Tracking specification

[S500 Pete]

Hi,

Just had 4 new tyres fitted and they did a tracking test and say it needs front and rear adjusting.

Looking at the print out they gave me I am not sure it needs it. Does anybody have the tracking settings, front and rear for a 2014 W222 S500?

They have the rear toe in at Left +1.2 Right +1.1 total 2.3

 

[rorywquin]

Hi,

Just had 4 new tyres fitted and they did a tracking test and say it needs front and rear adjusting.

Funny that the car is always fine until you fit new tyres. How did the old ones look?

 

[mioba]

It is good practice to get the tracking done every now and then esp given the state of the roads. It also ensure track rod end bolts, camber bolts etc don't seize up.

 

[Benz17]

It is good practice to get the tracking done every now and then esp given the state of the roads. It also ensure track rod end bolts, camber bolts etc don't seize up.

likewise, I get mine checked over yearly, due to bad condition of roads, yes seems a bit excessive, but cheaper then changing tyres due to abnormal wear, and ensures handling remains true. In the scheme of things not that expensive.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Can you post the printout.

 

[rorywquin]

It is good practice to get the tracking done every now and then esp given the state of the roads. It also ensure track rod end bolts, camber bolts etc don't seize up.

likewise, I get mine checked over yearly, due to bad condition of roads, yes seems a bit excessive, but cheaper then changing tyres due to abnormal wear, and ensures handling remains true. In the scheme of things not that expensive.

So every "how many miles" are you recommending?

"Every now and then" and "yearly” mean little & while it does no harm it is probably usually a waste of money.

The only times I’ve ever had it done is when fitting new tyres and I think that I was conned some of the time. The “free alignment check” IMO, most of the time is a bit of a con.

Be interesting to see what @alexanderfoti thinks of the data from the OP.

 

[alexanderfoti]

It does take me a good 30 minutes to set the aligner up properly for MB. It's easy to get the suspension bound up and therefore get wrong info.

On top of that, older MB a have suspension nuances that you have to take into account.

Wear pattern on the tyres often tells a better story for less effort.

 

[mioba]

So every "how many miles" are you recommending?

"Every now and then" and "yearly” mean little & while it does no harm it is probably usually a waste of money.

The only times I’ve ever had it done is when fitting new tyres and I think that I was conned some of the time. The “free alignment check” IMO, most of the time is a bit of a con.

Be interesting to see what @alexanderfoti thinks of the data from the OP.

I do mine every two years.
Although you may think your car drives straight. If you use a decent garage - they print it out and show you - you can also see it in the big glaring screens.
If your wheels are out a fraction - imagine whats going in when you are driving with all the revolutions, uneven wear, pressure in suspension components.
every pothole and speed hump will knock alignment one way or another.
Uneven tyre wear is premature end to tryre life.
I pay 70 for 4 wheel hunter alignment.

 

[rorywquin]

I do mine every two years.
Although you may think your car drives straight. If you use a decent garage - they print it out and show you - you can also see it in the big glaring screens.
If your wheels are out a fraction - imagine whats going in when you are driving with all the revolutions, uneven wear, pressure in suspension components.
every pothole and speed hump will knock alignment one way or another.
Uneven tyre wear is premature end to tryre life.
I pay 70 for 4 wheel hunter alignment.

Every two years and you travel 1000 miles / year or 100,000 miles / year. How many miles do you think the regular alignments add to your tyre life?

Wheels being out a fraction? There is quite a wide tolerance - the aligners will never get it 100% spot on.

In over 50 years of owning cars I’ve never found the need for alignment checks on a regular (timed interval) basis. I have them checked when I replace tyres or if there has been an incident - e.g. hit a pothole.

I’ve never had a problem with excessive tyre wear. Dependant of the compound/car and how I drive it, my tyres have all lasted the expected lifetime.

Last year I put a new pair of rear tyres on my wife’s car, because the originals were 8 years old and had done ~40,000 miles. They were still good on tread depth and showed no sign of uneven wear. The car has been on an alignment machine once when I replaced the front tyres (at about 35,000 miles) and they were marginally out.

As teh expert above says the wear pattern tells you a lot but I presume you are trying to preempt that wear pattern.

However, your money, your time, your choice.

 

[S500 Pete]

Can you post the printout

 

[S500 Pete]

Funny that the car is always fine until you fit new tyres. How did the old ones look?

More wear on the outside edges but I always seem to get that and I reckon it is just caused by cornering. No feathering across the middle of the tyre.

I changed because the MOT put an advisory on that three of them were near the limit on the edges (the 4th was a bit newer due to being replaced after a previous puncture) and I like to have decent tyres.

 

[alexanderfoti]

NSF toe is out slightly. May cause a bit of a drag to the left, but it is very small. This discrepancy can come about if the wheel isn't exactly straight.

If the car is ABC equipped, engine needs to be running the whole time.

That will affect the camber measurements more than anything else.

 

[rorywquin]

NSF toe is out slightly. May cause a bit of a drag to the left, but it is very small. This discrepancy can come about if the wheel isn't exactly straight.

If the car is ABC equipped, engine needs to be running the whole time.

That will affect the camber measurements more than anything else.

I wonder how many know to keep the engine running?

 

[S500 Pete]

NSF toe is out slightly. May cause a bit of a drag to the left, but it is very small. This discrepancy can come about if the wheel isn't exactly straight.

If the car is ABC equipped, engine needs to be running the whole time.

That will affect the camber measurements more than anything else.

Thanks Alex,

I was OK with getting the front one done but the backs looked OK pretty even so I was only concerned that it was excessive toe in that might lead to the edges wearing.

I have got the S Class air suspension is that the same as ABC

I wonder how many know to keep the engine running?

Not many I bet

 

[alexanderfoti]

Thanks Alex,

I was OK with getting the front one done but the backs looked OK pretty even so I was only concerned that it was excessive toe in that might lead to the edges wearing.

I have got the S Class air suspension is that the same as ABC

Not many I bet

A slightly positive rear toe is fine, the wheels will push closer to 0 degrees when the car is moving, so I wouldn't be too concerned re tyre wear etc.

 

[S500 Pete]

Tracked this morning, front only.

The main bloke in the garage (Formula 1) agreed that he probably would have left it but the mechanics just suggest adjusting anything that isn't in the green area.

 

[mioba]

Good call, I guess the green is there for a reason

 

[alexanderfoti]

IMO, I have always been taught/trained that the front wheels are aligned to the rear, and to set the rear first, then the front.

Setting the front alone will probably sort front tyre wear, but won't help any driving characteristics like drifting etc. Especially if they are coming from the back.

 

[S500 Pete]

IMO, I have always been taught/trained that the front wheels are aligned to the rear, and to set the rear first, then the front.

Setting the front alone will probably sort front tyre wear, but won't help any driving characteristics like drifting etc. Especially if they are coming from the back.

Thanks Alex,
That was what I thought from years ago but now days it is all what the computer says rather than skilled operators.

I was more worried about tyre wear than the driving characteristics as I tend to drive rapidly but fairly smooth so I never get near the limits and if I do the noise from the passenger seat gets too loud anyway

 

[alexanderfoti]

the noise from the passenger seat gets too loud anyway

I have the same problem