petern12

My '98 4matic wagon(122k miles) makes a loud clonking noise every time the passenger rear wheel goes over a bump, even little ones no more than an inch high. I suspect that the rear shock mount may be suspect. Anybody knows how to or has pictorial insruction on how to gain access to the shock mount from inside the cargo area? it looks quite a bit more involved than on a sedan, where you'd just remove the rear panel in the trunk to gain access. Again this is for the passenger's side rear shock mount. Thanks.

CA_Tallguy

I don't know much about the air suspension that I think you have. Can you see anything from the outside of the vehicle with it jacked up? On the w210 sedan, the only need for getting inside is to put a couple of bolts on. I think it would be pretty obvious from outside (shock coming out of the hole or something) if I were having a problem with the mount but I don't know about your case.

You can browse around here and maybe see some diagrams - some of the E320 and E430 diagrams are for estate/wagons:
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb0.asp?TP=1

CA_Tallguy

In this post:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...placement.html

ohlord seems to indicate that Mark Cummins is the guy to ask here on this forum.

ohlord

has the wis,the star,and the tastefully done car,that we should all strive for
http://www.performanceproducts4benz.....aspx?bmid=236
Pic for display purpose only
Autohausaz.com parts much less
Hydroneumatic shocks not air
check it is from the rear and not the front sway bar drop links.
ohlord
next mod

petern12

Thank you all for your replies. Tallguy, the two mounting bolts on top of the shock *inside* the cargo area is exactly what i'm trying to get to, as I suspect they could use some tightening up or partially stripped...they need to be visually inspected. From the wheel well, the rubber donut looks shrunken and cracked, possibly allowing for a small gap which is responsible for the sound. Just my theory at this point of course. BTW, my rear shocks are hydraulic and fluid level and appearance are both fine. Again it'd be great if someone could provide instruction on how/what to remove in order to access the mounting bolts on the rear passenger side. Thanks.

Ohlord, those WALD body kits really transform the look of the wagon without making it into a "rice racer". The V2 version is my personal favorite. For practical occasional use in the snow and everyday ride comfort, I would however opt not lower and stick with my 17" wheels setup(Dual spoke 17" on 245/45-17 from '04 W211 E500). Jonari is the exclusive distributor for WALD stateside and they are in Burlingame, just half an hour north of me. Real tempting!

petern12

Took the wagon on a ski trip this past weekend with the rear weighed down by ~400lbs worth of kids and voila! not a peep out of the right rear shock, even when going over potholes and nasty California's expansion joints...i unloaded the car as soon as I got home and drove it around the block, and the ugly clonking noise rears its head immediately again, every time the right rear wheel goes over a bump...I am now 90% convinced that the problem is just a loose top nut on the shock tower. Any pointer on how to gain access to the rear passenger side shock tower on a '98 wagon would be greatly appreciated!

ohlord

or rustbetter get it fixed soon.Before it rips out.

petern12

Ohlord, rust is possible but not likely, as this wagon spent all of its life in California, owned by a disabled older lady, and always dealer-maintained. During the pre-purchase inspection, I remember feeling somewhat shocked by how clean the undercarriage looked, with no leaks, no surface rust anywhere, and hardly even a coat of dust in most places(!). I've only taken it to the snow twice since I've owned it so exposure to road salt has been minimal and both times I thoroughly rinsed the undercarriage as soon as I get home.

HOWSER

That's freaking sharp!

ohlord

like the interior panel has to come off,if you look at the drivers side it looks like the mounting bolt comes out at a 90 from the shock tower.Before digging in have you checked the thrust arm and the control arms.There is a guy up in the amg section with the mount cracked and it is giving him some of the same symptoms.
pm mark see if he has more info.

HOWSER it looks good going by as well

petern12

Ohlord it definitely look like multiple panels and layers will have to come off...This would've been cake on a sedan...I'll give Mark Cummins a try too. Thanks.

KC420

Peter, Ohlord,
awesome bodykit on that silver T model
WAW
amazing
looks bullish
great! especially that front (bumper) makes the nose look much more sleek, heavy yet sporty. less sluggish i would say... fantastic...
ok, if you didn't read it between the lines by now.... YES, i am jealous :p

happy posting
greetz from German autobahn land
cheers

ohlord

H and R bilstien sports up front amg body kit Hand R springs rear with oem shocks.PM him I am sure he has the info desired.
Cool

MARK CUMMINS

I Would Double check where you think the noise is...

Inspect the L/R suspension / sway bar end /have a friend bounce the car while checking for the noise

Also One can inspect the upper shock mounts with the rear panels removed

Drivers side remove the spare and then one can access the mount

Passenger side on mine the Bose Sub must be removed to access the mount

If You need step by step info use this

http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/

petern12

Hi Mark, thanks for your reply/help. You found me before I make my way over to you at Benzworld. I'll give the site a try when I get home later today. I did attempt to reproduce the sound early on with two big guys standing on the rear bumper and bouncing it up and down with all their weight & might but to no avail, not a peep. This result is familiar to when I had the rear loaded with ~400lbs on the ski trip, which means the rear being light, unloaded is a prerequisite for the problem/noise. A loose top mounting bolt on the rear shock would definitely exhibit this symptom. Another tell tale in this direction is that the noise sounds like it comes from *inside* the vehicle, as opposed to other possibly loud but "muffled" sound you might hear from other parts of the suspension.

MARK CUMMINS

Inspect all the Multi links on the Corner in question

mtdceo

I had the same problem when I first replaced my rear shocks...
the problem was the mechanic did not tighted then rear shock enough..

I had the same symptom... bouncing on it had no problem.. only going over minor bumps...

problem went away after tightening the shocks

good luck