Shaky steering and thumping underneath
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
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s500 4matic 2003 s55 2003
Shaky steering and thumping underneath
My 2003 S500 4matic has a really shaky steering wheel when I let go, thumping underneath at slow speeds and thumping when you turn the steering hard left. The thumping is coming from underneath the passengers feet as if something was lose. It's getting diagnosed in two days but I'd like to ease my mind, or not so much. It does need a slight alignment as it pulls to the left a little bit, all new breaks and rotors, new tires as well.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 53
Likes: 8
W220, 320, CDI, 2003
My 2003 S500 4matic has a really shaky steering wheel when I let go, thumping underneath at slow speeds and thumping when you turn the steering hard left. The thumping is coming from underneath the passengers feet as if something was lose. It's getting diagnosed in two days but I'd like to ease my mind, or not so much. It does need a slight alignment as it pulls to the left a little bit, all new breaks and rotors, new tires as well.
You have to look at wheel suspension, it sounds like some bad bearings or wheel arms. Then you have to control wheel bearings. Then look at the flex disk on the drive shaft and bearings to this. You all also have to control your wheels, maybe you have a damage on the rims.
After all repair you have to get the four wheel track.
Start here 💪🏻
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 282
Likes: 66
From: Virginia Beach
2005 S600 2005 SL600
Several possibilities for your symptoms, all need to be corrected as soon as possible. The balljoints, suspension control arm bushings, and the torque rods are all suspect. If one of those parts breaks, you will lose control of the car. Not being alarmist, but clunks are serious.
The W220 suspension is complex. There is a lower control arm, on which the strut sits, and it has a bushing, and a balljoint built in for the strut. That control arm connects to a balljoint on the steering hub. There is a lower torque arm, with a balljoint and bushing built in, which also connects to the steering hub. There is an upper control arm, shaped like a wishbone, with a balljoint built in. There are inner and outer tie-rods.
Bad bushing, or bad balljoint, on one of those parts is causing your clunk, and steering anomalies.
Lemforder makes good replacement parts for all of those items, at a substantial discount from Mercedes OEM.
The more common failure points are those torque arms, and the lower balljoints. Both are simple to replace. Any suspension part replacement requires a subsequent alignment.
The W220 suspension is complex. There is a lower control arm, on which the strut sits, and it has a bushing, and a balljoint built in for the strut. That control arm connects to a balljoint on the steering hub. There is a lower torque arm, with a balljoint and bushing built in, which also connects to the steering hub. There is an upper control arm, shaped like a wishbone, with a balljoint built in. There are inner and outer tie-rods.
Bad bushing, or bad balljoint, on one of those parts is causing your clunk, and steering anomalies.
Lemforder makes good replacement parts for all of those items, at a substantial discount from Mercedes OEM.
The more common failure points are those torque arms, and the lower balljoints. Both are simple to replace. Any suspension part replacement requires a subsequent alignment.
