Anyone running spacers here, question about vibration..
04-30-2006, 03:02 PM
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2004 Silver CLK500
Anyone running spacers here, question about vibration..
Hi guys,
I have got the Calrsson 1/16 BEs for my 2004 CLK in 18". The fronts are 235 while the back are 255.
The problem is a very slight vibration that comes on at around 90 kmph. It is quite weak but noticeable nevertheless. The local installer pointed out that it was due to spacers and also added that most of the people running spacers experience minor vibrations.
Now the hubcentric spacers were provided by Carlsson. I did some research on the forum and found out that indeed spacers have caused a lot of grief. I have two questions here:
1) Anyone has run into mild vibration problems with spacers before. The car is just fine with stock wheels, and the new Carlsson wheels have been checked and found to be completely balanced.
2) Someone (I think it was Josh Keaton) mentioned that Carlssons come with a clip that need to be attached otherwise the spacer does not sit flush. Any more information on that clip will be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Zee
I have got the Calrsson 1/16 BEs for my 2004 CLK in 18". The fronts are 235 while the back are 255.
The problem is a very slight vibration that comes on at around 90 kmph. It is quite weak but noticeable nevertheless. The local installer pointed out that it was due to spacers and also added that most of the people running spacers experience minor vibrations.
Now the hubcentric spacers were provided by Carlsson. I did some research on the forum and found out that indeed spacers have caused a lot of grief. I have two questions here:
1) Anyone has run into mild vibration problems with spacers before. The car is just fine with stock wheels, and the new Carlsson wheels have been checked and found to be completely balanced.
2) Someone (I think it was Josh Keaton) mentioned that Carlssons come with a clip that need to be attached otherwise the spacer does not sit flush. Any more information on that clip will be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Zee
04-30-2006, 03:10 PM
#2
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Check the installation on the spacers. I installed mine myself, because I didn't trust the shop to do it. On my Brabus it required screwing them in. I really think Brabus did a great job with their spacers, I would only assume Carlson did the same.
Are the wheels new? Make sure they are not bent. If there is lateral damage to the wheel, it still may balance, but will also vibrate.
Are the wheels new? Make sure they are not bent. If there is lateral damage to the wheel, it still may balance, but will also vibrate.
05-01-2006, 06:09 PM
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2004 Silver CLK500
Update..
Hi guys, here is the update for today when we took the wheels out.
Josh had corrected pointed out to me in a PM that there is a retaining ring that goes around the spacer groove that fits into the wheel. Turned out that the ring was sitting incorrectly for three out of four wheels and had in turn damaged the inner grooves within the wheel. Thus the spacer is not flush with the wheel and that's where vibration is coming from.
I am surprised that Carlsson is sending out the wheels without any explicit instructions on how to attach the spacer properly to the wheel. There are no Carlsson certified shops here in Toronto (at least to my knowledge). The guy who came across as Mercedes expert here and got these wheels for me has long washed his hands off the whole thing. So much so for his service. The mechanic I am currently using is a decent fellow, however he has not come across these kind of spacer arrangements, and so I am now in a fix on how to get the wheels fixed.
1) For now we have taken the retaining rings out and attached the spacers back to the wheels. Since the rings were out of shape and scratching the inside of the hub of the wheel, we thought it is better to take them off completely. The spacers seem to be sitting well without them. The spacers are bolted on therefore, I don't think this is unsafe; however it is not the solution I am looking for in the long run. I think I still detect some vibration, but I need to drive the car more to make sure it is so.
2) Option 2 is to get the wheels and spacers to a machine shop that will fix the spacer/wheel joint, and ideally attach the spacers permenantly to the wheels. More dollars there they go, and frankly the whole Carlsson thing is starting to look frustratingly ridiculous.
(By the way, looking at the spacers and wheels this morning, I realized that Brabus setup as mentioned by DirtyVegas is absolutely beautiful. The spacer, being part of the whole setup, should be permenantly attached, or at least screwed to the wheel. This of course after the proper wheel and spacer is selected appropriately for the vehicle. I just wish any other car owner would not have to pass through the frustration that I am passing because Carlsson, or any other manufacturer, are leaving it up to the individual shops to properly attach different parts).
3) If you guys know of any really good wheels shop here in GTA (Toronto), please feel free to chime in. Any advice on helping out with fixing these Carlsson wheels is also very much appreciated.
Frustrated, yes, but I am looking forward to get this thing resolved.
Regards,
Zee
Josh had corrected pointed out to me in a PM that there is a retaining ring that goes around the spacer groove that fits into the wheel. Turned out that the ring was sitting incorrectly for three out of four wheels and had in turn damaged the inner grooves within the wheel. Thus the spacer is not flush with the wheel and that's where vibration is coming from.
