Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Axle Alignment Procedure
The markings for the steering rack center position are only present on vehicles with hydraulic power steering.
Vehicle must only be measured in the control position, refer to AXLE ALIGNMENT CONTROL POSITION ON VEHICLES WITH AIR SUSPENSION, CHECKING !
Check which suspension is installed in the vehicle. This information can be found on the vehicle data plate, refer to EXPLANATIONS OF PRODUCTION CONTROL NUMBERS (PR NUMBER) .
Observe the Following Work Sequence!
- Drive the vehicle onto the alignment rack without tension. Move the vehicle back and forth if necessary to relieve any tension on the axle components.
- The steering wheel must be "evened out" into the center position before beginning the measuring and adjusting. Use Steering Wheel Scales VAS 6458 for this.
- Checking the steering rack center position, refer to STEERING RACK, CHECKING MECHANICAL CENTER POSITION .
- Perform wheel run-out compensation, refer to WHEEL RUN-OUT COMPENSATION .
- Check the maximum steering angle, refer to MAXIMUM STEERING ANGLE, CHECKING .
- Check front axle camber and adjust if necessary, refer to FRONT AXLE CAMBER, CENTERING
- Check rear axle camber and adjust if necessary, refer to REAR AXLE CAMBER, ADJUSTING .
- Check rear axle toe and adjust if necessary, refer to REAR AXLE TOE, ADJUSTING .
- Check the front axle toe angle and adjust if necessary, refer to FRONT AXLE TOE, ADJUSTING .
If the adjustments on the suspension were changed, then perform a zero compensation on the Steering Angle Sensor -G85- with the Vehicle Diagnostic Tester.
If the rear axle setting was corrected, then the ACC sensors must be adjusted on vehicles with ACC (refer to ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC), CALIBRATING ), the lane assist must be calibrated on vehicles with lane assist (refer to DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS FRONT CAMERA, CALIBRATING ), the night vision system must be adjusted/calibrated on vehicles with infrared system (refer to INFRARED SYSTEM, CALIBRATING ) and the rearview camera must be calibrated on vehicles with a rearview camera, refer to REARVIEW CAMERA SYSTEM, CALIBRATING .
NO RELATED
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.