) the W126 is level when certain suspension parts are within a specified distance.

Place the front wheels in the straight ahead position to check that the front suspension is level by measuring the control arm position. The FSM states that you need to obtain a mean value by pushing the body of the car down by about 30mm – measuring – and then pulling the body of the car up by 30mm and measuring. You add these two measurements together and then divide by 2 to get your mean value.

You are meant to use special tool 123 589 03 21 00 to do this – however I used a bit of wood, a spirit level, and an angle brace. You need to measure a vertical value between a position on the underside of the LCA below the lower shock absorber mount and the centre of the LCA inner mounting point – the eccentric pin.

The nominal value is quoted by the FSM to be 45mm +10mm / -15mm for a W126 with standard suspension up to 1987 (so between 30mm and 55mm). Disclaimer:- I couldn't find the value for a W123 so I used the W126 values. I guess it will be similar if not the same as the same type of suspension is used on both cars. THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER VALUES for cars with different types of suspension so this value might not be good for you – check with your FSM!

For the rear suspension I used the same bit of wood, a different longer spirit level, and angle brace to measure the (rear) trailing arm position. Here you need to measure between the centre of the inner trailing arm bearing and the bottom of the constant velocity joint (axle can) closest to the differential. This measurement is appropriate for a standard trailing arm set up without starting torque compensation. The value for a W126 with standard suspension – no level control - is 38mm +10mm / - 12mm (so between 26mm and 48mm). Disclaimer:- I used this value for my W123 – again there are LOTS OF OTHER VALUES for different suspension set ups and configurations. If you have a trailing arm with torque compensation then you need to measure different points. Again check your FSM.
Attached Thumbnails
How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-diy-tool-measuring-relative-suspension-heights.jpg   How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-checking-levels-measuring-front-lca-.jpg   How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-tool-measuring-w123-level_trailing-arm1.jpg  
__________________
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!
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  #5  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:08 PM
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Step 4:- Checking for a straight chassis – VERY OPTIONAL

This is a “very” optional step. You don't need to do this – but if you come across some unexplained problems with the procedure later on this step may help.

I decided to do this extra stage as I had previously discovered that there had been some welding work on my W123's sills which has resulted in a wonky driver's seat. (See)

I don't have the jealously guarded crash repair man's data of exactly where each part of the W123 body should be – but – I figured that if I measured between certain points on the underside of the car I could get a pretty good idea of whether the chassis is straight or not.

I chose to measure between the solid mount points, such as the differential mount, the sub frame attachment pins, the lower control arm mounts (eccentric pin), and either end of the stay that hold the LCA in place (the FSM calls this the brake support). In other words each easily accessible part of the chassis that is utilised to hold the wheels in place.

I used a plumb bob to transfer the positions of each point on the car onto a point on the ground. By chalking each position on the ground. I then rolled the car out of the way so that I could measure between, across, and diagonally from point to point. I built up a set of relative measurements from which I then made a scaled drawing (on a computer drawing package actually – but pen and paper is just as good) that would show if there was a misalignment.

Despite my worries – my car turned out to be fine. Each dimension I measured put each point within a few millimetres even though I was measuring with a tape measure on my terribly uneven driveway.
__________________
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!
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  #6  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:08 PM
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Step 5:- Setting the steering wheel in the correct position

You need to set the steering wheel in a straight ahead position before you start to set out your measuring points of reference. I managed to do this with the help of the steering lock – and I think I got away with it. The FSM says you need to fit a special pin into the steering box to locate the straight ahead position... or when the steering box has been removed you need to remove the steering wheel and align marks on the steering shaft. I elected not to do this. An alternative way would be to lock the steering wheel in position as shown in this link:-

http://www.elantragtclub.com/id554.html
__________________
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!
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  #7  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:10 PM
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Step 6:- Making a box

You need to set up points of reference in order to make good measurements of the positions of the wheels. To do this I used the method shown in:-

http://www.elantragtclub.com/id554.html

I don't have a laser pointing device or anything fancy like that – if you do then you could use that instead...

