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W210 Vibrations Tied to Acceleration/Throttle - Adjust Your Differential Shim!
I have a separate build-thread going where I post small fixes/updates to my 1999 E55 (here: https://mbworld.org/forums/w210-amg/...ld-thread.html), but sometimes I feel like some of my better fixes get buried in that thread and I wanted to make sure this one had a dedicated thread.
Since I bought my E55 I have been tracking down vibrations while at speed and idle. Resolved my idle vibration with new motor mounts, discussed elsewhere in this thread. However, up until yesterday I could not pinpoint what was causing an oscillation/vibration between certain speeds on acceleration.
I had read a thread about adjusting the OEM factory-installed shim that sits between the differential front mount and the differential a while back - this thread: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/wheel...-issues-3.html but had ignored it. I finally got tired of the vibration, which was particularly bad around 40-55mph on acceleration, and finally thought to revisit this.
Well, I started by removing the factory installed 3 degree shim. This is what others in the above-linked thread had done to counteract the sagging of their sub-frame bushings as a stop-gap measure until new bushings were installed, and it seemed to help. Well, after a short test drive I realized I went the wrong direction, the vibrations were much much worse. Okay, so I actually had another thick metal washer, slightly thicker than the 3* shim - I would say it is likely 3.5*/4*, that just so happened to have the perfect hole size to allow the mounting bolt to slip through. I installed this new washer and I was extremely pleased to find that my vibrations are 90% improved!
Long story short, if you are experiencing vibrations tied to acceleration (think of your driveshaft - linked directly to acceleration), before replacing your entire front-end as many users suggest at the first sign of vibrations, try adjusting your differential shim. This DIY mod takes about 30 minutes and costs $0 (or the cost of several new washers/shims if you don't have something on hand like I did).
Here is a pic I swiped from the above-linked thread of where the shim is:
All you need to do is remove that 8MM HEX BOLT on the bottom of the mount (you'll need to use a separate socket or wrench to prevent the nut on the top from spinning, which can require a bit of contortion if you don't have the car on a lift), let the diff sag a bit down from the frame to leave enough space to remove the existing shim and swap in a new one.
Any chance you know what the top nut specs are? I did this a few years back and the top nut WAS tricky and I could never get a good grip on it. Now I think its loose and causing a thunk and possibly a vibration.
Appreciate any experts or expertise the forum can share.
Best,
Don
Originally Posted by mrobinso
I have a separate build-thread going where I post small fixes/updates to my 1999 E55 (here: https://mbworld.org/forums/w210-amg/...ld-thread.html), but sometimes I feel like some of my better fixes get buried in that thread and I wanted to make sure this one had a dedicated thread.
Since I bought my E55 I have been tracking down vibrations while at speed and idle. Resolved my idle vibration with new motor mounts, discussed elsewhere in this thread. However, up until yesterday I could not pinpoint what was causing an oscillation/vibration between certain speeds on acceleration.
I had read a thread about adjusting the OEM factory-installed shim that sits between the differential front mount and the differential a while back - this thread: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/wheel...-issues-3.html but had ignored it. I finally got tired of the vibration, which was particularly bad around 40-55mph on acceleration, and finally thought to revisit this.
Well, I started by removing the factory installed 3 degree shim. This is what others in the above-linked thread had done to counteract the sagging of their sub-frame bushings as a stop-gap measure until new bushings were installed, and it seemed to help. Well, after a short test drive I realized I went the wrong direction, the vibrations were much much worse. Okay, so I actually had another thick metal washer, slightly thicker than the 3* shim - I would say it is likely 3.5*/4*, that just so happened to have the perfect hole size to allow the mounting bolt to slip through. I installed this new washer and I was extremely pleased to find that my vibrations are 90% improved!
Long story short, if you are experiencing vibrations tied to acceleration (think of your driveshaft - linked directly to acceleration), before replacing your entire front-end as many users suggest at the first sign of vibrations, try adjusting your differential shim. This DIY mod takes about 30 minutes and costs $0 (or the cost of several new washers/shims if you don't have something on hand like I did).
Here is a pic I swiped from the above-linked thread of where the shim is:
All you need to do is remove that 8MM HEX BOLT on the bottom of the mount (you'll need to use a separate socket or wrench to prevent the nut on the top from spinning, which can require a bit of contortion if you don't have the car on a lift), let the diff sag a bit down from the frame to leave enough space to remove the existing shim and swap in a new one.
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