kczmb

I was driving down the freeway one day and my son said it seems as if I have a warped roter because Blue (name of my car) was shaking. I took it in for brake job, but still shakes at 60mph. Now I noticed that stopping is a rough situation, it seems like the tire will jump off. Although this is my regular mechanic & he's worked on my cars b4, I wasn't sure if he took me for a ride, so I went to another mechanic and played dumb. The 2nd mechanic said I need a set of new control arm bushings, but I can't buy them without the struts & I can't buy just the 1 side I need.
I hate the feeling that mechanics tell me bs because I'm a woman, so I came to u guys 4 your opinion & advise. I want to go back to my regular mechanic once he gets back from the holiday break, but with a little more knowledge.
(BTW, I'm a newbie, please take it easy on me. )

Thanks 4 your help, kc

Quadcammer

why can't you buy control arm bushings without the struts? (in other words, you absolutely can).

I'd start here personally if you're sure the brake disks are true.

kczmb

That's what I wanted 2 know... why couldn't I? I'm glad I came here 4 some real & unbias advice. Thanks Oliverk

shaw01

love that you named your car blue .. agree with above poster, I don't see why you would need to buy both struts and control arms for 1 control arm replacement .. with all the mechanical people here odds are someone will chime in who has had the issue or made this repair.

best of luck and happy new year!

kczmb

Thanks shaw01, I read thru the forums b4 I posted and surprisingly, I didn't find much help with this problem. Although some had similar problems, info was vague.
It would help to find others in the Atl area that could advise & give referrals. Every1 here seems 2 have lots of knowledge.
I just wanted to educate myself b4 going back 2 mechanics because i don't want them to rip me a new 1, I like the 1 I got.

Happy New Year 2U All!!

tusabes

shaking only when you apply the brakes is usually a warped rotor. a bad control arm would shake all the time

Quadcammer

I actually may have been wrong in that you can't buy the bushings alone. However, you can get the lower control arm for $220, and its probably easier that way than to have to press in bushings.

Not necessarily, although I agree that the brake rotor would be the place I would start.

Supergenius40

I knew my bushings and or control arms where bad because my car squeaked. It sounded like bad springs, something you would hear from a old junk car or truck. Did you notice any squeaking noises from the front? Has anyone looked at your motor mounts or transmission mounts? I've seen post about the mounts causing the car to shake. What's the year of your car?

kczmb

This one is the 02 S55, so it could be anything at this point, at the 100k mark. I did hear a little creek once, then a brake squeal once. So odd because there's been very little noise so far.
I'm taking notes on everything you all said because I have an appt with the mechanic. I'll ask them to look at the rotor 1st, then go from there.
This info has helped a lot with my research on parts to get an idea on cost.
Thanks guys, kc

la22bay

check your tires as well a busted steel belt will make the rear shake also

tusabes

is it shaking ONLY when braking, or at other times too?


Squaks and noises can be completely unrelated....they may indicate other worn out parts, but fixing those may not fix the shaking issue

kczmb

Good news, Just my brakes! The shaking when I stop was a bad rotor like my son said. I also got a new set of rubber so it wouldn't shake on the freeway. My regular mechanic told me that my bushings, struts, shocks and all that stuff are in great condition. He even charged me half the price of the stealership. I was so happy I got spark plug & oil change (for great price too).
If any of u r n the Atlanta area and need a good Mercedes mechanic, I can tell u where 2 go.
Now Blue is smooth as ice. ;} I took the scenic route home today.
Thanks again to all of you 4 your great advice.