Rear suspension warning
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 249
Likes: 4
From: Huntington Beach, CA
2006 CLK350
Rear suspension warning
A few weeks ago I was sitting in traffic and heard a loud pop/ I thought someone has thrown something at my car so I pulled over and checked it out. Nothing wrong there.
From then on I noticed a looseness/wandering in the rear, mainly on the freeway at speed.
I drove it very gingerly and took it to an alignment/frame shop as soon as I could. He looked at it, adjusted it a little and declared all was good. It still wandered. I finally stopped by my regular mechanic because I knew something was off. It took him about 2 minutes to discover that one of the captured nuts that holds the rear subframe up had torn off. Unfortunately he does not do welding so he couldn't do the repair. Long story short, I finally found a frame shop that had all the right skills and $800 plus a couple days later it was back to normal. This was a first for me. Anyone else ever experience this? The car has never been in an accident.
From then on I noticed a looseness/wandering in the rear, mainly on the freeway at speed.
I drove it very gingerly and took it to an alignment/frame shop as soon as I could. He looked at it, adjusted it a little and declared all was good. It still wandered. I finally stopped by my regular mechanic because I knew something was off. It took him about 2 minutes to discover that one of the captured nuts that holds the rear subframe up had torn off. Unfortunately he does not do welding so he couldn't do the repair. Long story short, I finally found a frame shop that had all the right skills and $800 plus a couple days later it was back to normal. This was a first for me. Anyone else ever experience this? The car has never been in an accident.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 14
From: SoCal
None for now
Could you please elaborate on the wandering? I was on the freeway yesterday and saw a piece of tire in my lane (couldn't avoid it, cars all around me) and had to run it over. I pulled over and the only damage was the pan that covers the transmission pan area came undone, gotta get a new one. But, after driving, my car might have had that wandering? I just want to see how you describe it and see how it compares to mine.
Unrelated to that incident, my rear window regulator went out that day too. Not a good day...
Unrelated to that incident, my rear window regulator went out that day too. Not a good day...
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 249
Likes: 4
From: Huntington Beach, CA
2006 CLK350
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 249
Likes: 4
From: Huntington Beach, CA
2006 CLK350
Could you please elaborate on the wandering? I was on the freeway yesterday and saw a piece of tire in my lane (couldn't avoid it, cars all around me) and had to run it over. I pulled over and the only damage was the pan that covers the transmission pan area came undone, gotta get a new one. But, after driving, my car might have had that wandering? I just want to see how you describe it and see how it compares to mine.
Unrelated to that incident, my rear window regulator went out that day too. Not a good day...
Unrelated to that incident, my rear window regulator went out that day too. Not a good day...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,829
Likes: 591
From: NY & FL
MB’s of all kinds.
A few weeks ago I was sitting in traffic and heard a loud pop/ I thought someone has thrown something at my car so I pulled over and checked it out. Nothing wrong there.
From then on I noticed a looseness/wandering in the rear, mainly on the freeway at speed.
I drove it very gingerly and took it to an alignment/frame shop as soon as I could. He looked at it, adjusted it a little and declared all was good. It still wandered. I finally stopped by my regular mechanic because I knew something was off. It took him about 2 minutes to discover that one of the captured nuts that holds the rear subframe up had torn off. Unfortunately he does not do welding so he couldn't do the repair. Long story short, I finally found a frame shop that had all the right skills and $800 plus a couple days later it was back to normal. This was a first for me. Anyone else ever experience this? The car has never been in an accident.
From then on I noticed a looseness/wandering in the rear, mainly on the freeway at speed.
I drove it very gingerly and took it to an alignment/frame shop as soon as I could. He looked at it, adjusted it a little and declared all was good. It still wandered. I finally stopped by my regular mechanic because I knew something was off. It took him about 2 minutes to discover that one of the captured nuts that holds the rear subframe up had torn off. Unfortunately he does not do welding so he couldn't do the repair. Long story short, I finally found a frame shop that had all the right skills and $800 plus a couple days later it was back to normal. This was a first for me. Anyone else ever experience this? The car has never been in an accident.
