I just had full E55 suspension installed on my 1999 E300 turbodiesel (springs, shocks, swaybars, etc.) The results are AWESOME, but more on that and part numbers for anyone else who may be interested- but that's for another post...

My question surrounds alignment of wheels after such a suspension change. I instructed my MB dealer to do 4 wheel alignment after suspension swap. They told me that they checked alignment afterwards, and everything was still within specs so no alignment was needed. (I was surprised by this since the ride height dropped about 1" in front, and 3/4" in rear) which would SEEM to indicate a difference in geometry, hence the need for alignment?? Is this unusual, or are tolerances so wide that this could be possible?

Also, I still have the factory 16" wheels and tires on this car, but intend to switch to the 18" AMG setup as on the E55. The dealer also said that although alignment was o.k. after suspension swap, that I should have alignment checked again after I swap the wheels and tires to the 18's. I've had many cars that I've updated the wheels and tires to a "plus two" setup but have never considered realignment afterwards necessary. Am I wrong? Should alignment be checked after such a wheel/tire upgrade? Many thanks!

J.G.