Front End "Scrunch"
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Ohio
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Front End "Scrunch"
2002 C240 Sport, 14000 miles - The front end has developed a peculiar compression noise, kind of a crunch or scrunch like collapsing a plastic liter bottle. I live on an old brick street and it's getting kind of embarrassing. I can determine no pattern as to when it occurs - sometimes immediately, sometimes after a long drive, sometimes not at all. I imagine it's the shocks - I can replicate it by pushing down the front end when it occurs - but the shocks are working fine, and why would both sides screw up at the same time? I hate to lose a days' work to get to the dealership just for this. Thoughts??
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From: USA, CA
02 C320, Brilliant Silver
It might be the bushing.
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Joined: Aug 2014
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03 c240 4matic
i know this is an old thread but i just replaced struts and mounts, sway links, outer tierods and my 4matic c240 still makes a crunching screeching noise every time i go over a bump.
i checked the bushings at both c-arms and they r ok. what ele should i check?
i checked the bushings at both c-arms and they r ok. what ele should i check?
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Toronto, Canada
2019 C300 Wagon; '75 Triumph TR6; previous: 2004 C230 6spd sold after 17 years of driving
usually sway bar bushings,
Dry or rusted bar at the bushings will make a creaking old ship sound.
I had a terrible sound and it turned out to be the strut bearings, the indy put them 180* off. it is not hard to make this error and since you just replaced the struts this could be the issue. Problem is that if it is, then the strut bearing will be shot and have to be replaced
Dry or rusted bar at the bushings will make a creaking old ship sound.
I had a terrible sound and it turned out to be the strut bearings, the indy put them 180* off. it is not hard to make this error and since you just replaced the struts this could be the issue. Problem is that if it is, then the strut bearing will be shot and have to be replaced
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Joined: Mar 2012
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From: San Francisco, CA
2005 c230SS
The sway bushings on my car made the old ship creaking sounds when I drove slowly over a speed bump with both front wheels at the same time. Up, down, creak, creak.
The bushing rubber had hardened with age so it was no longer pressurized inside the mounting clamps, and was moving around in there. Replaced the sway bar (on the 2005 Sport the bushings are molded onto the bar) with new, fat, fresh rubber bushings molded onto it, and the noise is gone.
The bushing rubber had hardened with age so it was no longer pressurized inside the mounting clamps, and was moving around in there. Replaced the sway bar (on the 2005 Sport the bushings are molded onto the bar) with new, fat, fresh rubber bushings molded onto it, and the noise is gone.
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From: Toronto, Canada
2019 C300 Wagon; '75 Triumph TR6; previous: 2004 C230 6spd sold after 17 years of driving
a quick fix is to spray in a silicon lube into the sway bar bushings and take it for a drive. If the noise stops then you know where the issue is, however this fix is only temporary.
MB has this special goop at the dealership, a light grey sticky very thick gel-like paste. Lube up the inside of the bushings and the bar and reinstall the bar. I did this when I changed my bar to an AMG and had this issue with brand new bushings, the dealer gave me a little scoop of this and 4 years later it is still quiet.
MB from 2004 onwards started moulding the bushings on the bar and this goop was the fix to prevent having to replace the whole bar
MB has this special goop at the dealership, a light grey sticky very thick gel-like paste. Lube up the inside of the bushings and the bar and reinstall the bar. I did this when I changed my bar to an AMG and had this issue with brand new bushings, the dealer gave me a little scoop of this and 4 years later it is still quiet.
MB from 2004 onwards started moulding the bushings on the bar and this goop was the fix to prevent having to replace the whole bar
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From: Toronto, Canada
2019 C300 Wagon; '75 Triumph TR6; previous: 2004 C230 6spd sold after 17 years of driving
Glyn
Of all the cars I have had, I never had one that had so many issues with its front suspension, by the time it had 70,000km virtually every part has been replaced. By 120,000km springs had broke a link and I was on the 3rd set of control arms as there was too much play in the ball joints, a third set of sway bar links
Either the whole setup is under engineered or LEMFOERDER makes inferior components. I never had these types of issues in any of my Japanese cars which I drove to 300,000km or in my poor workmanship Triumph TR6 which I only had to replace a trunion and bushings in the rear control arms and that car has the same amount of mileage but is 39 years old
What gives?
Of all the cars I have had, I never had one that had so many issues with its front suspension, by the time it had 70,000km virtually every part has been replaced. By 120,000km springs had broke a link and I was on the 3rd set of control arms as there was too much play in the ball joints, a third set of sway bar links
Either the whole setup is under engineered or LEMFOERDER makes inferior components. I never had these types of issues in any of my Japanese cars which I drove to 300,000km or in my poor workmanship Triumph TR6 which I only had to replace a trunion and bushings in the rear control arms and that car has the same amount of mileage but is 39 years old
What gives?
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Boom ~ I don't know. That has not been our general experience here. Castor bushings were a known weakness & redesigned.
I do think lubed for life is an issue especially in harsh climates. A few grease points would be nice on stressed components.
I do think lubed for life is an issue especially in harsh climates. A few grease points would be nice on stressed components.
