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No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Another 80mph vibration….
So been trying to get to the bottom of this and its not good news…
I figured it could be wheels (car been standing for over a year - although on tyre-savers and slightly over inflated).
Played with pressures and no change.
So put the rear wheels in the air with suspension compressed and tried a dyno run to ~80mph. Vibration there in all its glory.
I recently also fitted a JXB centre bearing support and maybe I botched the install. Thats for tomorrow to check.
I suspect though its either suspension bushes, play in the yoke, giubo’s, diff (I have a 2.82 with quife lsd), trans, sticky universal joint, prop out of balance…
geez thats a long list to go through.
Any suggestions how to go about this?
Last edited by stevebez; Apr 30, 2025 at 02:37 PM.
trans problems happen at lower speeds, high load/torque situations so i don't think its that
u-joints aren't usually an issue until the 4matic cars
ive seen 200k cars with cracks in the flex discs/guibos that didn't feel much better after having them replaced
i think its the the rear diff bushings but since you replaced the diff who knows whats back there
A wheel imbalance doesn't care if the car is on the ground though but I'm looking forward to the results. Febi recently let me down on a blower motor but they've been good with their other parts/fluids
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Vibration is there with wheels on or off the car. So it’s definitely driveline somewhere - just hope it’s not the gearbox. The car wont “drive” / rev with prop out … it needs to see a wheel speed even in dyno mode it seems. I am so hoping its the Giubos.
The “while you in there” is getting out of hand though. I need to stop and get things back together now. Rust treatment and paint and we go back together. Probs next weekend we will have some idea of where we are at.
Do me a favor, give your sway bars a whack and see if you pick up a noise? Sway bar links? That little crack wouldn't do anything, the rubber has to be missing for it to introduce any audible noise
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Sway bar links being replaced - but honestly bushings look Ok. Just finished POR15 on the subframe (some surface rust on lower side) and side shafts (which were heavily rusted in the shaft area).
All going back together this week / next weekend and see where we end up!
Thing is Ive changed so much - will be hard to know what fixed it 🤦 (if we get there!)
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Its back together..
After a complete rear subframe rebuild - its back together.
So car runs great and definitely better than before but not like butter.
New bushings (ALL of them). New shocks, airbags, flex discs JXB Centre bearing carrier.
Getting old bushings out was non trivial. One interesting thing the foremost subframe bushes seem to be a floating design. The old ones were completely bound up in subframe.
So I have one really annoying issue. The rear flex disc has a wave to it. Ive triple checked the install and no matter how I fit it the same thing happens. The gearbox side is plane straight. To be honest the disc needs to flex as the prop does not come straight into the diff there is a slight angle to overcome (which is causing the wave flex). The old flex discs felt quite hard with not much give. New ones appear have more flex. I may add some shims to the centre bearing carrier to take the angle of attack into the diff down a touch. Overall mammoth job - but the old airbags and shocks (while still working) were very badly corroded. New Bilsteins gone in.
Anyhow happy bunny car back together. Will put some miles on it and see where we are.
Last edited by stevebez; May 31, 2025 at 04:28 PM.
Funny thing is that i have the exact same symptoms. My whole front and rear suspension, every single piece is replaced on mine. My rear flex disc also have a deformed wave look to it and you are the first one who i have heard have the same. I have a pulsating vibration that is most noticable around 140kmh. I have new engine mounts, transmission mounts, support bearing mount, rear differential mounts and the vehicle hasnt been in an accident. I have owned the car since 2013. The driveline is in perfect balance but i havent been able to 100% verify drivline angles. Either the operating angle between the shaft and diff is too large of the its something with the wheels even though a wheel repair shop inspected the wheels.
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
So bad news…
After and extended drive … there is absolutely zero change. Vibration is exactly as bad as before.
So… now…?
I am thinking
Diff / Quaife LSD backlash offspec
Diff issue (its a 2.82 geared SL55 diff)
Gearbox
Half shafts
Wheel bearings
Prop alignment / Guibo Fitment -
So on this prop Guibo fitment - I saw a video of a guy in the US changing shocks and rear airmatic on a W211 E55 - and I noticed something different on the rear prop to diff mount … there appear to be spacers / washers from the prop side to the Guibo (see silver spacers in picture). These I do not have on my prop/Guibo. Can someone confirm this fitment / part? This is not the washer on the bolt in the foreground but the silver (spacer?) between the Guibo and the prop.
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
One thing I did notice is it seems the prop at the diff end does not seat seep enough into the pilot hole. I need to take a closer look at it. Thats really the only thing that can cause that much flex disc deformation - but it looks to be an overall alignment issue to me, as the deformation relaxes at the top of the flex disc and is exaggerated at the bottom.
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
There are these diff carrier alignment shims e.g. 2303520376 that come in 1 notch to 4 notch variants raising / lowering the front aspect of the diff I guess 5-10mm maximum. Since I swapped out my diff (ages ago) and now have a bunch on new bushes it probably needs checking anyway.
Ill play around with this and also check the that inclination of the two prop halves are in tolerance. There is quite a specific WIS guideline on this.
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
I will try and test the diff / rear frame by spinning up the diff somehow without the prop and see if I get the vibration I am seeing … process of elimination.
This does seem to be a W211 issue and not exclusive on the E55 from what I have seen.
Anyone perhaps found a part number for these spacers / washers - I cannot find any reference to them at all.
Reverse looking up by using the part number MB points to another section of the car for that washer. See the attachement with item 110 in the picture and then five differnt part numbers (page 2) for different notches (sizes?). Delaer retail price is $3.50 each.
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Thanks - the carrier shims I have - the part I am looking for is the silver Button like spacer that goes between the prop and the flex disc - in pics below
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