Getting really tired of my clk!
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Getting really tired of my clk!
OK i have an 06 clk500 coupe with only 12000 miles. It has the 18 inch clk55 wheels on them with michelin pilot sport 2s all around. This setup came with my car when i bought it new.
I have gone through 4 blown tires because of the pot holes in chicago. At first i thought it was my driving even though i drive the clk much slower and am much more careful in the clk than i was in my e46 m3 coupe with 19inch wheels. The M3 never had a blown tire no matter how hard i hit a pot hole.
The clk's wheels dont seem up to the task.
I now have 2 bent front wheels for the second time this year. I had them fixed last time at wheel america. I have asked many experts, my very good friend is a mechanic at a MB dealership, wheel america and they all told me that the best way to protect the wheels and tires is to ignore the manufactures reccomendation and to inflate them to about 40psi.
I have done this and check my pressures 2 times a week to be sure.
SO today i bring my car in for a few electronic glitches and brake squeel and they tell me that i have bent my 2 front wheels and I think i have had enough.
Between my wheel and tire problems, the numerous rattles, and elecronic issues. I have had the highest hopes for the clk.
Its my first benz and I cant wait to get rid of it and get back into a BMW. AT least my BMWs didnt feel like they were thrown together at the last minute from a parts bin.
I mean come on hasnt MB heard of forged rims????
I have gone through 4 blown tires because of the pot holes in chicago. At first i thought it was my driving even though i drive the clk much slower and am much more careful in the clk than i was in my e46 m3 coupe with 19inch wheels. The M3 never had a blown tire no matter how hard i hit a pot hole.
The clk's wheels dont seem up to the task.
I now have 2 bent front wheels for the second time this year. I had them fixed last time at wheel america. I have asked many experts, my very good friend is a mechanic at a MB dealership, wheel america and they all told me that the best way to protect the wheels and tires is to ignore the manufactures reccomendation and to inflate them to about 40psi.
I have done this and check my pressures 2 times a week to be sure.
SO today i bring my car in for a few electronic glitches and brake squeel and they tell me that i have bent my 2 front wheels and I think i have had enough.
Between my wheel and tire problems, the numerous rattles, and elecronic issues. I have had the highest hopes for the clk.
Its my first benz and I cant wait to get rid of it and get back into a BMW. AT least my BMWs didnt feel like they were thrown together at the last minute from a parts bin.
I mean come on hasnt MB heard of forged rims????
Last edited by quickburn; Jul 10, 2007 at 04:22 PM.
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not just the wheels and tires
if it was just that i would get new, stronger rims.
Its just an example of how cheap this car feels to me and i dont want to spend one more dollar on this car.
I think making a $65k dollar car based off a $30K cars chassis is a mistake.
the interior is ok but it does have a few rattles and i never expected this many electronic glitches. Like lately my sunroof hasnt been closing.
We have a lot of benzs in my family, and im truly dissappointed with this one.
We have an SLR, SL55, 2 ML500s and none are this bad. Any bmw i drive just feels a lot more together than this clk. even a base 328i.
I dont know but the base c280 i got as a loaner felt better than my car!
Its just an example of how cheap this car feels to me and i dont want to spend one more dollar on this car.
I think making a $65k dollar car based off a $30K cars chassis is a mistake.
the interior is ok but it does have a few rattles and i never expected this many electronic glitches. Like lately my sunroof hasnt been closing.
We have a lot of benzs in my family, and im truly dissappointed with this one.
We have an SLR, SL55, 2 ML500s and none are this bad. Any bmw i drive just feels a lot more together than this clk. even a base 328i.
I dont know but the base c280 i got as a loaner felt better than my car!
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Just picked up my car from service
my service advisor told me that clk's have a reputation for bent rims and he sees that pretty often.
Then he charged me $60 to have my squealing brakes looked at and to put antisqueel!
My car is a year and 3 months old and has 12400 miles. brakes are covered for only 1 year 12000 miles!
Best part is the brakes are still squealing! Very disappointed with MB right now.
Then he charged me $60 to have my squealing brakes looked at and to put antisqueel!
My car is a year and 3 months old and has 12400 miles. brakes are covered for only 1 year 12000 miles!
Best part is the brakes are still squealing! Very disappointed with MB right now.
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From: Chicago
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I'm from chicago too and I've had the same problem. I had an 03 clk500 before this 07 clk550, and I bent the two front stock rims, and then 2 of the front custom rims. I've become pretty good friends with the people at wheels america as a result. I also think I've already bent one of the front wheels on my 2 month old 07. Definately a problem on these cars.
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yeah division st between orleans and the I-90 is responsible for at least 3 of my bent rims. Yeah i know wheel america quite well and they are the ones who told me that the PSI should be at 40 to protect the rim and tires. Forged wheels should be standard on cars of this caliber!
