Jerseyjules

I have a 2006 CLS55 that I wound up replacing motor mounts, tranny Mounts, front and rear lower control arm, lower ball joints, upper ball joints, sway bar end links, and inner and outer tie rod ends chasing some suspension clunk. I used to get a clunk over bumps which most of the work corrected however I'm still getting a noise when I turn the steering wheel at low speed tight turns, especially when the suspension is loaded like when turning into a parking spot of driveway. Literally the only thing on the front end I didn't replace are upper control arm bushings cause they felt good and the front air struts. I'm going nuts chasing this noise it's embarrassing for such a nice car. Am I missing some secret hidden AMG bushing somewhere🙄😂😂

95viper

Wow. What timing. I have this EXACT problem. Exact symptoms. I have a 07 CLS550 with 60k miles. I replaced outer tie rod ends, upper ball joints and lower ball joints. I am having trouble replicating it without the car moving so a friend could maybe catch where it is coming from.

Jerseyjules

Im installing all new steering ng rack mounting bushings today, I'll let you know if that's it or not.

95viper

I was wondering about the sway bar mounts because the suspension moves the sway bar up and down slightly on wheel to wheel lock. However I would think that would easily be replicated.
I didn’t think about the steering rack mounts.
To me it sounds like the upper strut driver side but that’s straightforward with Arnott struts and I checked the torque on the three bolts a long time ago.

Jerseyjules

My upper strut bolts were tight. We did get the car on the lift and we're able to get some clicking noises out of the driver's side lower ball joint when you move the wheel forcefully by hand.

However I was unable to make the repairs as a secondary issue arose. I had my tires balanced by a shop last week and it seems they over tightened my wheel locks and when I went to remove the lock, the surface of the key broke off. So I spent the last 2 days drilling a wheel lock off. I'm going to attempt the ball joint again Friday. However I can't see one bad ball joint making this much noise when turning the wheel.

Jerseyjules

Well I found the culprit...After replacing basically the entire front suspension I discovered that tue noise is coming from the actual front struts. As I turn the wheel you can see the struts flex and make an audible Click sound from inside. You can actually feel it on the strut body also. The seem to have a design where the lower portion of the struts flex with the suspension. Guess I'm off to replace the front struts, which appears to have been replaced once already as they are aftermarket. 😐

95viper

Interesting. Mine are aftermarket Arnott struts. I can repeat a sound with wheels on ground so I will get a friend to turn wheel and I will get hand on strut and see if I have the same. Thanks. I assume mine will be under warranty if this is true but that might get dicey.

Jerseyjules

Arnott is refusing warranty cause I do not have a proof of purchase. 🙄 No company stands by their BS lifetime warranties anyway.
Pay special attention to the flexing of the bottom portion of the strut below the airbag portion. You'll see it physically move with the sound.

95viper

I just stumbled across this post. Go to post on 6/7/2020 in this. He pulled up the boot, pried up a plastic sleeve, greased it and fix his problem. I’m going to check this out.
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...when-turn.html

Jerseyjules

That seems to be exactly the noise I'm hearing. Thanks👍

95viper

one more thing, he says you need to remove the air from strut with Star. I don’t have that but I recall a procedure to apply power to two pins at electrical connection on top and it does this. Will have to research it.

Jerseyjules

I don't think there is air in the lower boot portion he is talking about. I believe they were lubing up the lower portion of the strut.

95viper

Gotcha. I found a video on how to release the air with jumping the electrical connection with a 9 volt battery so easy to do if needed.

Jerseyjules

yeah just watched that video. Bottom and middle plug. 👍

Jerseyjules

BTW Arnott refused to warranty these struts. I wound up purchasing a set from Rebuild master Tech for $629 for the set. They rebuild OEM struts only.

95viper

You didn’t try that possible fix above to slide up the sleeve and grease it?

Jerseyjules

No. I don't think that's a long term fix. I think it's a design or material flaw in their struts.

Jerseyjules

Replaced my Arnott struts with RMT remanufactured struts and all my suspension woes are gone👍

95viper

I found my problem too. My strut is different from the pics a few posts above where the guy was able to push up the plastic sleeve and grease it. I removed the boot and notice that the strut is out of alignment at the bottom of the aluminum housing. See how it is tilted? I held it while a friend turned the wheel and I felt it click.

Jerseyjules

Are those Arnott brand?

95viper

yes

Jerseyjules

The knocking issues seems to be with those particular brand struts from what I have read. It seems to be noticed across a few different platforms also from what I have read on the forums. I'm wondering if it's a known design issue and if they have addressed it on newer versions.

95viper

Problem fixed!!!

Replaced with new Arnott strut since it was free. I’ve had an Arnott one on passenger side for 3.5 years that has been quiet so will keep an eye on this one.

Jerseyjules

From what I gathered from a conversation with an aftermarket air strut manufacturer, when you purchase a refurbished air strut, they literally only rebuilt the air portion. They said they can't open and rebuild the strut itself. so basically you're buying a clapped out strut that could have 300,000 miles on the damper with a new spring...

Jerseyjules

( Photos borrowed from another poster on another thread, I forgot to take photos)
I was getting an aweful noise when I turned the wheel. I assumed it was ball joint and control arms and replaced everything myself, yet the noise was still there. Turns out it was the struts making the noise. I didn't try the grease trick and wound up ordering RMT remanufactured struts and they seemed to resolve the knocking noise when I turned. However after a day or two the car sounded like a lowered Honda civic going over small bumps and speed bumps. The car sounded terrible. well lucky I didn't send my Arnott struts in as a core and decided to try the grease trick. I deflated the air struts ony workbench using a 9 volt battery and some wire and pushed back the dust boot and pushed up the plastic portion pictured and applied some automotive grease fairly liberally.You have to make sure every last drop of air is out of them. I sealed it all back up and removed the RMTs which are going back for a full refund. With the Arnotts back in the car and greased I get no more noise and much less noise going over bumps. I read somewhere that the Arnotts make noise due to design flaw and nothing they can do about it..
On a side note, I'll never buy remanufactured struts again for this car, when the Arnotts fail I'm going with OEM ones. I learned that RMT doesn't rebuild the strut portion at all and just the air portion. Which means theoretically I can have a "rebuilt" strut from them that has 300,000 miles on it with a fresh coat of paint and a new spring.