Creak when backing up
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2007 S550
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Going over bumps makes no noise.
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04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
I had a squeak/creak that I could recreate just by a light bounce of that corner. I injected grease into the main lower ball joint with the weight off the suspension and when I put the car down the noise was gone. It's been gone since May 2022. Apparently these sealed ball joints dry out. The boot was in good shape.
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I had a squeak/creak that I could recreate just by a light bounce of that corner. I injected grease into the main lower ball joint with the weight off the suspension and when I put the car down the noise was gone. It's been gone since May 2022. Apparently these sealed ball joints dry out. The boot was in good shape.
Thanks for chiming in.
I can’t recreate it with bounce. Only time is when turning. Left and braking or braking hard going straight. Or just backing up with wheel turned going over bump.
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04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
I had a noise like that on my E55. It ended up being an upper control arm bushing. I think I was able to wiggle it with the weight off the car. I think I even made a video of it.....
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thanknyou. I went to a mechanic who did exactly this.
sway bar bushings began to sing. Otherwise there was no way to find the noise.
ao returning the new control arm and getting away bar with links and all.
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Back at it again.
New sway bar, new links. MB parts. Still light knock when hard breaking, on and off brakes.
also when slowly backing up with wheel tuned right over uneven surface.
This is on driver side.
Bearing? Knuckle? Sunroof? Muffler?
I’m starting to think I’ll have to just live with it. But it sucks. Feels like subframe bolts are loose.
New sway bar, new links. MB parts. Still light knock when hard breaking, on and off brakes.
also when slowly backing up with wheel tuned right over uneven surface.
This is on driver side.
Bearing? Knuckle? Sunroof? Muffler?
I’m starting to think I’ll have to just live with it. But it sucks. Feels like subframe bolts are loose.
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From: Atlanta GA
2012 E350 Cabriolet now SOLD to my son
Did anyone really check the subframe bolts and retorque them? in fact all the bolts? Also IIRC that the bolts have to be final torqued when the weight of the car is on the suspensions . Did they do this when the front lower control arms were replaced ?
Also have the rear lower control arms for the front suspension been replaced? Thought i saw that you ordered them and then returned them?
Also if the sway bar bushings are being replaced, these also may need torquing with the weight on the car.....and make sure they lube the bushing surface the bar rides in BEFORE they install them....
BTW this allows the bar to rotate with less friction (stiction) , allows the car to take a set in the corners and avoids that slightly unstable feeling as the bar moves then stick over and over. AND eliminates any noise from the bushings. As ex race car driver and mechanic, ALL my cars get this treatment. So do SCCA cars and teams
Another thought..... have the struts been replaced? Creaking and groaning can come from the spring perch, the strut upper mount ( esp when turning due to binding, worn rubber isolator , frozen rusty bearing etc ) and the flimsy rubber cover that prevent dirt getting to the shaft of the strut. Being as it is only one side and when the car goes back and thru the dip in the driveway that is where I would start.
Let us know if you get them to look into that....
Also have the rear lower control arms for the front suspension been replaced? Thought i saw that you ordered them and then returned them?
Also if the sway bar bushings are being replaced, these also may need torquing with the weight on the car.....and make sure they lube the bushing surface the bar rides in BEFORE they install them....
BTW this allows the bar to rotate with less friction (stiction) , allows the car to take a set in the corners and avoids that slightly unstable feeling as the bar moves then stick over and over. AND eliminates any noise from the bushings. As ex race car driver and mechanic, ALL my cars get this treatment. So do SCCA cars and teamsAnother thought..... have the struts been replaced? Creaking and groaning can come from the spring perch, the strut upper mount ( esp when turning due to binding, worn rubber isolator , frozen rusty bearing etc ) and the flimsy rubber cover that prevent dirt getting to the shaft of the strut. Being as it is only one side and when the car goes back and thru the dip in the driveway that is where I would start.
Let us know if you get them to look into that....
Last edited by WRC-LVR; Oct 26, 2023 at 09:02 AM.
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Thank you.
i was thinking about subframe bolts too. The morons that did my engine mounts two years ago said that subframe has to come down a bit. Maybe they didn’t tighten well.
struts are 1 year old up front.
lower rear control arms look mint and where changed at MB in 2019.
All ball joints were checked with crow bar. Zero play.
Whats weird is going straight no matter how bad the road everything is fine. Only under lateral stress or braking load plus bumps do I get this faint clunk.
going back to the shop to check it all out next week.
i was thinking about subframe bolts too. The morons that did my engine mounts two years ago said that subframe has to come down a bit. Maybe they didn’t tighten well.
struts are 1 year old up front.
lower rear control arms look mint and where changed at MB in 2019.
All ball joints were checked with crow bar. Zero play.
Whats weird is going straight no matter how bad the road everything is fine. Only under lateral stress or braking load plus bumps do I get this faint clunk.
going back to the shop to check it all out next week.
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 532
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From: Atlanta GA
2012 E350 Cabriolet now SOLD to my son
Thank you.
i was thinking about subframe bolts too. The morons that did my engine mounts two years ago said that subframe has to come down a bit. Maybe they didn’t tighten well.
struts are 1 year old up front.
lower rear control arms look mint and where changed at MB in 2019.
All ball joints were checked with crow bar. Zero play.
Whats weird is going straight no matter how bad the road everything is fine. Only under lateral stress or braking load plus bumps do I get this faint clunk.
going back to the shop to check it all out next week.
i was thinking about subframe bolts too. The morons that did my engine mounts two years ago said that subframe has to come down a bit. Maybe they didn’t tighten well.
struts are 1 year old up front.
lower rear control arms look mint and where changed at MB in 2019.
All ball joints were checked with crow bar. Zero play.
Whats weird is going straight no matter how bad the road everything is fine. Only under lateral stress or braking load plus bumps do I get this faint clunk.
going back to the shop to check it all out next week.
When they did the struts did they change the whole thing including the top mounts or just the strut itself...im betting they just swapped out the strut amd resused the rubber spring isolators and top mount,,,Be good to check......
FYI you can get an inspection camera with 10 ft long wand and hi res screen with recording ability for <$200. If you can fit into various spots you want to check, then you can drive and record to see if its moving. I would try looking at the strut upper mounts and the subframe in various places. i have one and use it for things like inspecting tight areas i cant see very well including stuff around the house an on my RV.
Let us know how you get one
Last edited by WRC-LVR; Oct 27, 2023 at 08:01 AM.