I am surprised that Carlsson is sending out the wheels without any explicit instructions on how to attach the spacer properly to the wheel. There are no Carlsson certified shops here in Toronto (at least to my knowledge). The guy who came across as Mercedes expert here and got these wheels for me has long washed his hands off the whole thing. So much so for his service. The mechanic I am currently using is a decent fellow, however he has not come across these kind of spacer arrangements, and so I am now in a fix on how to get the wheels fixed.
1) For now we have taken the retaining rings out and attached the spacers back to the wheels. Since the rings were out of shape and scratching the inside of the hub of the wheel, we thought it is better to take them off completely. The spacers seem to be sitting well without them. The spacers are bolted on therefore, I don't think this is unsafe; however it is not the solution I am looking for in the long run. I think I still detect some vibration, but I need to drive the car more to make sure it is so.
2) Option 2 is to get the wheels and spacers to a machine shop that will fix the spacer/wheel joint, and ideally attach the spacers permenantly to the wheels. More dollars there they go, and frankly the whole Carlsson thing is starting to look frustratingly ridiculous.
(By the way, looking at the spacers and wheels this morning, I realized that Brabus setup as mentioned by DirtyVegas is absolutely beautiful. The spacer, being part of the whole setup, should be permenantly attached, or at least screwed to the wheel. This of course after the proper wheel and spacer is selected appropriately for the vehicle. I just wish any other car owner would not have to pass through the frustration that I am passing because Carlsson, or any other manufacturer, are leaving it up to the individual shops to properly attach different parts).
3) If you guys know of any really good wheels shop here in GTA (Toronto), please feel free to chime in. Any advice on helping out with fixing these Carlsson wheels is also very much appreciated.
Frustrated, yes, but I am looking forward to get this thing resolved.
Regards,
Zee
05-01-2006, 11:39 PM
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SL55 AMG, 2006 Range Rover Sport with Kahn Design Package
-The shake dose not have to do with the adapter if its truly a hub-centric Carlsson adapter. We sell packages to MB dealers every week and trust me, if they shook as this customer states is a well known problem then we would be out of business. Maybe the adapter is missing the clip spring on the spacers is not sitting flush?
-I always try to use the word adapter instead of spacer; because the word spacer is often referenced with cheap non-hub-centric spacers that do nothing but cause problems. Please remember that all Carlsson wheels and hardware are TUV approved and tested; do you think the German government would let a "shaky wheel" pass for high speed use on the autobahn? Not to mention AC Schnitzer, TechArt, Brbaus, etc share the same approach to wheel ETs and mounting solutions as Carlsson.
-I always try to use the word adapter instead of spacer; because the word spacer is often referenced with cheap non-hub-centric spacers that do nothing but cause problems. Please remember that all Carlsson wheels and hardware are TUV approved and tested; do you think the German government would let a "shaky wheel" pass for high speed use on the autobahn? Not to mention AC Schnitzer, TechArt, Brbaus, etc share the same approach to wheel ETs and mounting solutions as Carlsson.
05-02-2006, 01:14 AM
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white and whiter
Originally Posted by adam@kronen
-The shake dose not have to do with the adapter if its truly a hub-centric Carlsson adapter. We sell packages to MB dealers every week and trust me, if they shook as this customer states is a well known problem then we would be out of business. Maybe the adapter is missing the clip spring on the spacers is not sitting flush?
-I always try to use the word adapter instead of spacer; because the word spacer is often referenced with cheap non-hub-centric spacers that do nothing but cause problems. Please remember that all Carlsson wheels and hardware are TUV approved and tested; do you think the German government would let a "shaky wheel" pass for high speed use on the autobahn? Not to mention AC Schnitzer, TechArt, Brbaus, etc share the same approach to wheel ETs and mounting solutions as Carlsson.
-I always try to use the word adapter instead of spacer; because the word spacer is often referenced with cheap non-hub-centric spacers that do nothing but cause problems. Please remember that all Carlsson wheels and hardware are TUV approved and tested; do you think the German government would let a "shaky wheel" pass for high speed use on the autobahn? Not to mention AC Schnitzer, TechArt, Brbaus, etc share the same approach to wheel ETs and mounting solutions as Carlsson.
We're also a authorized dealer for Carlsson products. For my own car I took out all 4 retaining rings so that the spacers would sit properly on the wheel. It is actually a hassle trying to fit the spacer with the retaining ring on them.
05-02-2006, 11:45 PM
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2004 Silver CLK500
Adam, Frank:
First of all many thanks for your prompt replies to my messages. The fact that both of you took time out to help me out in this matter is truly appreciated.
