Pagz

Hello's

When I received the donor clk55 I noticed it had been side loaded with a forklift whilst in transit, the rear prop shaft had a scratch on the paint where the centre muffler had made contact, assuming the prop shaft could be bent I jacked the car and ran the engine to check and sure enough it was not centric between rear prop and diff.

Once I had the clk55 prop out I spun on a lathe to confirm but found the shaft was dead straight...

I jacked the C43 to check it's prop shaft also and was surprised to find it not centric from rear prop to diff just like clk55...I assumed maybe because the sub frame has dropped from jacking that miss alignment may cause the prop to be off centric....

Recently I have chassis vibration from 60 - 80km/h at what feels like prop speed, the C43's original prop had some vibration also but it was at lower speed..so now I am a little suspect about there being a common issue.

I have checked the Trans-prop-diff with digital clino and all angle's are within spec, I also took a step further and checked for sideways alignment of the diff just to be sure.

I have removed the flexi joints to check play in the centric bearing between the diff and rear prop shaft and play was excessive ..the surface of the bearing is soft, my vernier easily damaged it when checking, you can see the bush was not centric and was wearing much more on a preferred load side..When I installed the shaft I added extra grease because it was nearly dry.






The flexi disk's do not look in bad shape however they have gone very hard, the part numbers are A129 411 01 15 but do not show up in epc for the clk55. Does anybody know what the meaning of "SGF 3" and "SGF 6" is?..



EPC lists A129 410 01 15 as flexi for 208 clk55, So I ordered lemforder which is MB OEM part so has MB symbol and part number removed.. this has "SGF 7". the fresh rubber is MUCH softer.




The centric bearing from front prop to trans is different to the rear being all rubber, there was minimal play here but I have chosen to order a replacement anyway.




Maybe centric bearings are a more common wear part than I realised...has anybody else had vibration and replaced these to fix?...I have seen threads where people replace flexi's, centre bearing, engine/ trans mounts and balance there wheels ten times only to reduce the vibration but still have some...

Sulaco

My shaft was causing a ticking/vibrating issue at low speeds. Indy told me it was the shaft.

Ordered full replacement from a CLK430, replaced. It fixed 95% of the issue. Sometimes I can hear it again at low speeds, but it's not vibrating anymore. I don't know what's wrong down there now, if anything.

cm60k

Paul,

Do you still have C43 shaft & flex discs, if so, try to put them back & see...!

ZAYED,,

Pagz

Hello guys

Sulaco,
Did your Indy preform alignment checks on the prop/trans/diff and confirm within MB specs?

Zayed,
Yes I still have C43 parts but they are not with me here and I would have to change flanges on diff/trans, the C43 had same wobble on rear prop shaft to diff,I can only assume the centric bearing was also worn... I am currently waiting on parts so will confirm "new vs old" condition when they arrive.

Pagz

Sulaco, Did they also replace both flexi coupling at same time as prop shaft?

I have a feeling that as the flexi ages/hardens and the centre bearing wears that they become fixed off centre, could add to early wear on new centre bearing?

Super B

Hey pagz have you checked the movement of the u-joint that caries the splined shaft? Any tight spots or slop in the joint?

I've wondered about the centric bearing as well but I've also wondered how much of a role it really plays at speed? you would think that the drive shave at highway speed would center it's self like a foot ball thrown with a spin with only a misbalance causing a problem.

Pagz

SuperB,
U joint and bearing seems fine, rubber is soft and central, alignment check shows front to rear prop shaft in middle of specs so cant see any problems there

Also, I noticed a long time ago when I had the exhaust out/in the vibration was much less after, I assume any vibration from engine/trans/prop is also transmitted into exhaust, so if there is uneven tension on manifolds and hangers then the exhaust could increase vibration with harmonics,in this case my vibration is not RPM or load based, only wheel speed so assumptions are prop shaft vibration.

cm60k

Paul, did you check trans. flange or diff. flange, if they are tight enough not playing..?

ZAYED,,

Pagz

Hello Zayed,

I checked diff no play at all, I will also check trans tonight..

So far only play is in centric bearing from prop to diff.

Also greased centre spline before install,I think these tend to dry out and create play which could also add to unbalance...

Cheers,

Pagz

Some good info here also http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220...centering.html

Pagz

SuperB,
I misunderstood you earlier ,I just checked and my Universal is "notchy" in both axis, it is tight to move when other than dead straight in its installed position, do you think this could be the main cause?..

