W211 AMG Discuss the W211 AMG's such as the E55 and the E63

Mid-corner shimmy

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Old Jul 5, 2014 | 11:32 PM
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Mid-corner shimmy

This is not a braking or driving in a straight line shimmy - this is a shimmy in the wheel in a higher load corner with some road unevenness, or a higher scrub radius - meaning a bit of push in the front end.

Seems like maybe tie rods. Just under 80k on the car.

I can plan for a big front end job with all the wear items (researching now) but if I can also get under there one saturday and replace the inner or outer tie rods in the short term and solve this, that would be great.

Anyone experience this?
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 04:51 AM
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I'd look at wheel bearings. Do it turning both ways?
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 12:17 PM
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If the higher speed corner is in either direction I believe it happens equally. But I'll check that today.
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 01:20 PM
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Cool. Let us know what you find.
Also inspect wheels and tires closely.
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 02:10 PM
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Jacked it up and really romped on each side. Top and bottom and side to side. Found that the brake squeal is on the right side because it drags more than the left, and that the left does seem to click just a little bit with some bearing clearance, but there is also some movement possible in the tie rods.

I'll have to plan a weekend for bearings, tie rods, ball joints and arms.
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 02:40 PM
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Sure it is fine to throw money and parts at the car but why not take it in to a reliable alignment or front end specialty shop and ask for a check on the front end. Do not state any issues with the car and see what they come back with. When you tell them before hand it kind of letting the cat out of the bag, so it is best to let them tell you. Pay the small fee for the check, smile drive away and plan out your attack on the worn components.
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 04:21 PM
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I had clicking coming from my front end that was speed variable. It increased with the load on the wheel but went away when turning the other way. It ended up being wheel bearings and my car only has 50k so at 80k I'd guess they need to be changed.
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Old Jul 6, 2014 | 09:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Critter
Sure it is fine to throw money and parts at the car but why not take it in to a reliable alignment or front end specialty shop and ask for a check on the front end. Do not state any issues with the car and see what they come back with. When you tell them before hand it kind of letting the cat out of the bag, so it is best to let them tell you. Pay the small fee for the check, smile drive away and plan out your attack on the worn components.
Yes, that is an option. I have a well trusted shop north of me in Escondido (D&B) that have done extremely great work with custom alignments on many of my 928s and an S2000 (may it rest in pieces, that twitchy, useless car) - and when I have done the required, wear-item maintenance, I will make sure to get a full alignment.

The E55 has nearly 80k. Bearings, ball joints, tie rods don't last forever. I do have a belief now that E class cars don't have the most robust wheel bearings compared to my Porsche experience, but there is clearly a size and shape difference (MB being smaller and more narrow) and the MB weighs much more. Not as bad of course as BMW's rediculous under-engineered wheel bearing issues, but still something I need to be aware of.

I think you may be on a right track, though, as it could be slightly alignment based.
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Old Jul 11, 2014 | 06:18 PM
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So I was driving a lot the last few days. I have felt this before. In a truck. When the steering shaft is lose in its connections.

The vibration through the rack and shaft connections can feel like this if there is any looseness.

Now I will have to really do some research as to where/what those connections are.
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Old Jul 13, 2014 | 02:16 PM
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Yeah, it's somewhere in the steering column.
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Old Jul 13, 2014 | 09:05 PM
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Have you checked and double-checked the ball joints? They are known to go at low mileage. The good news is that they aren't $$$$.
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Old Jul 13, 2014 | 09:48 PM
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Actually I was stating that an alignment shop I go to will check the whole front end assembly including ball joints and tie rod ends and sway bar connectors and everything else under there. They do this before attempting to align the car to ensure the alignment they give will result in satisfaction and not having them to do it all over again. I stated to not tell your shop of any issues to just see what they find, if they state nothing then you tell them your issue, may sound crazy but that is the way I would do it.
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Old Jul 13, 2014 | 09:50 PM
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I'm suggesting this now may be more than one issue. Ball joints are a wear item, so I will get them. The jitter is clearly coming from the steering column. Now that may be reverberating from further down, but it's in there somewhere.
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