I used axle stands and string to make a box around the car. You need to make a box as rectangular as possible. You do not want to make a parallelogram by accident. Measure each side of the box to ensure that the opposite is the same length. In the link above the ends of the box were of a fixed length on a rod. This might be good for some cars – but you're going to find it hard to get to the front suspension of a W123 and W126 to apply a tension force for the toe in / out measurements with rods in the way. I recommend you leave as much space as possible at the front of the car.

You are now going to have to walk around your car several times – as many times as it takes – to position your axle stands and string so that the string is at a height of the centre of the rear hubs and the centre of the front hubs. I recommend not only taking off hub caps / centre caps on alloy wheels but also removing the dust cover on the front wheel hubs.

Next you're going to have to walk around your car many more times than before – as many times as it takes – positioning your axle stands and string so that the distance between the string and the centre of the hubs is the same on the front of the car. You also need to do this for the rear as well. The dimension on the front does not have to be the same on the back. The dimension only needs to be the same for the left and right side on the same axle.

To make sure you've got a rectangle around your car and that you've not made a parallelogram by accident measure from a fixed point on the chassis of the car to one of the corners. I used the jacking points. Ideally you'd be better off measuring diagonally across your box from corner to corner to check for a rectangle but in practice this will prove hard to do as the bloody wheels get in the way!

If you are going to adjust for caster using the method below then you need to space your string far enough away from the car to allow the front wheels to turn through an angle of 20 degrees from the left to 20 degrees to the right.
Attached Thumbnails
How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-setting-up-box1.jpg  
__________________
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!
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  #8  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:11 PM
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Step 7 measuring toe in / out

Now you've got your reference points (in box form) set up around your car you can start to measure toe in / out on the wheels.

To measure the front wheel toe in / out the FSM states that you need to use a spreader bar to apply a force of 110 to 120N. I have actually seen other values of this force quoted such as 90 to 110N in the W126 FSM. Anyway I found this to be difficult to achieve without the special tool (000 589 18 31 00) – but I think I've come up with a pretty good compromise. Essentially if it were a vertical force the spreading force would feel like a 9 - 12kg weight. I have no way of measuring this but have a gut feeling that my DIY clamping device when turned into a spreader bar provides sufficient force for this job. This is a compromise and I can't be sure that it is good enough but it is the best I've got. I propped my spreader bar up on blocks of wood and used yet more wood to help reach the span between the front wheels.

Anyway to measure the toe in / out you need to measure from a fixed point on the furthest forward point on the rim to the string. Then measure from the furthest rearward point on the rim to the string. If these distances are the same then you have NO or ZERO toe in or toe out. If the furthest forward dimension is greater than the furthest rearward dimension then you have toe in. The opposite case is toe out.

To calculate the angle of toe in / out you need to remember the distance you had previously measured from the centre of the hub to the string (or measure it again). Then you need to measure the distance from the furthest forward point of measurement to the furthest rearward point of measurement on the wheel rim. This gives you the diameter – which divided by 2 gives you the radius – which can then be used with the wonders of trigonometry to get the angle. Use the formula sin ψ = opp / hyp where opp is the difference between distance from rim to string and the distance from the centre of the wheel to the string, and hyp is the radius you've just calculated. If I were you I'd calculate both angles – the one that is forward facing and the one that is rearward facing – and compare them to make sure the angles are the same (you can also compare the calculated distances from the wheel centre measurement – if you see what I mean). They should be very close, otherwise check that your rim is true, or measure again.

WARNING:- If you move the axle stands that are holding the box of string around your car you are stuffed. You need to go back to step 6 above. The same is to be said if you move the car. In this thread whunter says you need to apply the brakes in order to obtain good consistent measurements:-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=134630

I'm not sure of this (I think if you are careful it doesn't matter) but it would certainly help to hold the car in position – although using just 3 slip plates probably helps too. Perhaps the use of brakes needs to be discussed further?
__________________
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!
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  #9  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:12 PM
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Step 8 measuring camber

To measure camber, you need to measure the angle of the line between the top of the wheel rim and the bottom of the wheel rim and compare this to the vertical. I must stress here that this only works if your car is on a level – horizontal – surface. You could use a camber gauge for this. I bought a little bubble camber gauge for this job but I didn't think it was very good. The magnetic base of my bought camber gauge wasn't really of a size that was compatible with the end of the front axle – I couldn't get consistent reliable measurements so I made the following contraption (idea came from another forum http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=258944).

