w219 cls 55 weird alignment or suspension issue.
04-28-2016, 03:23 PM
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
w219 cls 55 weird alignment or suspension issue.
checked my airmatics with star everything checks out fine no faults, replaced rear shocks, and both front airmatic struts with used very low mile ones. ( blew front drivers so bought a entire set for spares)
Car is lowered with STAR about 1" front and rear did not have this issue for the first few months being lowered either..
i have replaced all inner outer tie rods, wurth oil on sway bar bushings as well as new links, all bushings and ball joints in the front replaced with oem. then had townfair tire do a alignment and rotate then mount and balance my newer front tires to see if my weird issue has resolved it self but it has not.
my MAIN issue, under hard acceleration or around a corner or switching lanes quickly the car starts to sway back and fourth like a boat and need to get off the throttle to have it settle it self.
i can almost replicate this by jerking the wheel slightly at highway speeds. cant tell if its the front or rear causing the body roll/boat sway feeling. this is not all the time either, from a stop , roll, and on highway car goes straight under hard acceleration, its only when i turn quickly, or hit a dip in the road etc.
i want to say this problem started when i replaced the front drivers airmatic strut with a used one, but when driving around normally on slower roads, that are rough/bumpy/ etc cars drives great, absorbs bumps , imperfections.
A few smaller issues i have ( trying to be thorough about my issue.)
2nd) i still have a small steering wheel shimmy in the front when i go over a bump or uneven pavement with either tire, this is a small issue im nit picking at.
lastly) right rear seems jerk when you hit a bump, pot hole, etc, feels like something is loose or alignment is still off ? hence why i replaced both shock absorbers thinking RR was leaking. but after installing 2 good ones still have same issue. did teh 3-9/12-6 wheel test for play everything seems ok, een used a pry bar to see if there is something loose and cannot find anything wrong. subframe bushings look nice and tight too, and in tact.
with this said im running out of ideas and parts to replace, and really dont want to bring the car to the stealer to get diagnosed. ...... do i look for another strut ?
]
Car is lowered with STAR about 1" front and rear did not have this issue for the first few months being lowered either..
i have replaced all inner outer tie rods, wurth oil on sway bar bushings as well as new links, all bushings and ball joints in the front replaced with oem. then had townfair tire do a alignment and rotate then mount and balance my newer front tires to see if my weird issue has resolved it self but it has not.
my MAIN issue, under hard acceleration or around a corner or switching lanes quickly the car starts to sway back and fourth like a boat and need to get off the throttle to have it settle it self.
i can almost replicate this by jerking the wheel slightly at highway speeds. cant tell if its the front or rear causing the body roll/boat sway feeling. this is not all the time either, from a stop , roll, and on highway car goes straight under hard acceleration, its only when i turn quickly, or hit a dip in the road etc.
i want to say this problem started when i replaced the front drivers airmatic strut with a used one, but when driving around normally on slower roads, that are rough/bumpy/ etc cars drives great, absorbs bumps , imperfections.
A few smaller issues i have ( trying to be thorough about my issue.)
2nd) i still have a small steering wheel shimmy in the front when i go over a bump or uneven pavement with either tire, this is a small issue im nit picking at.
lastly) right rear seems jerk when you hit a bump, pot hole, etc, feels like something is loose or alignment is still off ? hence why i replaced both shock absorbers thinking RR was leaking. but after installing 2 good ones still have same issue. did teh 3-9/12-6 wheel test for play everything seems ok, een used a pry bar to see if there is something loose and cannot find anything wrong. subframe bushings look nice and tight too, and in tact.
with this said im running out of ideas and parts to replace, and really dont want to bring the car to the stealer to get diagnosed. ...... do i look for another strut ?
]
04-28-2016, 08:12 PM
#2
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'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Easy check is to measure your rear camber and then confirm toe-in. Once camber gets more negative than about -2.3 degrees, the toe arm adjustment range cannot compensate and you end up with toe out. That makes it feel like the car is trying to swap ends.
Could also be the bushings in the multi-link suspension pieces are beginning to collapse but I would check toe, adjust if necessary, then determine if it is fair wear and tear or if a bushing has gone bad.
Could also be the bushings in the multi-link suspension pieces are beginning to collapse but I would check toe, adjust if necessary, then determine if it is fair wear and tear or if a bushing has gone bad.
05-02-2016, 08:39 PM
#5
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'99 and '05 E55 AMG
I'm unsure of the relationship of the E-class to the CLS. For the W211 E-class, alignment is as follows:
Front camber: -1.4 degrees, +/-0.3 degrees, toe-in ~3/4mm per side (camber somewhat adjustable using the offset bolts; otherwise only toe is adjustable)
Rear camber: -1.7 degrees, +/-0.5 degrees, toe-in ~ 1 1/2mm per side (only the toe is adjustable)
With your car lowered 1" I would expect your car's values to be where they are; close to the extreme allowable (as you lower the car the camber goes more negative).
Are your tires' inside and/or outside edges "chunking"? i.e. losing pieces of rubber that look like they are torn off? In the case of my car, under static alignment conditions, the alignment measured perfect. Under dynamic conditions, i.e. driving, the bad ball joints and worn bushings were letting three of the four wheels and tires wander all over (both front and one rear were losing chunks of rubber from both the inner and outer edges of the tires). I replaced the front lower control arms, thrust arms, and also replaced the rear control arms (bad outer bushing; non-replaceable, naturally) to correct the problem.
FWIW, my car had approximately 100K miles when I performed the above work.
Front camber: -1.4 degrees, +/-0.3 degrees, toe-in ~3/4mm per side (camber somewhat adjustable using the offset bolts; otherwise only toe is adjustable)
Rear camber: -1.7 degrees, +/-0.5 degrees, toe-in ~ 1 1/2mm per side (only the toe is adjustable)
With your car lowered 1" I would expect your car's values to be where they are; close to the extreme allowable (as you lower the car the camber goes more negative).
Are your tires' inside and/or outside edges "chunking"? i.e. losing pieces of rubber that look like they are torn off? In the case of my car, under static alignment conditions, the alignment measured perfect. Under dynamic conditions, i.e. driving, the bad ball joints and worn bushings were letting three of the four wheels and tires wander all over (both front and one rear were losing chunks of rubber from both the inner and outer edges of the tires). I replaced the front lower control arms, thrust arms, and also replaced the rear control arms (bad outer bushing; non-replaceable, naturally) to correct the problem.
FWIW, my car had approximately 100K miles when I performed the above work.
Last edited by bbirdwell; 05-02-2016 at 09:25 PM.
05-04-2016, 12:02 PM
#6
Super Member
Thread Starter
w211/w219 same chassis, same part numbers for parts. i raised the car a 1/2" going to replace the drivers strut as im running out ideas with the boat like sway issue, and steering rack bushings, then another alignment once i find a better option, maybe dealer.
