Alignment can't be fixed

CAR5

MEMBER
MERCEDES BENZ

2001 e430 with 60,000 miles. Hit the side of the front let tire into curb at 5-10 mph. Left front tire is out of alignment (positive camber of ~.8 instead of (-.5). Have been to 3 body shops and many weeks at dealer and now nobody can find the problem. Replaced upper and lower control arm, subframe (cradle), and spindle (knuckle), tire and wheel, and a broken spring (havent messed with shock assembly. Two different body shops said the frame is not bent. Dealer doesn't know where to turn next. Any ideas - car pulls to the left and wears tires - will be valueless if unfixable.

Thanks!

3 Replies

SERVICE WRITER

MECHANIC
9,123 POSTS

It sounds like there may have been a wrong part put on. The knuckle should have taken care of the camber within reason. I would recheck the part numbers to be sure they are the correct ones for that model. I assume parts were new and dealer parts?

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Monday, August 27th, 2007 AT 8:13 PM

CAR5

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2 POSTS

Thanks for your help. Some of the parts were replaced twice (cradle, control arm) because the dealer thought the parts might be wrong. The dealer put on the rest of the parts - I am not sure if they were used or new -- I'll ask.

Between the control arms and the tire, is there anything that can bend - something that the wheel attaches to, or perphaps the wheel itself (the wheel was replaced)?

Thanks - I'm desparate

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Monday, August 27th, 2007 AT 8:38 PM

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