I do recall some grease around the trans tunnel from the U-joint, I assumed because the C43 was like this also that it was normal but clk55 had lost more.. Maybe all the grease comes out and the U-joint becomes dry?...

I can hear new prop shaft calling

desired_speeds

can you tell me how to ensure the alignment of the propeller shaft. Mine is out and I wanted to get everything right after I change the engine/ trans mounts.

Pagz

Hello, see link at the bottom of this page - http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220...centering.html

This is for the W220, so you would need to find specs on your 211, I purchased a digital level, you may need to make square brackets to read off the diff and trans. you can usually put level straight onto the prop shaft.

KJI3jflarryfe93

what is the correct partsnumber for C43 flexdisc kit?
does both discs fit front and rear position on propshaft?

is it complete kit with 2x rubber discs including bolt kits for 2x discs?
or do I have to buy all parts separately?

thanks

eFifty5AMG

Haven't installed yet, but this is the number I have on my kits. Includes 1 disc and bolts per kit: 210 410 06 15

Pagz

Generally they are sold individually from MB or parts suppliers, some sellers on ebay will sell two as package.

Both disks are same.

I have ordered a whole new prop shaft now,best check it over well before you start replacing parts

KJI3jflarryfe93

cool
thanks buddy


i have no vibrations yet.
just wanna replace 15 year old rubbers, preventing future breakdown

Super B

Yeah that's what I was getting at. It might be the cause. I read another members ordeal that was fighting a vibration too. He ended up taking his drive shaft to a shop that specialized in drive shafts and had them install a new serviceable u-joint. He reported back that it corrected his problem but that's the only case I know of where some one replaced the joint instead of the whole shaft.

I really suspect that this is a problem but have no real data to back it up. I found the u-joint on my 36 was notchy/tight too when I was replacing the carrier bearing/flex disks and I have a felt vibration that starts at ~95 mph. But I chose to live with it till I get to the 5 speed swap I've been trying to get to for the last year and I have to revisit that area.

I guess in this case really what else could it be? If the shafts are straight/balanced, the flex disks are in good shape and there is no slop in the splines... Kinda of the only thing left. wish I could give you facts rather than assumptions but it's all I got.

Pagz

Thanks Man,I think your right!.

The U-joint is firm to move in either axis with a worn spot in the middle, there is no way this would not cause some vibration.. to add to this it was worse with no fuel and less load in the car which supports the U-joint being the main culprit.

the c43 and clk55 both had some play in the spline, they were fairly dry... when I re greased I don't recall being able to feel play there anymore however when I cleaned and checked the clk55 spline and there is uneven polishing..so maybe this was also not central.

The tunnel insulation in the clk55 had gone very dry/brittle, and being from Australia indicates it has been under high heat for a very long time, I suspect if the u-joint bearings were hot they would loose more grease

I spoke with local u-joint specialists and they said they could replace it but not the spline, so I have decided to not risk time and go with a complete new prop shaft which comes complete with flexi's. $$

KJI3jflarryfe93

why is there only 6 bolt holes on lemförder replacemnt part vs 8 bolts on MB part?
is it possible to fit only 6 bolts on propshaft with this lemförder part?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Me...4cc22b5&000528

Super B

Ouch that sounds expensive, but hey at least everything will be fresh and new for a long time. The u-joint is for sure one spot were mercedes got it wrong. It should have clips and be serviceable/replaceable like a standard u-joint.

I also agree about the heat and being cooked as well. On the 36 the joint is directly above the resonator so it's for sure a high heat area. Like you said over time the grease gets hot and flung out. Thankfully it takes a long time before you have an issue.. But it's a shame it's not a easy joint to replace.

Pagz

Dennis,
I have clk55/c55 4 finger shaft in mine(8 bolts)with clk55 trans and diff,usual c43 is 3 finger(6 bolts)

Superb,
Thats what I figure too,and you right it shouldn't fail or at least be serviceable!
The painful bit is I was trying to convince my other half I need kw suspension...cant see that happening for another year at least now haha

KJI3jflarryfe93

so c43 shaft comes with 6 bolts i didn't know that i thought ECP showed the wrong part?
best price deal i found is from linked ECP webshop

Pagz

That's right Dennis sorry for the confusion

Your C43 part is A210 410 06 15 (2012 EPC)

KJI3jflarryfe93

now that i remmember you had most parts switched to clk55 parts on your car, that was the confussion for flexdisc boltholes, my bad.

thanks for the #-number info