For this you need to find two set squares with millimetre ruler scales and another set square that will be used to position the gauge up against the rim. If you have them use three set squares of equal length. I attached the three set squares to a straight edge that just happened to be a spirit level (the vertical level sight provided useful confirmation). Attach two of these set squares to the straight edge at a distance apart that allows you to make contact with the top and bottom of the rim without touching the tyre. The upper set square needs to be one of the set squares with the millimetre scale. Then attach your third set square above the set square that makes contact with the upper part of the rim at a distance of 573mm. I then tied a plumb bob to the top set square.

When the straight edge is vertical the distance at which the top of the plumb bob is tied to the top set square will be the same distance at which the string of the plumb bob will touch the bottom set square. If you tilt the straight edge you can get the string to move a distance along the scale of the bottom set square. Ten millimetres movement on the bottom scale is equivalent to a change in angle of one degree (so long as you have a distance of 573mm between the two set squares).

WARNING using a DIY camber gauge like this can seriously scratch your car – be careful!

Now that you've made your camber gauge you can set to work measuring your camber. You can also measure rear wheel camber but on a W123 and W126 there is nothing to adjust. Here are instructions for measurement of front wheel camber:-

1.The FSM says you need to set the toe in / out to zero degrees – so use step 7 above to do so.
2.REMOVE THE SPREADER BAR
3.Hold your camber gauge up against your rim and make your measurement
4.To adjust the camber you need to loosen the nut on the LCA eccentric bolt mount and turn the bolt to a new position. Tighten the nut – tight - but not to the specified torque.
5.Re-measure the camber and adjust if necessary.
6.Next measure the camber on the other front wheel.
7.Adjust if necessary.
8.If you have made adjustments is now quite likely that your toe in / out is completely out of alignment so go back through the process from step 1 until you do not need to make any further adjustments.
You should have to make smaller and smaller adjustments as you go through this process. If you think you suddenly have to make a large adjustment – stop and think about it. Where did you go wrong? Are you sure you want to do that? Do you really want to undo all the work you've done so far?

For my W123 the camber setting is 0 degrees +10 minutes / - 20 minutes – so it is essentially zero degrees. With the DIY camber gauge it is very easy to achieve this.
Attached Thumbnails
How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-diy-camber-gauge.jpg  
__________________
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!
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  #10  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:13 PM
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Step 9 Measuring caster

The FSM says you should use the fancy special tool to simultaneously measure camber and castor. If you can get hold of one I'm sure it will save you lots of time. So far I haven't worked out how to make an equivalent DIY tool – that's a project for the winter. So the only other way is to measure camber of the front wheels when they are turned by 20 degrees (as data for this is given in the FSM)

Preliminary steps:-
1.Assemble a camber gauge as described above in step 8.
2.Lock the steering in a straight ahead position
3.Set the toe in / out to zero degrees
4.REMOVE THE SPREADER BAR
5.Set the camber to zero degrees
6.Check the toe in / out and adjust the camber again if necessary
7.REMOVE THE SPREADER BAR
8.Remove your steering wheel lock – or the method of which you've locked the steering
9.Draw a line parallel to the rim when it is in its straight ahead position so that you have a convenient measurement datum point for the measurement a 20 degree angle. (You may be able to use your box of string datum for this too)

When you've got the camber set to the prescribed value and you've got your toe in / out set correctly then you are ready to check / measure / adjust the caster. Because you've got the car on slip plates you can easily turn the front wheel one way or the other. WARNING if your car is not on a level surface you will probably find that the wheels will slip off of the slip plates – this can be DANGEROUS!!!

Another problem that you may encounter is that when you turn the front wheels they catch on your carefully made box of string reference point. If this happens I recommend going back to step 6 above and make a wider box around the car, as if you adjust the caster you'll need to check the toe in / out again, and it is a good idea to check the distance from a point on the chassis to the string during the caster measurements.

