Death Wobble
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2016
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GLK350 2010 Sold C63 AMG 2012 Sedan Sold GLK250 2013
Death Wobble
Hi All,
I have a really weird problem with my GLK250 2012 (260,000km). For a while now i have been hearing some noise coming out of the front driver wheel. Its usually present when i'm driving about 50km/hr (30 freedom units). It sounded like a faint thumping. My mechanic told me to ignore it. In the last 2 days its gotten a lot worse. It now rattles the steering wheel and its very loud. Here is the crazy part. I drove the car today and there was no issues at all. I even took it on the highway and no concerns. It just comes and goes. Its not consistent. I'm not sure how i went from the steering wheel thrashing to nothing at all over night. About a year ago i did almost all front suspension components. (Swaybar links / Upper and lower control arms). I didn't do struts. Any thoughts? Has anyone had a similar problem?
I have a really weird problem with my GLK250 2012 (260,000km). For a while now i have been hearing some noise coming out of the front driver wheel. Its usually present when i'm driving about 50km/hr (30 freedom units). It sounded like a faint thumping. My mechanic told me to ignore it. In the last 2 days its gotten a lot worse. It now rattles the steering wheel and its very loud. Here is the crazy part. I drove the car today and there was no issues at all. I even took it on the highway and no concerns. It just comes and goes. Its not consistent. I'm not sure how i went from the steering wheel thrashing to nothing at all over night. About a year ago i did almost all front suspension components. (Swaybar links / Upper and lower control arms). I didn't do struts. Any thoughts? Has anyone had a similar problem?
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Joined: Jul 2012
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From: WI
GLK 250
Have you checked your wheel lug bolts recently? I had to re-torque the wheel bolts once after having the tires balanced and rotated. My local DT shop usually does a good job of proper torqueing the bolts, but I figured checking it wouldn't hurt.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 319
From: WI
GLK 250
Here's the ironic thing: they could be too tight. You want them at the proper torque and no more.
Another thing to check is cold tire pressure, all around. Get a good gauge and set the pressures properly (I'm partial to 38 psi all four corners) and see how it behaves.
When was the last time the tires were balanced and rotated? How many miles on the tires themselves? Hit any potholes or curbs lately? Have you had the alignment checked/adjusted recently?
So many questions, so little time...
The point is to rule out the simpler easy-to-fix things before starting to worry about driveline mechanicals.
Another thing to check is cold tire pressure, all around. Get a good gauge and set the pressures properly (I'm partial to 38 psi all four corners) and see how it behaves.
When was the last time the tires were balanced and rotated? How many miles on the tires themselves? Hit any potholes or curbs lately? Have you had the alignment checked/adjusted recently?
So many questions, so little time...
The point is to rule out the simpler easy-to-fix things before starting to worry about driveline mechanicals.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2015
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2013 glk 350
Something is worn out and ready to break. If you have a ujoint , cv joint or anything on the drivetrain break , the cost could be immense, a flailing driveshaft could ruin the transfer case or the front wheel suspension . Find out what’s worn and fix it. I read about someone who had the front ujoint let go and MB wanted 10,000 for all the damage . Mine went bad and luckily I fixed it in time .
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2023
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2011 GLK 350 4Matic
There could be a very simple explanation (one that it's easy for us Arizona drivers to ignore)...
In winter, it's common to get a big ol' chunk o' ice frozen onto the inside of your wheel. That can create a monstrous imbalance - one that magically disappears any time the car is parked where the temperature is above freezing.
In winter, it's common to get a big ol' chunk o' ice frozen onto the inside of your wheel. That can create a monstrous imbalance - one that magically disappears any time the car is parked where the temperature is above freezing.
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Joined: Jan 2016
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From: In the Shadow of the Tetons
2013 ML350 Bluetec
Lift the front end off the ground and try to wiggle each wheel. If it moves, find out why.
The death wobble will shake the steering wheel right out of your hands and is usually accompanied by "Ford" or "Jeep" on the grill.
The death wobble will shake the steering wheel right out of your hands and is usually accompanied by "Ford" or "Jeep" on the grill.
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Super Member
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 728
Likes: 271
2011 GLK 350 4Matic
Agreed that "death wobble" is a very specific - and unforgettable - thing. I had it happen to my 1996 Jeep Cherokee, and when it happens, the thing is shaking so hard your eyes can no longer focus, and I swear it can loosen fillings in your teeth. Thing is, a Jeep front end is designed to be prone to that kind of thing if everything's not right, where the GLK really isn't (leading me to think that it might have something to do with a dramatic imbalance in one of the front wheels from ice). But yeah, with any front-end malady like the one described, look for ANYTHING that's not properly tight - I normally have a (trusted!) helper rocking the steering wheel back and forth, and look for something to move more than it should, or for any movement between two points that shouldn't have movement between them (like a tie rod end and the tie rod itself, or through a ball joint, etc.).
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