ahost

When I drive above 60mph on the expressway, my 2003 C-class starts to shake a lot. Could there be a problem? I have a number of theories, but perhaps technically knowledgable people have better ideas
1. The expressway paving is poorly made, and that's what causes the car to shake.
2. The expressway paving is poorly made, and the there is problem with the shock absorbers.
3. There is a problem with wheel alignment.
I believe the shaking is becoming worse, which means it's perhaps not the paving, but it could be purely psychological that I just notice the shake more

sirenebekim

do you have low profile tires? Your rims will have a natural shake because its really hard to get them balanced perfectly under 35 series in size.. Your tires will also get flat spots after sitting for longer than 24 hours, so drive your car regularly.

I would get the car high speed balanced, and have them check the alignment.

ahost

No, my tires are the standard all-year tires that came on the car.

I'll take my car for Service A in a couple of weeks anyway, but I just want to get some ideas in advance if it is a problem, and if so what it could be.

sirenebekim

if its alignment, my local dealer wanted $400

RonKMiller

Flat spots?

Arn560

maybe one of the weights have fallen of one or more wheels. A wheel balancing costing about $20 would cure the problem. Also check to see tires are not over inflated.

drexappeal

Simple answer would be alignment problem. Have it alligned first then evaluate from there.

tozfeekum

bent rim?

drexappeal

That's another possibility, but considering it's a stock rim and if it's the stock 16 inch rims, there's a lot of rubber protecting those rims.

tozfeekum

yeah i only say that because my friends rx8 has a bent rim and it shakes horribly at high speeds....the only reason i can keep up with him

mig888

Haha, impressive . I was able to keep up with an RX-8 though? Well.. with mods.

tozfeekum

....wait what? the 6speed or the auto? the 6 speed has 245hp...0-60 in 5.9 secs...

ahost

So, it seems like it could be alignment. Can I take it to the dealer and ask them to check alignment?

drexappeal

When flip's car was fully modded, I don't doubt that he could keep up.

In fact, when my car is completely done, I wouldn't doubt if I could keep up with a rx-8.

raklert

There are many possibilities. The easiest way to fix your suspension problem is to check your tire and wheel alignment. If your car still shake at high speed. Then may be you have problems with the shocks etc. Find a good suspension garage and have them lift up the car and take a look if something loose or not. good luck

drexappeal

If it's not under warranty, I doubt they'll do it for free.

mleskovar

Just tell them the symptoms of the problem. Be very specific.

raklert

Thats the one thing I hate about America is that you get ripp off from automotive services that should be free such as regular check up, wheel&tire alignment, oil change etc.

pookie

Maybe brushings? Mine seems to shake a little on the highway, lots in the twisties. I had my car aligned and balanced thinking that they were the prob and it is still there. Could be also because I have cheapo tires ( But my brushings are messed up).

Moviela

For vibration at speed, first check the tires for damage or abnormal wear, then look to the balance. If the tire is well balanced, check that there is no damage to the brake rotor, nor improper play in the suspension by any moving parts. Rotate the tires, does the vibration move from one end to the other? Now you can have an alignment done. LA dealers get about $100 to $150 for an alignment, plus parts if needed. If you have any uneven tire wear, it will pay to get that fixed with an alignment with longer tire life.

If you are near 100,000 miles, or use a lot of secondary back roads the shocks might be shot.

ahost

OK, at least now I know it's not the road that causes the vibration at high speed. I'm renting a Honda Accord (while my MB is in the body shop, for an unrelated problem), and it is completely smooth at speed. Since I assume my MB should be better than the Accord for high speed driving(!), there must be something wrong with my car. After it finishes in the body shop I will take it to the dealer for the vibration.

ahost

Right on target. I took the car to service A. They said the shaking was due to worn tires, but I didn't want them to change them because of their high price. Anyway, during the service they replaced the front brushings (under warranty), and after coming back from service there is no more shaking.

The tires are worn, though, so I will still have to change them.

RedKen06C230

let me first off explain something to you guys... this is what i do for a living... alignment will never cause a vibration unless your toe adjustment is so badly out that your tires would be shredded in like a week... what you really need to do is have them balanced correctly... while they are on the balancer the tech will also be able to tell if your tires are out of round or your wheels out of round... 92% of the time when someone a vibration at high speeds its a balancing issue.. the other 7.9% is wheels or tires.. .1% is alignment (but that would be clear to notice even to you... when you have a vibration at slower speeds and it seems to get worse the faster you go look at tires or wheels... trust me on this one... save your money from the alignment b/s and have your wheels balanced at a tire kingdom, ntb, or merchants tire...