Wheel Alignment Settings

What Is Wheel Alignment (AKA Tracking)?

Alignment is the angle, tilt and direction that the wheels and tyres face on the car.
They are rarely dead vertical and facing dead straight as adjusting these figures can
change the way the car behaves and handles. Negative camber can increase cornering.

Who Can Check And Adjust These Settings?

Although most people would think of taking their car to smart I seriously doubt that any
smart dealers have the equipment or the knowledge to adjust the wheel alignment.Any company that deals with tracking will do a top job and many tyre fitting places
offer reasonable services. Look for laser tracking if available as that is very accurate.

Professional companies that deal with tracking will already know the correct figures for your car.

What Settings Can Be Altered On The Smart?

Not very much.

Toe In – Toe Out
…can be adjusted on the front wheels by adjusting the steering rack arms.

Rear Camber
…can be adjusted with wedges and spacers.

If anything that can’t be adjusted is out of tolerance you may have chassis or suspension damage or worn bushes.

How Do I know That The Settings Are Off?

If the handling changes, if the steering pulls in a straight line or you have
unusual or uneven tyre wear it is worth having the settings checked.

Picture adapted from original found on www.v6performance.net

What Are These Numbers Below?

Most people understand angles in degrees but they don’t understand the fractions of a degree. Let’s look at one of the alignment values.

3°30′ (± 0°30′)

Most people will look at that and think that’s 3.3 degrees but that’s not correct. Degrees are subdivided into 60 minutes and each minute is subdivided into 60 seconds.

So 3°30′ (± 0°30′) is 3.5 degrees (3 degrees, 30 minutes, 0 seconds) with an adjustment error of half of a degree.

Degrees = °, Minutes = ‘, Seconds = “.
Thankfully nothing requires anything as accurate as seconds.

Alignment Settings

Fortwo 450
Front

Front Axle Transverse Leaf Spring up to 14/11/1999

Camber	0°15′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	7°00′ (± 1°00′)
Toe per wheel	0°12′ (± 0°05′)
Steering axis inclination	14°35′ (± 0°20′)
Toe-out on turns	-2°06′ (± 0°20′)
Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)

Front Axle Transverse Leaf Spring 15/11/1999 to 08/01/2001

Camber	0°30′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	7°00′ (± 1°00′)
Toe per wheel	0°11′ (± 0°04′)
Steering axis inclination	14°35′ (± 0°20′)
Toe-out on turns	-2°06′ (± 0°20′)
Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)

Front Axle MacPherson light 08/01/2001 to 02/01/2003

Camber	0°9′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	7°00′ (± 1°00′)
Toe per wheel	0°14′ (± 0°05′)
Steering axis inclination	14°35′ (± 0°20′)
Toe-out on turns	-2°06′ (± 0°20′)
Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)

Front Axle MacPherson light 03/01/2003 Onwards

Camber	0°18′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	7°00′ (± 1°00′)
Toe per wheel	0°13′ (± 0°05′)
Steering axis inclination	14°35′ (± 0°20′)
Toe-out on turns	-2°06′ (± 0°20′)
Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)

Fortwo 450
Rear

Rear Axle up to 14/11/1999

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°20′ (± 0°10′)
Camber	-2° (± 0°30′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)

Rear Axle as of 15/11/1999 to 02/01/2003

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°10′ (± 0°10′)
Camber	-2° (± 0°30′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)

Rear Axle from 03/01/2003 Onwards

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°10′ (± 0°12′)
Camber	-2° (± 0°30′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)

 

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Fortwo 451
Front

Camber	0° 18′ (± 0° 42′) diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	7° 50′ (± 0° 30′)
Toe Out with steering wheel steered to 20°	-1° 36′ (± 0° 30′)
Steering axis inclination	16° 00′ (±0° 30′)
Total Toe	0° 36′ (±0° 10′)

Fortwo 451
Rear

Total Toe	0° 00′ (±0° 18′)
Driveline Angle	0° 0′ (± 30′)

 

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Roadster 452
Front

Except Brabus

Camber	-0°14′ (± 0°30)’, diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	4°00′ (± 0°30′)
Total Toe	0°16′ (± 0°10′)
Steering axis inclination	14°12′ (± 0°20′)
Toe-out on turns	-2°06′ (± 0°20′)

Roadster 452
Rear

Except Brabus

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°06′ (± 0°02′)
Camber	-2° (± 0°30′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)

Roadster 452 Brabus
Front

Camber	-0°44′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	3°30′ (± 0°30′)
Total Toe	0°20′ (± 0°10′)
Steering axis inclination	14°12′ (± 0°20′)
Toe-out on turns	-2°06′ (± 0°20′)
Wheel Offset

Roadster Brabus
Rear

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°30′ (± 0°12′)
Camber	-2° (± 0°30′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)

 

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Fortwo 453
Front

Total Toe	-9′ (± 15′)
Camber	-18′ (± 60′)
Caster	7° 40′ (±1°)
Driveline Angle	0′ (± 45′)

Fortwo 453
Rear

Total Toe	15′ (±25′)
Camber	-72′ (±30′)

Forfour 453
Front

Total Toe	-9′ (± 15′)
Camber	-18′ (± 60′)
Caster	7° 40′ (±1°)
Driveline Angle	0′ (± 45′)

Forfour 453
Rear

Total Toe	10′ (±25′)
Camber	-72′ (±30′)

 

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Forfour 454
Front

Except Brabus

Camber	0°35′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	2°50′ (± 0°30′)
Toe per wheel	0°0′ (± 0°6′)
Steering axis inclination	13°30′ (± 0°30′)
Toe-out on turns	-1°08′ (± 0°30′)

Forfour 454
Rear

Except Brabus

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°21′ (± 0°21′)
Camber	-1° (± 0°45′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)

Forfour 454 Brabus
Front

Camber	0°46′ (± 0°30′), diff. L/R max 0°30′
Caster	2°50′ (± 0°30′)
Toe per wheel	0°00′ (± 0°6′)
Steering axis inclination	13°30′ (± 0°30′)
Toe-out on turns	-1°08′ (± 0°30′)
Wheel Offset

Forfour 454 Brabus
Rear

Wheel Offset	0°0′ (± 0°20′)
Total Toe	0°21′ (± 0°21′)
Camber	-1° (± 0°45′)
Max Difference L/R	0°20′
Driveline Angle	0°0′ (± 0°30′)