After installing Victors TB kit and a set of Hoosier slicks I managed to take out my first Nissan GTR 4WD off the line in a street run. This guy always killed me on take off but I always got him in the legs. Now it's even off the line. Great fun...

On the GTR's revenge drag, we are all at the lights... green...bang... clunk..tick...tick..tick.... the Diff yanked out the mounting bolts of the 55's body... It just locked up and sat there with it's backside sticking up... The air springs raised up the bum 10" plus. See photos below... ****e... to much torque to the diff with slicks on! I swear the front wheels almost lift off the ground.. Ha

So back at the work shop... cut a long story short... about $3000 Ausie bux damage DIY... Damaged left air spring, Tail shaft flex disc, blind bolts & nuts ripped out, Bent exhaust etc...

I'm not quite sure, but I believe the blind bolt & nut setup are designed to sheer off on heavy impact for safety reasons. My speculation only. I suppose this is fine for stock power specifications, but after what we do... forgedaboutit !!!

After checking the WIS CD from MB, it mentions to check the nut with a flexible bore scope for fatigue and cracking around the top area. I had a look in there and noticed micro cracks all around the top section of the nut mounting hole. To late for me...

I've done over a 100,000 K's so far and this problem may be a time bomb for any one who pushes the car hard. I'm very lucky that the Diff popped out at the lights. Imagine this happening at 100+ or whatever...

I "strongly suggest" that any one who owns a W211 to have these spots checked for micro fatigue and or cracking. Any competent Tech with the right tools could do it in 30 minutes. It could save your ***!

It's quite easy do it yourself: (1) Remove wheel (2) Remove inner plastic guard (3) Remove rust protection grommet. Look in here!

I repaired the damage myself with 110mm high tensile bolts & lock nuts with sprung stainless steel washers. This will never come off now but may have affected the safety characteristics.

It would be interesting to see how MB would handle this potentially lethal problem.

 

Photos Continued....

 

Finny that is crazy. I always said the diff or half-shafts will be the first to let go. Can you give me the exact dimensions of the bolts you used to replace the factory ones. Time for some preventive maintenance in lue of the track rental Dec 5.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

 

Just imagine this happening at speed...as you said....

OMG !!!

You could have come a real cropper on this !!! I have to go check (thanksgiving holiday will mean this is a saturday job now).

Anyone seen this on their vehicles ??

Years ago I remember old Morris Minors used to shear their top king pin on the front suspension...saw it many times but always at low speeds...I finally concluded this must be because the stress is max at low speed not higher speeds. At higher speeds the turning (in this case) had less scrubbing (per rotation) and less force on the joint....I'm guessing of course but I wonder ifv you seeing this from a "drag" start situation is similar....that the stresses are max at that inital launch and much less under high speed drving where the torque changes are at higher revs and so less as a delta than from zero.

 

I'm going call this "Mouse trap Diff"...

 

The bolt is 110mm long with the same tensile as the stock ones. Just check the bolt head for the spec.

You will have to drill out the old blind nuts and die grind the anti rust inspection hole larger to fit the bigger foot print spring washers to grab all the rail meat.

When finished, spray some fish oil in the hole and use a larger rubber grommet to fill the hole. For anti rust purposes.

Sorry I didn't photograph the procedure. Fairly simple process but a little tricky.

Maybe you can, and post it up?

Cheers.

 

I think that happend because of the shock to the drivetrain and sticky tires. Crazy though. At least we know 1 oth the weak links

 

Will Do.

Now I have something to do besides shoving my pie hole full of food for the holidays.

 

Thank God, you are OK.

I think we found the first weak link.

 

I don't know if they are the same bolts but I had carrier bolts replaced under a service campaign just a month or 2 ago...don't have my paperwork at hand but I can get it and post the number ....

 

The bolts replaced in that campaign are for the front axle carrier, not the rear. Same style bolts though.

 

I honestly am not familiar at all with the integrity of AMG's rear end. However, for a long time I have questioned it with all the insane modders we have here.

GM puts a 10 bolt rear end in there last generation Camaros, Trans Ams etc. and I have seen it kick out with too much torque and traction off the line.

 

Glassjaw...what is a front axle carrier on an E55 ???

 

Whoaaaa whooaaa.....hold on a second.

What's up with the Hoosiers. Am I missing something here.

You running Bias Ply in the back or something.

What size and kind of Hoosiers you running in the rear????????

Glad everything is okay of course too.

 

Thanks Jakpro.

The Ausie part number on the invoice: 46835A3S05

Hoosier D.O.T approved P-275/35-ZR18 (A3S05) Steel Belted Radial.

This is the best street tread I've used so far.

The next set I'll try will be 16" M.T's slicks.

 

This just happened to my friends CLS63, same frame, subframe (W211 chassis)

And they are not covering it under warranty

They are saying it is because he hit a pothole which caused hair line cracks in the stock wheels which caused the frame to fall off...

$15,000 on repairs. This is becoming common. MB should do a SERIOUS RECALL

 

when it happened to me. MB told me they never heard of this problem ever !!!! I have now heard of it many times since.

It can happen to anyone, too much power for a chasis that was originaly designed around a E220 CDI.

This is big grey area over who's responsible for this sort of chassis problem?

Why would MB admit something like this.........

 

wow

 

Makes me wonder here - are these particular parts W211 specific, or would there be any commonality with the W210 chassis?