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Help with alignment

Started by Rolo, 06 July 2022, 04:41 PM

Rolo

I've had the car aligned twice and I'm still wearing one tire unevenly and fast  The outside shoulderof one front tire is going quick.  We tried more negative camber, but now I notice, the same tire is not just wearing on the outer tread.  Outside tread is wearing fast, but the inner 2/3 of the tread is about 50% more worn than the opposite front tire after 20,000 miles.  That funny wearing tire is going to be gone at 25,000 miles.

The other 3 tires look to be wearing normally.

The measurements all check out good on the rack.  I'm thinking there is movement in the suspension with the fast wearing tire.  We did a whole bunch of stuff a year ago.  The only parts not replaced at that corner were lower control arm bushings.  Car tracks reasonably straight, but does have a very slight drift to the side away from the funny wearing tire.

I rotated tires front to back between alignments.  Wear is still there.

Any theories very welcome.  Thanks.

Alec300SD

Could be a number of things, some easy some more difficult to fix.
Incorrect, inadequate toe in settings.
Bad lower control arm ball joint.
Damaged suspension components, worn shock, fatigued spring.
Bad bushings in cross yoke.
78 W116 300SD 'Desert Rose' new as of 01/26/2014
79 W116 300SD 'Stormcloud' RIP 04/11/2022

Rolo

Sorry, failed to mention this is a 6.9, so no spring (but all the reservoirs are new), ball joints new, struts are leak-free.  Only thing not replaced are lower control arm bushings. 

Jan S

This is a difficult one ...

This is an opportunity to remind ourselves of this great post a few years back. Please read the entire thread.
1975-mod W116 450 SE with 6.9 engine

Jan S

1975-mod W116 450 SE with 6.9 engine

daantjie

Also remember that the 6.9 has a separate set of adjustment figures, it's in the manual.
Most shops will not have the specs in their database so the tech would have to manually punch in the numbers as per the workshop manual and align to those.
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

raueda1

Quote from: Jan S on 07 July 2022, 03:56 AMSorry, here's the link:
https://forum.w116.org/mechanicals/how-to-align-a-w116/
OMG!  The mother of all alignment threads!  Now I'm nervous.  Alignment is a mysterious art to me and I understand none of it.  Anyway, I recently had my car aligned after noting uneven tire wear.  The shop was recommended by the old school owner of my local "old MB" repair shop.  He's credible -  works on all the local W123's, 300SD's etc. He even had an old 6.9 on his lot but that's another story.

They alignment place said that something was way off, not sure what, but that the alignment went smoothly.  And my 6.9 specs agreed with their database, a good sign I guess.  But the procedure was pretty fast.  Can they possibly have done a proper job?  I haven't driven much the car since the alignment because of still unresolved K-jet problems, so I can't say if steering, tracking etc are effected.  Thanks and cheers,
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

Rolo

Good stuff folks.  Thanks.  Reminds me that I need to confirm the shop final alignment readings (except for camber) with my factory documentation.