Newcomer Needs Shimmy Advice
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Newbie
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3
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Newcomer Needs Shimmy Advice
I have a 1993 300SE with the classic front end shimmy. I've ordered the steering damper. What are the typical items that you repair to fix the problem? And in what order do you proceed?
pjmc91@hotmail.com
pjmc91@hotmail.com
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 455
Likes: 1
From: Fl
92 500sel/01 320e wag
You either have it or not, MB changed suspension components and car height in 95 no more issues.
While under warranty MB changed, tires, ball joints, control arms, dampers rebalanced the drive shaft etc. it really never went away. One dealer actually took wheels of another car to see if the wheels were screwed up. I did motor mounts, sway bar bushings , and lower control arm bushings. The best it ever, was when they put on brand new tires, balanced them and then installed and balanced them on the car. I of course did not last very long.
The issue can be minimized, by having the tires road force balanced, by a Hunter machine. I would suggest you take the pressures up by 3-5 lbs, I finally gave up on Michelin MXV and went to Bridgestone Turanza LSH.
My car usually settles down as the tires warm up, everyone agrees is was a issue, I have tried many things since 94. It is at a minimum with the latest, tires, alignment, balancing and bushings along with tire pressures. If it just showed up look along those lines. I have been told "you can balance a brick by adding weights, but it wont be round"
While under warranty MB changed, tires, ball joints, control arms, dampers rebalanced the drive shaft etc. it really never went away. One dealer actually took wheels of another car to see if the wheels were screwed up. I did motor mounts, sway bar bushings , and lower control arm bushings. The best it ever, was when they put on brand new tires, balanced them and then installed and balanced them on the car. I of course did not last very long.
The issue can be minimized, by having the tires road force balanced, by a Hunter machine. I would suggest you take the pressures up by 3-5 lbs, I finally gave up on Michelin MXV and went to Bridgestone Turanza LSH.
My car usually settles down as the tires warm up, everyone agrees is was a issue, I have tried many things since 94. It is at a minimum with the latest, tires, alignment, balancing and bushings along with tire pressures. If it just showed up look along those lines. I have been told "you can balance a brick by adding weights, but it wont be round"
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,290
Likes: 1
From: New Zealand
1993 300SEL/S320
I had a shimmy at about 80km/h so about 55m/h changed the bushings in the front suspension and it was fine. As mentioned balljoints can be one thing, also shocks are another that can cause a shimmy in these cars. The early W140 had a real problem with bushing wear in the front end so that would be my first port of call.
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Had same problem on my 1993 300SE. Took me about a year to rule things out but changed: tires, rotated rims/tires, then moved to changing ball joints, steering dampener, shocks and lower control arm bushings. I think the problem was centered around the control arm bushings. Car works better now, but has minor vibration at about 40mph. But so does my 1998 C230. Road conditions and tires are suppose to be the most common causes of vibration. There have been serious write ups about the W140 suspension for 1993 models.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 455
Likes: 1
From: Fl
92 500sel/01 320e wag
Had same problem on my 1993 300SE. Took me about a year to rule things out but changed: tires, rotated rims/tires, then moved to changing ball joints, steering dampener, shocks and lower control arm bushings. I think the problem was centered around the control arm bushings. Car works better now, but has minor vibration at about 40mph. But so does my 1998 C230. Road conditions and tires are suppose to be the most common causes of vibration. There have been serious write ups about the W140 suspension for 1993 models.
