drexappeal

Hi everybody,

Hopefully somebody can help me out on this forum. I've been posting my issue on the w203 forum under this thread:

LINK: SHOCK PROBLEM

Nobody seems to know what this could be. My situation is this. I've been running on TEIN prototype springs in the rear for months, w/o any problems.

I recently purchased the Brabus Swaybars from IDriveFast. The swaybars were in great condition (so don't worry, Kenny. Nothing wrong with the bars).

I only installed the rear swaybar because it turned out, even though I have a '04.5 C230 (with the refresh brakes, and suspension), I did not or it seems that I don't have the AMG swaybars as "stock". This meant I had to buy the front brackets, hence the reason of only installing the rear swaybar at this time. Ever since I installed the rear swaybar, on sharp turns (left or right) I hear a knock (one sharp knock, as if someone were taping the underbody or trunk). It also happens when turning into an inclined driveway or reversing and turning out of a driveway (i.e. basically when the springs are compressed).

I took it back to the shop I had the install done at. They said that I need new shocks and it's not the swaybar. I trust the shop a lot, however my car is only a little less than 1.5 years old. I find it somewhat hard to believe that I need new shocks. I hope there is a solution out there that someone may have because I'm stumped at this point.

linuxfoo

could it be that yoru rear sway bar is hitting part of the body during flex? it will flex as one wheel travels up and down. maybe a clearance issue there.

drexappeal

You might be right, but the mechanic who installed it and I were unable to see where it would be rubbing. Checked all around the exhaust pipe, springs, etc...No signs of rubbing, but I'll probably see what happens if I go back to stock springs.

Thanks for your input.

drex

Mach430

How low are the springs? Your springs may have overworn your shocks, your sway bars may be making contact with something under the chassis, and/or something may be loose.

linuxfoo

whenever you get the chance to take a look underneath thecar, check for paint rub, scratches or any shiny spot on the sway bar ans its linkage. your sway bar is probably hitting your control arms or anywheer in that area, so take a close look there. good luck.

drexappeal

Thanks, linuxfoo.

I took a look with the mechanic last weekend and we couldn't see any signs of rubbing or scratches on the swaybar or linkage. That's why he was puzzled and concluded that it wasn't the swaybar. But, I also didn't think to check the control arm (which I should've done), so...I'm actually going to see what TEIN can determine when I go back for R&D next week. Hopefully they can see something or whatever it is that I couldn't see.

Dan's 1993 190E

I hate to beat a dead horse, but here is my story. I had the same noises you describe on a dodge truck. I looked a million times at the sway bar along with everything else up front and couldn't find anything.

When it got really bad, it was easier to find. One of my sway bar end link bushings had been going bad, and finally fell off. Prior to it falling off, nothing really looked out of place. BTW, my dodge had the stock suspension.

When you raise/lower a vehicle, it changes the angle of the sway bar to linkage bushings and adds stress. I know that there is a big difference between lifting a jeep 4.5 inches and lowering a mercedes ~2 inches, but I had to add brackets, between the frame and sway bar, to the jeep to get this angle right.

Couldn't hurt to check and see if the linkages have the proper torque. And if you've got an extreme drop perhaps look into shorter linkages.

Dan

drexappeal

Dan, thanks for pointing that out. I'll see what happens after I bring it in to TEIN. I'm hoping that the sound will go away once the prototype suspension is in.

phattbam

I too have been experiencing a "knocking" sound when travelling over bump and dips.. I recently had the Tein Basic coilovers installed on my '01 C320 sport... The sways are stock never been changed. Not sure what the problem is.. I have gone back to where I got them installed and yet nothing seems to be loose...

drexappeal

phattbam, my problem ended up being due to running the stock swaybar in front and the Brabus swaybar in the rear. There was so much give from the front that it was causing some sort of rubbing in the rear.

Ever since I got the front Brabus swaybar installed, no more knocking. Is yours consistently throughout the bumps and is it a prominent knock or just very slight? It's possible that it's the coils touching. If that ends up being the issue, TEIN actually sells some sleeves that you can put over the coils to decrease the noise.

phattbam

they sell sleeves?? That means they didn't do enough R&D.. any idea how to determine if that is my issue? how much do these sleeves go for?

drexappeal

Just depends on whether that is the in fact the "knocking" issue you're referring to.

These sleeves have been around for quite some time. In fact, a lot of aftermarket springs make sound when they compress and touch. You can try contacting TEIN directly to explain what they are, how much they cost and what they do specifically, but the R&D for the coilovers has nothing to do with the sleeve or spring noise.