W123 alignment quest
 

When I got this 300TD it was not allignable, probably from an accident. The problem was camber R side and it burned thru two sets of Michellins to my distress. Hated that.

I got the custom K-mac lower control arm bushing that has a TON of camber adjust as you can see. $350 from australia for 2 of them. Its the same as factory lower control arm bush that is used for camber adjust except the bolt is WAY off center and inside a central steel barrel that also rotates freely inside the plastic, (Not rubber as from MB) very tough plastic bushing that fits just like the Low control arm bushing from MB.

Now the alignment is as shown on the print out.

In the photo ( of the right control arm bushing) you can see it is adjusted to push the control arm bushing as far as it can away from the center line of the car .... that is maximum negative camber. That puts the R side just at the maximum allowable negative camber.

Same on L side its adjusted for Max negative camber which wears the inner edge of the (by the way) brand new Michellins

I can see no reason it could not be adjusted for dead center on the factory range recommended by MB

Same with caster,

The PDF link is the result of the latest adjustment on the alignment rack.

This has been a long journey, closing in on perfect alignment.

Any comments??

Thx in advance

Why not just get the frame straightened out?

You’ve already dumped 2 tires and some custom parts in...

Thanks for the post of a product I had only read about.

Having it straightened out is also a good idea if there is anyone that still does that but I am thinking the cost would be about the same.

The issue with the bushings is that they will eventually go out and are going to be another expense to replace at their high cost.

Totally disagree

even if anyone would touch it, nobody will except as part of a total overall collision repair not the way to go

hideous amount of money to get somone to put it on a frame machine and analyze some tiny distortion ( that o.1 degree too much camber L side is freakin me out man) Regardless no frame people will touch it. I did ask around.

These bushes are super tough material. Cost (I view $350 as chicken feed after engine trans body paint, 1 collision repair, one hood / windshield gust of wind scooped hyper flexed the hood, cut off weld on LR quarter, hammer dolly RR quarter, all new rear and front suspension bushings, rebuild SLS) should add on frame repair( that o.1 degree too much camber L side is freain me out) if anyone could survey and analyze it. Do you know anyone? A thing of the past except for bug bucks insurance $ collision repair of newer car $$$$$

My intended question, apparently I did not correctly phrase it .... with one side .1 degree outside MB factory spec camber, the other at the top limit within MB factory spec alignment camber range, and the caster set a bit weird (that is a head scratcher, why?... caster not really a big deal regarding tire wear anyway except... when combined with other alignment factors that are badly out whack....)

......does it even matter for tire wear which is my concern, in its current state of alignment. The more I hear from y'all my sense is no. caster insignificant, camber (+/-) irrelevant, toe on the money.

I'll see if I can get it adjusted to dead in the center of the MB spec. Wheel works will put it back on their alingment machine free, I'm sure it will go there. IT is so close now 0.3 degrees on one side, 0.2 on the other from dead center of the range..

I'm willing to make it interesting regarding the bushes ever wearing out before climate change make fossil fuels a thing of the past. That will happen first.

I run HPR from sweden made form beef tallow. Great stuff, cheaper, No stink, more energy than petro diesel