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From: Chicago
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Since I've run my tires at 40 I haven't had any problems. It also stopped the excessive wearing of the shoulders of the tires that's another common problem. But even forged wheels won't hold up to some of the potholes I've hit on 94.
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From: Chicago
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Our potholes are pretty bad due to the freezing weather and use of road salts. In the winter, the potholes appear faster than they can patch them up. I've hit a four inch deep pothole at 85 mph. The wheel didnt have a chance.
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From: Southern California
2017 W205 C43 AMG
I've some some nasty potholes in Los Angeles with my 18" AMG Monoblocks, and they have never bent or warped. I run Goodyear Eagle F-1 tires at 38 PSI.
I had the same type of performance with my OEM 17" inchers when I had those too.
W209 CLK may essentially be a 2-door W203 C-Class, however I don't believe Mercedes skimps on quality because of it. Cars are sold to different "market segments" and the CLK-Class targets the 3-Series and C-Class buyer that wants a coupe that it a little less common than a BMW!
I had the same type of performance with my OEM 17" inchers when I had those too.
W209 CLK may essentially be a 2-door W203 C-Class, however I don't believe Mercedes skimps on quality because of it. Cars are sold to different "market segments" and the CLK-Class targets the 3-Series and C-Class buyer that wants a coupe that it a little less common than a BMW!
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HAHA! Are you seriously comparing potholes in LA and in chicago?
Im from LA and am actually in LA right now. NOTHING in LA compares to the streets we have in chicago!
Trust me MB skimps on the clk. There is a reason its the most profitable car in the MB line up.
Im from LA and am actually in LA right now. NOTHING in LA compares to the streets we have in chicago!
Trust me MB skimps on the clk. There is a reason its the most profitable car in the MB line up.
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Do you really think your wheel would survive a 4 inch deep pothole at 85 mph?
Also, the CLK does not target the C-class or 3-series buyer. The last time I checked, the c-class didnt cost $64,000. If anything I would be looking at an e-class or 5-series. I expected better quality. Even in this 07 CLK 550 I have now, the quality of the materials of the interior has gone down from the '03 500 I had.
Also, the CLK does not target the C-class or 3-series buyer. The last time I checked, the c-class didnt cost $64,000. If anything I would be looking at an e-class or 5-series. I expected better quality. Even in this 07 CLK 550 I have now, the quality of the materials of the interior has gone down from the '03 500 I had.
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From: Oakland
2018 E43 | 2017 GLS450 | 2004 CLK 500
Hey CHi..Have you noticed that you are bedning the same wheels that you had fixed? Just fyi...I used to have 19" Brabus but went down to 18's becasue of the same problem. I noticed that I was bending the same 2 rims that had been fixed at WHeel America. I asked my buddies who's shop I went thourght to get them fixed. Apparently everytime they straighten your wheel out and polish it down, they take off a bit more strucutral alloy off the lip. So your fixed wheel lip is inherently weaker than OEM. So if you hit a pothole hard, that lip is going to give, and it only requuires a hit even less than before. In fact, the second time around Wheel America wouldn't touch them again becasue they knew they couldn't polish down the lip anymore - they told my buddy's shop this - so I had to buy 2 new rims. Structurally the rims are fine but the lip is like putty. So just a heads up on WA. There's another place that I've used that seemed to avoid this problem but I can't rember their names right now - They have an ad in C&D or R&T.
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From: Chicago
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Hey CHi..Have you noticed that you are bedning the same wheels that you had fixed? Just fyi...I used to have 19" Brabus but went down to 18's becasue of the same problem. I noticed that I was bending the same 2 rims that had been fixed at WHeel America. I asked my buddies who's shop I went thourght to get them fixed. Apparently everytime they straighten your wheel out and polish it down, they take off a bit more strucutral alloy off the lip. So your fixed wheel lip is inherently weaker than OEM. So if you hit a pothole hard, that lip is going to give, and it only requuires a hit even less than before. In fact, the second time around Wheel America wouldn't touch them again becasue they knew they couldn't polish down the lip anymore - they told my buddy's shop this - so I had to buy 2 new rims. Structurally the rims are fine but the lip is like putty. So just a heads up on WA. There's another place that I've used that seemed to avoid this problem but I can't rember their names right now - They have an ad in C&D or R&T.
Then I put on Brabus 19's. First, the front driver's side wheel was bent. I had it repaired by WA. What you're referring to is that they can only repair it once because the wheels have a machined finish, so they're literally grinding down the wheel when they re-machine it. That same wheel bent again, but was bent so bad it was out of round (this was due to low tire pressure because of a large drop in temperature) and they wouldn't have been to repair it anyway. So that was replaced. On another occassion, the passenger side wheel was bent (also due to low tire pressure). That was repaired and still holds up when inflated at 40 psi.
I can understand my 19's bending, but not the 17's.