I have no problem with Carlsson products. I can see that these are wheels that are much better looking as well as better built, compared to the stock 17" Mercedes wheels. I would however hope that in the future, Carlsson will include explicit instructions on how to mount the spacers to the wheels (for me, I just got the wheels, and one page instruction on what water pressure should be applied to wheels while washing, and no more
). Even better, once the exact model and year is established, Carlsson should attach the spacers themselves to the wheels on a more permenant basis, before shipping the wheels to the customers. A simple balance and mount wheels process will help their customer avoid a lot of hassle and frustration, especially in cases where there is no Carlsson certified technician in town.
Now to the update: The retaining rings are out however the wheels were not rebalanced (after taking the rings out) before being mounted. However I can feel that vibration is down significantly. I'll get the wheels rebalanced and see if it goes away completely.
And finally I would really appreciate if some on can guide me to a good reputable wheels shop in Toronto, that knows how to deal with high end wheels. That will be soooo much convenient in the future.
Regards,
Zee
First of all many thanks for your prompt replies to my messages. The fact that both of you took time out to help me out in this matter is truly appreciated.
I have no problem with Carlsson products. I can see that these are wheels that are much better looking as well as better built, compared to the stock 17" Mercedes wheels. I would however hope that in the future, Carlsson will include explicit instructions on how to mount the spacers to the wheels (for me, I just got the wheels, and one page instruction on what water pressure should be applied to wheels while washing, and no more
). Even better, once the exact model and year is established, Carlsson should attach the spacers themselves to the wheels on a more permenant basis, before shipping the wheels to the customers. A simple balance and mount wheels process will help their customer avoid a lot of hassle and frustration, especially in cases where there is no Carlsson certified technician in town.Now to the update: The retaining rings are out however the wheels were not rebalanced (after taking the rings out) before being mounted. However I can feel that vibration is down significantly. I'll get the wheels rebalanced and see if it goes away completely.
And finally I would really appreciate if some on can guide me to a good reputable wheels shop in Toronto, that knows how to deal with high end wheels. That will be soooo much convenient in the future.
Regards,
Zee
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05-03-2006, 02:09 AM
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white and whiter
Originally Posted by adam@kronen
That is Carlsson N.A explanation. I just relaying a message to Zee. Hope that helps Zee.
Zee, just have the wheels rebalanced and the problem should be gone completely.
Last edited by FrankW; 05-03-2006 at 02:13 AM.
05-04-2006, 11:09 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by FrankW
Please read his latest post. It's been solved.
We're also a authorized dealer for Carlsson products. For my own car I took out all 4 retaining rings so that the spacers would sit properly on the wheel. It is actually a hassle trying to fit the spacer with the retaining ring on them.
We're also a authorized dealer for Carlsson products. For my own car I took out all 4 retaining rings so that the spacers would sit properly on the wheel. It is actually a hassle trying to fit the spacer with the retaining ring on them.
05-04-2006, 11:20 PM
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white and whiter
Originally Posted by DirtyVegasMB
I kept the ring on, but had to bend it inward more to make its circumference smaller for an easier fit. The ring is a PITA and is old technology from what I understand.
05-05-2006, 11:42 AM
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I got 19" rims on my 06 CLK and I am running spacers. I got the wheels stagered with 235/35/19 and 275/35/19. When I put the wheels on they told me that it might scratch the inside plastic if I dont run spacers. With the spacers I got 0 vibration.
My friend has a C class and he is running the cheap spacers the $10 bolt on ones but I am surprised because he also doesnt get any vibration at any speed. I asked the guy who put my spacers on about the cheap spacer and he said that it is possibe if its the exacth size that is needed but i shoud go with the excentrick spacers just to be safe.
Will post some pics later if interested.
My friend has a C class and he is running the cheap spacers the $10 bolt on ones but I am surprised because he also doesnt get any vibration at any speed. I asked the guy who put my spacers on about the cheap spacer and he said that it is possibe if its the exacth size that is needed but i shoud go with the excentrick spacers just to be safe.
Will post some pics later if interested.
07-01-2006, 06:58 PM
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2004 Silver CLK500
Update..
OK guys, it has been almost two months now since I posted about the vibration problem. Many thanks for your invaluable help. I think my further experience with this problem might help other people if they come across a similar problem.
I ended up finding an extremely good shop here in TO that mostly deals with Porsches. I was referred to him via a business colleague of mine and here is what transpired.
After taking the car out for a ride, we determined that vibration was coming from both front and back wheels. After wheels were taken out, as suspected the main culprit was the spacers assembly. The meeting point of spacers with the wheel hub was badly damaged and seemed to be in need of serious rework. We decided to machine the spacers and permenantly weld them to the wheels. The machine could join the assembly flush up with an accuracy of up to a few hundreth of a millimeter. The only concern was the brake clearence if I decide to upgrade to heftier brakes. However we realized that the current clearence was sufficient to allow for the later brake upgrade.
