Hello folks.
08 s550 4 matic, when backing up and turning the wheel to exit the drive way I get a creak from driver side front area.

I cant know for sure if its the sway bar link since it doesn't make noise when going over bumps going straight. I cant only replicate it when backing up and turning the wheels while going over uneven surface.
Struts are new, forward Control arms new. No play in wheel.

Thanks

Sway bar and its bushings?

 

Turning the wheels a little or full lock? If it's full lock, look for clean, shiny spots on your control arms. Something is hitting something else. Tires on control arm, steering knuckle on control arm, tie rod end on control arm, etc.

 

Thanks.
Basically its exiting my drive way. So if I exit straight backing up, no noise. If I turn the wheel all the way or half, the driver side wheel exits out the driveway, while the angle of decend changes, the noise happens.
So I would think that its the pressure changes related to sway bar. But if the link was bad, wouldn't it make noise all the time? I will disconnect driver side sway bar link tomorrow and see if anything changes.

Noise is like a CLICK CLICK, type. Like up down.

Also noise started happening a bit while braking going over bumps. Hard to duplicate.

 

When on flat ground or with the car jacked up, grab the sway bar link with your hand and shove it hard back and forth. If it moves at all or clicks, replace both of them. It is weird that your noise isn't present going forward. Check your sway bar frame mount bolts for tightness also.

There is a condition where your sway bar bushings will shrink and slip in the mounts. You would notice that going over speed bumps though.

 

Thank you. Yeah Im puzzled myself that it makes that sounds mostly backing up at an angle. Basically 45 degree angle of uneven surface.

In theory, bad ball joint, sway bar link or anything loose would also be hear many times over going forward .

It never ends.

 

Just make your radio louder. Problem solved!

 

Belive me. Ive been doing so, but listening to that Harman system is a pain in the ear on its own.
Plus I like my cars in top shape. I use it to haul kids all over.

 

Well, I went under, and all is tight. Nothing sway bar related is loose.
Im suspecting the lower back arm perhaps since this noise is mostly when turning going back. Its been there for months but its slowly getting a bit worse.

 

I doubt its got one - but a real LSD can make nasty noises on tight corners - with 4x4 wouldn't be utterly surprised part of that creaks

 

No LSD, not up front, or back for that matter.

Only thing to do is wait for it to get worse. No shop I trust enough to trouble shoot this without throwing parts at it.

 

Just venting a bit. Car was in the shop to have the same side axle replaced due to torn boot about two months ago, plus a forward control arm changed because it was making noise while braking over bump, plus trans mount they said was bad, even though it was 2 years old. Car is a lot smoother at idle so Ill give them that.
That visit cost me $1800 or so and they said nothing else is loose up front especially driver side. I did tell them about this specific creaking problem but they said all was tight and forward control arm should do it.

Bigger issue is I have 3-4 shops that do german cars and a dealer within 5 mile radius and none of them can be trusted. They all want to sell you parts you dont need and rip you off. I dont mind spending on the car but I hate being ripped off.
Example of their rip off. Last visit, guy says they did alignment after arm and axle change. I leave the and steering wheel is off by 20degrees at least.
Another shop. My 99 SL 500. I go in to have trans leak fixed, so I tell them to change filter and seal. They call back say my fan clutch is bad. I say ok, use MB part, $300-400 they say and I agree. I get the car back and it sounds like a UPS truck, fan clutch super stiff. Long story short, they used a BEHR part, not SACHS. Go back again, they apologize, install another BEHR part.
Finally I order SACHS part, have it installed locally, go back to german shop and demand a refund, which I got.

I miss having a newer car where the dealer covers all repairs. My previous car was a 08 Lexus LS460 with Lexus warranty I bought, 7 years ago. Anytime, no questions asked + loaner. That $3000 warranty covered about 10k worth of repairs in one year, 8 control arms, brake actuator, new headlight.

I wanted a w222 after this but I think it better come with a MB warranty or Lexus it is again. I love driving and taking long drives. I cant trust this car.

 

Op, did you check Lower control arms? I had same clunking noise in reverse AND forward on uneven pavement at low speed. Replaced both sides and noise is gone.

 

Ill have to check it out

 

You say forward control arms changed. Are these the forward lower control arms?

Your noise can be from the rearward lower control arm. It is the one carrying the weight of the car. The ball joint could be dry in a spot where it moves to when you turn the wheels and makes the sound only then. You say it does not do it if going forward but when do you turn wheels that much going forward?

I had this problem, and it was first on passenger side but it sounded like driver side inside the car.

Check the rubber protective boots on these rearward control arms. If they are broken you have found the source for the noise.

Mechanics saying no loose parts but to check wear/looseness of the ball joints in these cars you have to take the upper control arm (the wish bone) loose first and allow the wheel hub to turn in position where the forces in the joints go away. Without doing this it is not possible to shake the wheel with hand force for inspecting ball joints looseness.

