Suspension help - bad shock + more
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 25
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From: Wisconsin
2008 Mercedes Benz CL600
Suspension help - bad shock + more
Hi all,
Car is a CLK550 coupe. Had the front wheels off today (touching up the paint on the rims) and when I went to put the right front rim back on, the hub had sagged to below the rim.
Question 1: Does this mean the right front shock is bad and should be replaced?
To remedy this, I had lots of fun with the jack and jack stands. spoiler alert: this was a bad idea. I managed to jack up the hub using part of the suspension (lower control arm I think) and very delicately put it on jackstands so i could get the wheel back on. when i lowered it on the control arm on the jackstand, it didn't seem to be bearing much weight (i had another under the front jack point, and one behind the right rear tire too). I was able to get the rim back on, but then could not jack the hub up high enough from anywhere to get it off the jackstands. In the process of trying to do this, I bent the suspension piece slightly (I believe it is the lower control arm, it was a wide metal part coming out of the rubber boot?). Now the car does not steer on center (wheel has to be left about 5 degrees to make the car go straight).
Question 2: Is it super dangerous to drive on this? Or should be ok, at least to go to the repair shop and have it fixed?
thanks in advance
Car is a CLK550 coupe. Had the front wheels off today (touching up the paint on the rims) and when I went to put the right front rim back on, the hub had sagged to below the rim.
Question 1: Does this mean the right front shock is bad and should be replaced?
To remedy this, I had lots of fun with the jack and jack stands. spoiler alert: this was a bad idea. I managed to jack up the hub using part of the suspension (lower control arm I think) and very delicately put it on jackstands so i could get the wheel back on. when i lowered it on the control arm on the jackstand, it didn't seem to be bearing much weight (i had another under the front jack point, and one behind the right rear tire too). I was able to get the rim back on, but then could not jack the hub up high enough from anywhere to get it off the jackstands. In the process of trying to do this, I bent the suspension piece slightly (I believe it is the lower control arm, it was a wide metal part coming out of the rubber boot?). Now the car does not steer on center (wheel has to be left about 5 degrees to make the car go straight).
Question 2: Is it super dangerous to drive on this? Or should be ok, at least to go to the repair shop and have it fixed?
thanks in advance
MBworld Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
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What sort of jack did you use to lift the vehicle? If you used a hydraulic jack, maybe the jack is leaking and slowly lowering under the weight of the vehicle (this is not uncommon). Also, where did you jack - under the front suspension, or on the frame? If you jacked under the suspension, then you compressed the shock, and in that case, you could have a weak shock if it compressed further when stationary.
Of course as you have discovered, you should never jack under the front suspension! The only acceptable jack points are on the frame, behind the front tires or ahead of the rear tires where the plastic blocks are located (they are made to fit into the head of the compact jack supplied with the vehicle). The other jack points are under the rear differential, or under the engine on the large rubber block protruding from the center of the lower engine cover. My advice is to use a good low-profile hydraulic jack on these center jack points, then insert jack stands on the side jack points once lifted.
As for driving with the bend lower thrust arm, if you can steer it, then it's OK, but you will be scrubbing your tires. Personally, I'd probably have it towed.
Of course as you have discovered, you should never jack under the front suspension! The only acceptable jack points are on the frame, behind the front tires or ahead of the rear tires where the plastic blocks are located (they are made to fit into the head of the compact jack supplied with the vehicle). The other jack points are under the rear differential, or under the engine on the large rubber block protruding from the center of the lower engine cover. My advice is to use a good low-profile hydraulic jack on these center jack points, then insert jack stands on the side jack points once lifted.
As for driving with the bend lower thrust arm, if you can steer it, then it's OK, but you will be scrubbing your tires. Personally, I'd probably have it towed.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 61
From: Atlanta Metro
2008 clk550 - Navigator - Frontier
Good luck on getting your suspension repaired. I will be replacing my shocks/strut with Bilsteins. The car is lowered with H&R springs but with original OE shocks. The ride quality is intermittently awful; can be quite jarring with the H&R sways installed.
While I had the wheels off I noticed a dent in both front shocks. I don't think this is a design feature........
I will replace them anyway but thought I would provide pics of the both the driver and passenger side fronts.
While I had the wheels off I noticed a dent in both front shocks. I don't think this is a design feature........
I will replace them anyway but thought I would provide pics of the both the driver and passenger side fronts.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 61
From: Atlanta Metro
2008 clk550 - Navigator - Frontier
Now, I will not worry about them too much and install the Bilsteins according to my "sink money into the toy" schedule (2-3 months).
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MBworld Guru
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That dent is normal - both my CLK and C have it on their struts. Discoduck is probably correct - it's to add clearance for the wheels. It could also be for some stiffening, since this strut carries a lot of weight and torsional forces.
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MBworld Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
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NO LONGER ACTIVE
The most common cause of suspension squeaks over bumps are bad sway bar bushings. They are inexpensive and very easy to replace. I'd start there before worrying about anything more serious.
