Mercedes GLC Clonking and juddering on near full steering lock

[design4p]

Mercedes GLC Clonking and juddering on near full steering lock

I have had this problem since new but now the weather is cold and damp or wet the problem is much worse. I have viewed other owners concerns about this phenomena and would like to document my experience.

The car has been with the Mercedes dealership and they have coated the drive shafts with a lubricant to hopefully reduce or remove the problem.

The service manager told me that the clonking noise is from the tyres and another manager told me the car is trying to drive straight ahead (whilst in a turn) and it is the scrubbing of the tyre on the road which is causing the noise and the judder.

The service manager told me the car is safe to drive. However, I'm not so sure.

If I need to turn sharply to avoid a collision I do want the car to turn and avoid the object rather than juddering towards the object.

My wife has said that she would not drive the car until the clonking and juddering was eliminated as it does feel and sound bad when it occurs.

Over the next few days I will check if the lubrication coating has any effect on solving the problem.

I would like to hear the latest situation with regard to all those owners who have the same problem. I.e. is there really a fix or is it a inherent design fault.

John

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

Mine has also done this from owning the car, like you say more so now the weather has turned colder, it was more pronanced when reversing but now with the cold weather it also does it on full lock going forward at slow speeds.
I have recently changed my tyres from run flat contis to normal numatics Goodyear eagle F1s and it's made quite a difference.
It still happens but not as aggressively as when I had the run flats on ? But i think this could be down to the softer side walls not transferring the noise as much.
Anyway one thing I have noticed and a bit naffed off with is how quickly I've had to replace the front tyres, only got just over 8tho from my first set?
I do have a A250 FWD so they do take a pounding but 8tho was a bit of a shocker, I do have a bit of fun now and again but I'm no boy racer.
I'll see how well the Goodyears last, mind you I have changed my driving style a bit
But this scrubbing and slipping of the tyres must also be wearing the tyres out quicker than normal.
Cheers
Ben

 

[PobodY]

I was also going to suggest the tyres. - The PS3s on mine are really starting to struggle to get traction so moving off is often accompanied with a little wheel spin (cancelled quickly by the ESP).

I've got winter tyres to go on, but a slight miscalculation on my part meant that the Borbet rims will not just bolt on in place for AMG rims.

 

[st13phil]

The service manager told me the car is safe to drive. However, I'm not so sure.

If I need to turn sharply to avoid a collision I do want the car to turn and avoid the object rather than juddering towards the object.

If you're getting anywhere using full lock "to turn sharply to avoid a collision" then you'll have a bigger problem than whether or not the tyres scrub. Take the service manager's advice: it's safe.

My wife has said that she would not drive the car until the clonking and juddering was eliminated as it does feel and sound bad when it occurs.

She'll spend a long time walking or taking the bus then

Seriously, and I know some people are getting very hot under the collar about this characteristic of the car, it really isn't a problem. As Ben has pointed out, you can reduce or eliminate it if you wish by fitting tyres with a more flexible sidewall.

 

[design4p]

clonking on near full lock

Thank you for the replies. However I assume - st13phil - is a Mercedes spy. How can anyone consider that clonking and juddering (ie jumping) is OK in a £43,000 car.

Why should I purchase different new tyres to solve the problem - That is ridiculous - Are you saying that the Mercedes company have decide to put inappropriate tyres on their expensive cars.

It is clearly not acceptable - I believe that st13phil does not have one if these cars a GLC.

 

[dejongj]

I have a GLC43 AMG with 21" wheels, and yes mine does it as well. I was surprised it was doing that, but I guess it is a combination of the size wheels and the negative camber geometry the vehicle has. It is only on full lock, and it being a permanent 4x4 I can sort of understand it. Saying that I didn't have it on my GL also with 21" wheels.

When I have time I bring it in, it doesn't concern me at all.

PS. My Audi Quattro does exactly the same thing under extreme steering lock. As did previously owned mechanical 4x4 systems on a dry road (i.e. when they had lots of grip).

 

[st13phil]

It is clearly not acceptable - I believe that st13phil does not have one if these cars a GLC.

Mercedes spy eh? Haha

No, I don't have a GLC.

But I do have an E63 that does it, and my wife has an SLK55 that does it. I previously had a different E63 that did it, and I've driven other MB cars that do it. That's why it's called a characteristic of the marque.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[st13phil]

For anyone who is interested, in the "other" thread about this topic (Knocking on steering on new GLC), member turfmoor1965 has just posted this.

 

[rf065]

And on that thread the answer is provided but totally ignored by everyone.
My CLK even does it, it's the Ackerman Principle and relates to steering geometry & how toe-in makes the inside wheel turn tighter than the outside wheel.
Both wheels are following a different track & with low profile tyres there is not enough sidewall flex to stop the tyre eventually being dragged across the tarmac.

http://lowellkinetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Steering-2.pdf

Russ

 

[stagwcb]

My SLK also does it , one day I was watching my wife reverse out of the garage and put it on full lock to turn round . It is at this point we would normally here a clonk. Sure enough I watched the drivers side tyre grip the driveway then suddenly judder and clonk and release . This only seems to happen with cold tyres .
Hope this helps .

 

[st13phil]

And on that thread the answer is provided but totally ignored by everyone.

Not quite everyone

 

[Dave.tam]

I have this same issue on the A250, was going to book it in, but seems like it will be a waste of time.

My Mrs also feels uncomfortable driving with the tyres doing this as it feels as if the car is losing grip and sliding......which it sounds like it is lol

 

[dejongj]

Mine seems to have gotten a lot worse and is now no longer to limited to full lock. I'm taking it in to the AMG Master Technician tomorrow.

 

[gr4h4m]

We have just got our second Mercedes, I talked the wife out of her Audi and into a Mercedes.

The car has a low speed judder where the front wheels feel like they are being pushed across the road. I have had the car back at the dealers (Stockport Manchester) and they say is normal. I took a quick vid and the car seems to push the tyre onto its sidewall which causes it to skid across the surface. This happens on tarmac at low speeds and when you pull out of a junction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLuMcjSS838

 

[Dave.tam]

Not sure how this can be described as a characteristic of the car? Surely it's damaging the tyre? No?

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

If this is a characteristic of this marquee then how meny models do it and from how far back/when was it first noticed

Cheers Ben

 

[Dave.tam]

Well the Mrs only noticed it on her A250 when it started to get cold, so that supports the theory that it's the tyre wall not flexing as much when it's cold. She has the 19's and its front wheel drive. Don't know if that makes a difference?

 

[dejongj]

If this is a characteristic of this marquee then how meny models do it and from how far back/when was it first noticed

Cheers Ben

My GL class also on 21" wheels that was traded in for my GLC most definitely did not do that at all.

Edit: Nor did my military spec G wagon but that was a really long time ago.

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

Does it only effect cars with low profile tyres fitted I wounder

 

[dejongj]

Does it only effect cars with low profile tyres fitted I wounder

Depends as what is classed as low profile these days. If I'm not mistaken the whole GLC range with all wheel/tyre options are subject to this. My outgoing GL also had 21" wheels on it.