Slight shake eliminated - you'll never guess what it was
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Joined: May 2003
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From: Beverly Hills CA
2001 CLK430, 2000 E320 Wagon, 1992 300CE (sold), 1998 C280 (sold), 1995 C280 (sold)
Slight shake eliminated - you'll never guess what it was
Ever since I bought my CLK430 a couple of years ago, it's had a slight shake at around 60-70. The shake was mild enough that I think many dirvers would never notice it; but I'm a perfectionist and I notice everything. Naturally I had all 4 tires balanced, but that didn't solve the problem. I had the front end aligned, but that didn't solve the problem. I then assumed it must be the tires (or bent wheels) so I waited for them to wear out a bit and then got a new set of tires. The problem remained. The tire shop told me that my wheels were bent (all 4 of them). I thought surely they can't all be bent, so I decided to put the spare in one spot at a time to see if one of the wheels was the main culprit. When I replaced the first wheel with the spare, the shaking got ever so slightly better. Then I switched the spare over to the other front wheel and the shaking was gone. So of course I thought it must be that wheel that's bent. Then I put the spare back in the trunk and put my normal (factory) wheel back on. AND VIOLA, NO MORE SHAKE. Same wheels, same tires, but now the shake was gone. My assumption is that the tire shops didn't slowly cross-tighten the lug nuts when they mounted the wheels, but I did. I think the wheels were bolted on ever so slightly crooked by the tire shops and that caused the shake. When they use those air wrenches and hammer down that first lugnut all the way rather than cross-torquing them a little at a time, I think that causes the wheel to be slightly crooked. I also loosened the rear lugnuts and retightened then by cross-tightening them a little at a time. And now my slight shake is completely gone! Another lesson learned.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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2002 CLK430 Cab
Clean mating surfaces
If your car has any miles on it at all, it wil defininately help to remove each wheel and take a brass bruss and remove all traces of rust and oxidation etc. on the surfaces where the wheel and the hub meet. Then torque the wheel to spec a little at a tiem as suggested above. As you reach the suggested torque, lower the car just enough so the wheel will not turn as you reach maximum torque and no more. A thorough cleaning did the trick on my car, even after road force balancing I still had a slight vibration, but a Saturday morning of meticulous cleaning did wonders.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Ventura, CA
AMG 55, 335i, Mini Cooper S
Nice fix, I love it when you can fix your own car yourself and it's free. I guess the tire place did it twice to you car. Once in the begining and another time after you had them rebalanced.
Mario
Mario
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 266
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2003 E55
I've tried that before, but didn't fix my problem. I will be looking into the front wheels to see if they're bent (though they looked perfectly fine when I took them off...) or could it be the tires that's casuing the shaking? cause I noticed I often get air leaks with my 2-pcs carlsson wheels, and is it possible that I damaged the tires (wires inside) for it being too soft!? Hope its not the drag link that I need to replace (steering linkage tie bar)...
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 551
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From: Virginia
2005 Carlsson CD32 E320 CDI Inline-6
Lowering car a little for final torque....
Just make sure you have a sturdy jack, you can drop it this way. Not likely, but possible.
I use the parking brake for the rears. If someone is around, I just get a little help for a brake hold for the fronts, or start the engine and scoot the driver's seat all the way back, insert a fixed object between the seat and brake pedal (I have a chiropractic foam roll I use) then scoot the seat back forward to apply brake pressure and lock the wheels.
Works for lining up lugs with holes, to.
I use the parking brake for the rears. If someone is around, I just get a little help for a brake hold for the fronts, or start the engine and scoot the driver's seat all the way back, insert a fixed object between the seat and brake pedal (I have a chiropractic foam roll I use) then scoot the seat back forward to apply brake pressure and lock the wheels.
Works for lining up lugs with holes, to.
