Balancing, alignment or something else?

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nsiddiqui

Active Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2015
Messages
70
Location
London
Car
CLK320
Hi all,

apologies for what could be the vagueness of this message but maybe looking for some direction before spending any unnecessary money.

I picked up my W208 with some wider than necessary wheels, which meant the previous owner had 15mm spacers on them. Turning corners and handling was a nightmare. So i found on this forum a set of 18" monoblocks which i picked up and swapped the tyres over to and put on (without any spacers or modifications needed).

However, this is where the challenge is. The tyres were put on by a reputable firm and balanced. On the way home, 55mph+ the steering wobbles and it seems i can feel it through the seat too. This subsides at 72mph+ (on a private road). this isn't a violent shake and i don't feel its making the handling difficult, but its enough to feel and you know it shouldn't be there - it would get tiresome on a long journey.

I went back the following week to have the balance checked - maybe something fell off as driving out the garage etc. Got them re-balanced (they were slightly off but garage mentioned not off enough to cause the shaking) but the same issue exists - though it could be a little less harsh now (but that could also be a placebo effect). I should add, the hubs look clean enough and there's no rust etc. built up there.

Now, here's the question(s):

  1. As far as i know (and i'm new to Mercs), the wobbling is generally down to balancing. So, do i try somewhere else to see if the balancing is correct?
  2. With the previous owner having the spacers and wrong offset wheels, could the shaking actually be alignment, so i should go and see Wheels in Motion (or similar) for a full geometry setup?
  3. I actually have two different tyres on one of the axles, but they were fine with the other wheels, no shaking. Therefore i've practically ruled this scenario out
  4. Wobbly alloy - though the fitter didn't say anything when fitting and balancing?
  5. Something else in the suspension worth checking - but considering it happened immediately after changing the wheels i would think not?
i'm leaning towards the alignment as the wheels have been balanced twice but don't want to go throwing £120+ on full geometry when it might not be that - i'm not that versed on the Merc suspension setup and sensitivity or even if alignment is a possibility?

appreciate anyone who read this horrendously long post and any advice possible.

thank you

Naz
 
Are the wheels buckled? Look at the inside edge as this is where most are damaged.

It does appear to be wheel related. If this is all you have changed then it looks obvious.

Do you know anyone with the same car to try swapping their wheels? This could save you a lot of time and money.


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The wheels had been freshly refurbed before i picked them up - couldn't see anything obvious.

I don't personally know anyone with the same car locally to swap and check. Anyone around East London area wanting to help out?
 
If not staggered wheels, try rotating back to front, as means of trying to isolate the problem i.e. to be sure it is wheel-related and not suspension/steering related.

Also might be worth trying one of the firms that can carry-out in-situ wheel balancing - in the case there's an issue with the hub etc.

And last, the mating surfaces on the wheel hub and the inside of the alloy wheel must be true and free of pitting/rust etc.
 
Poor alignment will give rise to uneven tyre wear not wheel wobble. If the alignment hasn't been checked recently, it's worth having done anyway, especially as the previous owner had fitted spacers etc..

The fact you can feel it through the seat suggests it's rear wheel related. Try a different tyre shop to get the balance redone.

I'd also check suspension bushes etc while you're at it...
 
thanks guys. the hubs seem clean enough, but i'll see if i can swap front to rear and recreate the issue and at the same time give them another clean with a wire brush. it seems Wheels in Motion is required anyway - if not for balancing then alignment anyway. though i can't get any of this done for at least 2 weeks.

If anyone else has any ideas in the meantime please keep them coming (or anyone with any wheels they want to swap over for a test in the East London area).
 
If you can drive through the vibratiuon then its a wheel balance issue
 
I would have thought that the tyre fitters when balancing the wheels would have spotted a buckled wheel,it is so obvious when you have the wheel and tyre on the balancing machine,but it is a very good suggestion to swap front for the back tyres,do that and post
 
UPDATE:

I didn't manage to switch rears to front, but i did go along to another local tyre fitters and alignment company. They re-balanced the wheels and they did need redoing - one of the wheels needed 55g. There is still a little vibration but a lot less than before and only noticeable at 63mph+ rather than 55mph+ before.

The next thing to do is what they called "force variation balancing" where they line up the tyres heavy spot with the wheels and something else.... Hopefully that will cure it once and for all.

They did have a look at the wheels and whilst there is a little runout on the alloy, it isn't enough to be causing the vibrations, negligible. Also didn't notice any dents or buckles.

I'll keep you all posted. I can't believe it's taking nearly 4 attempts at balancing to get this right.
 
UPDATE:

I didn't manage to switch rears to front, but i did go along to another local tyre fitters and alignment company. They re-balanced the wheels and they did need redoing - one of the wheels needed 55g. There is still a little vibration but a lot less than before and only noticeable at 63mph+ rather than 55mph+ before.

The next thing to do is what they called "force variation balancing" where they line up the tyres heavy spot with the wheels and something else.... Hopefully that will cure it once and for all.

They did have a look at the wheels and whilst there is a little runout on the alloy, it isn't enough to be causing the vibrations, negligible. Also didn't notice any dents or buckles.

I'll keep you all posted. I can't believe it's taking nearly 4 attempts at balancing to get this right.


Have they had a look at the tyres? Any bubbled spots? any uneven wear on the tyres?
Uneven tyres itself can cause the balancing to go off.
 
they didn't mention anything out of the ordinary. Also these are the same tyres that came off the previous wheels i had on which were fine.
 
If I'd seen it first, I'd have said exactly what Black C55 did. If you can drive through it, it's a balance issue. You could; it was. Best not mention the name of the reputable outfit that did the first and second balancing...
 
You might be surprised how many goes it can take to get the balance correct. The 124 took three attempts with a previous set of tyres. Had a new set last month and was worried the same would happen again. Fortunately spot on first time.
 
I would be surprised; I can't ever recall problems with getting wheels balanced, and that includes both major chains and small independent outfits. Perhaps I've just been lucky.
 
I think that's why i am surprised also. In all my years of car ownership and having gone through a ridiculous amount of tyres, never have i had to have them balanced any more than the original fitting.

hey ho. Hopefully i'll get it all resolved in the next couple of weeks.
 

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