To measure caster you:-

1.Recommended:- Measure from a point on the chassis to your box of string datum so that you have a way of checking if the car has moved after you've done the next step. I measured from the front jacking holes.
2.Turn the front wheel to the right by an angle of 20 degrees – you need to measure this with a protractor. Some people make up a template out of cardboard for this.
3.Recommended:- Check that the car has not moved – measure from your chosen points on the chassis again.
4.Using your camber gauge measure the angle of camber and record the value. If you are using the DIY camber gauge described above then 10mm = 1 degree.
5.Turn the front wheel back through the straight ahead position to an angle of 20 degrees left
6.Recommended:- Check that the car has not moved – measure from your chosen point on the chassis again.
7.Using your camber gauge measure the angle of camber and record the value.

Add the values of your measured camber together to get the caster for that wheel (Add positive values of camber together – don't get confused about positive or negative camber). You now need to do the same for the other wheel – if you get yourself organised you can incorporate the measurements of both wheels in such a way that you only the turn the steering wheel once to the right and once to the left. If you do this though I recommend that you measure the angle of turn of both front wheels as it is possible that when one wheel is at 20 degrees the front wheel on the opposite side is not!

To find the values of caster have a look at this link you might find values for your car here (you might not):-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=281559

To adjust the caster you need to alter the length of the stay that connects from the chassis to the lower control arm (FSM calls this the brake support). When you do this though you are also altering the camber. So for each alteration in caster you ideally need to follow the tedious process of:-

1.Measuring toe in / out and setting it to zero
2.Measuring camber and setting it to the correct value
3.Measuring caster and correcting it to the correct value
4.And finishing off with a check of toe in / out and camber!!!

Round and round you go until you don't need to adjust any more...
Attached Thumbnails
How I adjusted the toe in / out, camber and caster on my W123 300D-measuring-20-degree-angle.jpg  
__________________
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!

Last edited by Stretch; 09-06-2010 at 03:17 PM. Reason: Adding in the link
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  #11  
Old 09-06-2010, 03:14 PM
Stretch's Avatar
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere in the Netherlands
Posts: 14,461
Final comments

This method is a marathon. It takes a long time. It is fiddly, but, I think it works. If money is tight may be this is for you. If you can't find a reliable person to align your wheels may be this is for you. As I said at the start I haven't had the ultimate confirmation from the dealer that what I have adjusted is actually correct – so user beware.

WARNING – When you have finished adjusting your suspension don't forget to TIGHTEN ALL CONNECTIONS you have disturbed to the specified TORQUE in the FSM!!!!!

Sorry for the lack of photographs – in particular I wanted to show the DIY spreader bar but I can't find that photograph at the moment. I'll post some more photographs if there seems to be a requirement for them when I find them.
__________________
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!
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  #12  
Old 09-07-2010, 11:45 AM
mak mak is offline
mark
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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excellent

very informative .add the photos too!
mak
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  #13  
Old 09-07-2010, 01:24 PM
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Location: WI USA
Posts: 44
Brilliant, I have used you method on different brand of cars and you are correct it does take time but I feel very rewarding. I use this level because it is what I have . It is a digital Smart Level /smart tool by M-D. I will try it on W124 after replacing some rubber bushings.

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  #14  
Old 09-07-2010, 04:14 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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I'm still searching through my SD cards for those other photo's - it will probably be quicker to go and stage some new ones...

Anyway - does any one have any thoughts on the brakes on / brakes off issue?

Should brakes be applied when measuring on slip plates or not?

I got the feeling that allowing a little bit of movement on the wheels when measuring caster (with the turn the wheel by 20 degrees method) gave a more "realistic" wheel position. The point of wheel / slip plate contact only seemed to be about 20mm further round on the circumference - take a look at the photo in step 9 (post #10) there's a bit of masking tape with marks on it - I was tracking the movement you see...
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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!
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  #15  
Old 05-09-2011, 06:23 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Atlanta,GA
Posts: 174
Thanks for posting this thread . Please post more information about the toe spreader bar you made .

"Sorry for the lack of photographs – in particular I wanted to show the DIY spreader bar but I can't find that photograph at the moment. I'll post some more photographs if there seems to be a requirement for them when I find them. "

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