GL handling on patchy ice
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4
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2019 S65
GL handling on patchy ice
I am curious if anyone else is having issues with how their GL handles traveling over patchy ice.
I now have 16,000 miles on my 550 and this is the second winter my wife has been driving it. The only issue involves traveling on icy roads crossing from ice to pavement and back etc. At first I had written it off to a glitch in the ABS system but the dealer checked it and found no issues. I had also thought about trying different winter tires but the sensation tells me it has nothing to do with the tires and frankly I don't have issue with the winter tires it came with.
Specifically it feels as thought the back tires are slightly out of alignment with the front tires. As I am traveling at highway speeds on say the interstate highway it feels as thought the back tires are grabbing pavement every time they come off the ice onto the pavement. It is not extreme but very irritating because it causes a jerking reaction coming from the rear of the vehicle. It throws the vehicle the opposite direction when going onto the ice so if you can imagine when driving on very patchy roadway it keeps going back and forth and all the occupants look like bobble head dolls in the car.
So far the service department has had no luck with the MB service rep in identifying the issue and a fix. Last weekend one of the service techs had the same issue with his GL450 in similar driving conditions. The only help this has provided so far is proving I may not be nuts.
Thanks in advance for any help or ideas.
I now have 16,000 miles on my 550 and this is the second winter my wife has been driving it. The only issue involves traveling on icy roads crossing from ice to pavement and back etc. At first I had written it off to a glitch in the ABS system but the dealer checked it and found no issues. I had also thought about trying different winter tires but the sensation tells me it has nothing to do with the tires and frankly I don't have issue with the winter tires it came with.
Specifically it feels as thought the back tires are slightly out of alignment with the front tires. As I am traveling at highway speeds on say the interstate highway it feels as thought the back tires are grabbing pavement every time they come off the ice onto the pavement. It is not extreme but very irritating because it causes a jerking reaction coming from the rear of the vehicle. It throws the vehicle the opposite direction when going onto the ice so if you can imagine when driving on very patchy roadway it keeps going back and forth and all the occupants look like bobble head dolls in the car.
So far the service department has had no luck with the MB service rep in identifying the issue and a fix. Last weekend one of the service techs had the same issue with his GL450 in similar driving conditions. The only help this has provided so far is proving I may not be nuts.
Thanks in advance for any help or ideas.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,425
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From: Minnesota
2015 Ram 2500, former 2013 GL350, 2007 GL450
Intersting observation. I have seen what I would say feels like tracking, where the GL 'shifts' left or right slighly when traveling on bad roads. This seems to be a similar situation to what you are describing.
I had always written in off as being caused by one of the things I hate about the GL - the felt lined tire wheel wells. They cake snow and ice and enable major build-up, to the point where it does make contact with the tires.
I had always written in off as being caused by one of the things I hate about the GL - the felt lined tire wheel wells. They cake snow and ice and enable major build-up, to the point where it does make contact with the tires.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 814
Likes: 9
15 GL550
I haven't noticed anything like what you're referring to in my GL320. As mentioned by others in other posts, I think my runflats are a little too hard for snow and ice, but overall, I've been very happy. I was in the mountains (hills for those out west) in Western PA and drove for over 45 minutes on snow and ice covered roads a couple weeks ago and the GL felt very stable. I'm not an expert in physics but I think we are all probably paying a small price for the wide tires and 550 owners even more so. Not sure what would be causing your issues. Are you accelerating when coming off the ice?
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 127
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Charger, Saab & Aston
I don't think M-B really sorted putting larger rims and wider tires on the 550. IMO they slapped them on there without factoring in (or wanting to pay for more-likely) the calibrations/changes needed to the suspension first and foremost, but possibly driver aids as well. Ours loves to track road imperfections, depressions, ruts, etc. I don't know for sure but would guess the circumference of the 550 rims/tires would match the 450, which probably made is "OK" to think the set-up would work perfectly. I wish they would have just made a proper GL 63...