 

lets have another go at trying to call things by sensible names - where the manufactures don't help by reinventing the wheel with stupid names - see bracketed bold info below - it should fall upon grown ups to use names that make sense,

on the 221 and many cheap german cars - because they can't be bothered to use wishbones top and bottom (which are a better way to build suspension systems - but cost more), we end up with budget stuff you get on base shopping cars...

the cornering loads from the front road wheels are transferred to the car, via the black painted steel TRACK CONTROL ARMS - (spring control arm !!!), and wow - surprisingly these also maintain the width between the wheels just like a train track
the braking forces trying to push the front wheels backward are controlled by aluminum CASTOR CONTROLS ARMS - (strut rod !!!) ...if you look at old ford's of yesterday year they rolled this part along with the front anti-roll bar to save money
together these two arms form a budget lower wishbone - with less control and less accuracy - and more or less allow the steering axis to remain about where we need it

 

Botus,

you seriously think making the lower control arms with two arms AND ball joints is cheaper (lower cost) than a one-piece wishbone? Really?

It is way more expensive to make the 2-piece control arm system that MB use. Probably close to twice the cost. But perhaps they produce a feature a simple wishbone cannot?

And what comes to parts names: “Forward Lower Control Arm” and “Rearward Lower Control Arm” has been widely used in this forum. The first time I see “Castor” control arm or “Track” control arm.

 

Thanks guys. Ill have to drop the car off to a shop and hope for the best. Control arms for MB are 200-300 dollar range. Hope to get away with a $500 bill. Tired of $2000 repair bills.

The noise started happening while braking and going forward from time to time as well.

 

I would just wait till it gets worst and then it will be easier to pinpoint where it is coming from. I had something similar with my W220 while back and I kept changing components. Needless to say it cost me a lot and finally was able to find where it was coming from but not doing that ever again!

 

yes, making 3 critical connections in the right place is beyond the germans, hence a budget arm with only 2 is within there grasp and the names you have suggested I have only read here and are not helpful

checking a BMW parts catalogue for good measure - again fitted with budget junk suspension the TRACK CONTROL ARMS (are called Wishbones !!! ) and CASTOR CONTROLS ARMS are called (Radius Arms !!! )

according to google A track control arm is the hinged suspension link that connects the chassis and the suspension that carries the wheel.

 

That might be an option too, but Im afraid of it being a balljoint and me losing a wheel or something. I need the car for road trips, getting kids from school and such.Sound does appear to be metallic.

 

A ball joint would have to get a LOT worse for anything negative to happen. You won't lose a wheel. If you hear a noise every single time the ball joint moves in any direction, that's a cause for alarm.

At this point, a good inspection would be a good plan but not a necessity. You have no reason to "parts cannon" your car.

 

Thank You

 

Mercedes built these wheel hubs so that the car weight is on top of the ball joint, NOT hanging on the joint like on those cars that can lose the wheel with worn ball joint.

 

still doing some home workFord Escort Mk1 front suspension kit

if you ever thought S class suspension was costly https://www.gartrac.com/products/esc...suspension-kit Forest / Gravel specification (pictured) consists of the following parts for $7400:

• 1 x Forest / Gravel Heavy Duty Steering Arm Kit
• 1 x Steering Rack (Select either LH or RH)
• 1 x Set of Engine Mounts and Fixing Bolts (Select either BDA LHD, BDA RHD or Pinto)
• 2 x Complete Gartrac Forest / Gravel Struts
• 2 x Bilstein 300/70 Long Inserts
• 2 x 11'' x 190LB (RYY) 5.25" O.D. Front Springs
• 2 x Top Rubber Rose Jointed Mounts
• 2 x Top Spring Caps 4"
• 2 x Lower Spring Seat 4"
• 2 x Alloy Lock Rings
• 2 x Strut Gaitors
• 2 x Standard TCA's (for Escort Mk1 FIA historic spec car)
• 1 x Gartrac Group 4 Large Bearing Front Hub Kit + Large Grease Caps, Spindle Washers and Hub Nuts
• 1 x Gartrac Heavy Duty Crossmember
• 2 x Metric Track Rod Ends
• 1 x Gartrac Twin Cam Anti-Roll Bar Kit (for Escort Mk1 FIA historic spec car)
• 2 x AP CP2361 Front Brake Calipers
• 2 x AP Vented Front Brake Discs
• 2 x Mounting Front Mounting Bells with Bolts
• 1 x Brake Pad Set

its a bit like language - if we can move to a standard its just easier more people take less time to understand and communicate clearly - that list with bold stuff conforms to the set up I said Ford use no Castor (as in castor on the chairs in your sitting room (or shopping trolley) as its control of this key angle that gives steering the self centering effect making the car stable....

Interesting these guys use TCA for Track control arms - yet ARB is a recent new world name for the Anti-roll bar (and these guys don't use it ). I was also thinking after seeing Vice Grip Garage and Derek struggling to get his head around the words Anti-clockwise (opposed to or against ), whereas he wanted counter-clockwise (1, The depressed part of the face of a coin, modal, or printing-type that gives relief and contrast to the raised part of the design. 2) One who counts or reckons; a computer; an auditor. 3) An apparatus for keeping count of revolutions or other movements.)

 

Well a bit of an update. I went to two shops and both cant find anything wrong with front suspension. Second shop was a very good MB Shop. He did say that my sway bar bushings are bad, but he is not 100 % sure that is is the issue and doesnt want me to waste money.

Now the noise migrated. Now I can simulate it by braking hard and letting off the brakes. Only hard braking. Brakes on off, i get a click sound. Also turning left full turn and brakes Ill get the sound.

Forward control arms new. Struts are 2 years old. He says ball joints are all fine. Sway bar links fine, sway bar bushings shot. So I would need a whole sway bar, fine. He said let it get worse so we can pin point it. This is the second shop telling me this.
Thoughts my dear friends?