We also decided to replace the Kumhos Ecstas with Toyo Proxes T1-R. The wheels took almost two weeks to finish and were mounted back towards the end of May. However curiously the vibration was back in a few days and increased ever so slightly in the days to follow. However this time it was not due to the spacers. Turned out that the Mercedes spec'd tire pressure of 32 psi was too low for the low profile 35 ratio radials. We had marked the tires opposite the air valve, and realized that the tires were rotating on top of the rim due to the low pressure. After the front-rear pressures were increased to 38-40, and rebalancing the wheels, the vibration is not only gone for good, the ride quality is a whole lot smoother too.
Carlssons look really nice, however I have reservations about these wheels as they are not the most user-friendly wheels when it comes to installation. Maybe others may have a better experience, but when I bought these wheels, there were no specific mounting/assembly instructions from Carlsson. They assumed that every workshop knows how to mount the wheels and assemble the spacers properly. A little bit of instruction paper would definitely help and save a few people big headaches. I would hope that they read this feedback and do something about it.
I'll take a few car pics tomorrow and post them.
Cheers,
Zee
I ended up finding an extremely good shop here in TO that mostly deals with Porsches. I was referred to him via a business colleague of mine and here is what transpired.
After taking the car out for a ride, we determined that vibration was coming from both front and back wheels. After wheels were taken out, as suspected the main culprit was the spacers assembly. The meeting point of spacers with the wheel hub was badly damaged and seemed to be in need of serious rework. We decided to machine the spacers and permenantly weld them to the wheels. The machine could join the assembly flush up with an accuracy of up to a few hundreth of a millimeter. The only concern was the brake clearence if I decide to upgrade to heftier brakes. However we realized that the current clearence was sufficient to allow for the later brake upgrade.
We also decided to replace the Kumhos Ecstas with Toyo Proxes T1-R. The wheels took almost two weeks to finish and were mounted back towards the end of May. However curiously the vibration was back in a few days and increased ever so slightly in the days to follow. However this time it was not due to the spacers. Turned out that the Mercedes spec'd tire pressure of 32 psi was too low for the low profile 35 ratio radials. We had marked the tires opposite the air valve, and realized that the tires were rotating on top of the rim due to the low pressure. After the front-rear pressures were increased to 38-40, and rebalancing the wheels, the vibration is not only gone for good, the ride quality is a whole lot smoother too.
Carlssons look really nice, however I have reservations about these wheels as they are not the most user-friendly wheels when it comes to installation. Maybe others may have a better experience, but when I bought these wheels, there were no specific mounting/assembly instructions from Carlsson. They assumed that every workshop knows how to mount the wheels and assemble the spacers properly. A little bit of instruction paper would definitely help and save a few people big headaches. I would hope that they read this feedback and do something about it.
I'll take a few car pics tomorrow and post them.
Cheers,
Zee
07-01-2006, 09:46 PM
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not stock.
Wow, to start, I dont even know why such an expensive wheel would need any kind of adapter, spacer, how ever you want to call it......etc.
Only tells you that they are using the same wheels to cut off on expenses and making there clients go through problems....... When you order a custom 3 piece wheel, they never requiere any specific installation instruction on how to adapt them to your car, your paying top-dollar for wheels that are going to bolt on like the stock ones do, in most cases, you only replace your lug bolts and most of the time they are included (to ensure you get the correct ones).......
Ive never baught / had an "original" carlsson / brabus / acshnitzer wheel, the closest ive come to them is replicas, and the ones ive had / seen are all bolt on directly to the car.... I tend to go for more "custom looking" wheels when spending so much money.
Im glad you were abale to fix your problem and find your self a good shop to work on your car, hope you get to enjoy them!
Only tells you that they are using the same wheels to cut off on expenses and making there clients go through problems....... When you order a custom 3 piece wheel, they never requiere any specific installation instruction on how to adapt them to your car, your paying top-dollar for wheels that are going to bolt on like the stock ones do, in most cases, you only replace your lug bolts and most of the time they are included (to ensure you get the correct ones).......
Ive never baught / had an "original" carlsson / brabus / acshnitzer wheel, the closest ive come to them is replicas, and the ones ive had / seen are all bolt on directly to the car.... I tend to go for more "custom looking" wheels when spending so much money.
Im glad you were abale to fix your problem and find your self a good shop to work on your car, hope you get to enjoy them!
07-04-2006, 05:26 AM
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1990 560 SEC (modified), SLK55, CLK500
In the end, i think it's very important to find a professional, well recommended shop before getting any work done...even with specfic instructions (such as big yellow arrow on directional tires, or the words "outside" & "inside" on asymetrical tires) some shops will still screw up. Apparently Firestone thinks my wheelwells are inside out, and Arrow wheel thinks my car drives in reverse more often than forward.
