Scary! CLK W208 steering itself at low speed

[tlbham]

My new-to-me 2001 CLK430 is exhibiting some strange steering characteristics.

When turning the wheel at low speeds with more than 75% of full lock, the car will continue steering all the way to full lock. When pulling out of a T-junction it can be downright dangerous because the car ‘wants’ to turn more than you do and heads towards to wrong side of the road, unless you wrestle the wheel back.

The steering is otherwise decent. Not especially heavy, no play. Excellent at speed. It follows cambers a lot but the tyres are wide so to be expected.

The car is completely stock including the wheels and tyres.

Steering fluid is right level, looks quite fresh. No play in wheels when jacked up. Lock to lock when not moving is great.

Any idea what is likely to be the cause? What else should I check? Thanks.

 

[renault12ts]

It sounds like a geometry fault. Get that checked.

 

[Trickythemerc]

Sounds bloody dangerous to me. Seized steering idler ? If you are near to Chesham, Tony Bones at Wheels in Motion is the man to sort it for you.

 

[whitenemesis]

It sounds like a geometry fault. Get that checked.

+1

 

[grober]

YOUR FRONT SUSPENSION WILL LOOK LIKE THIS
STEERING KNUCKLE AND CONTROL ARM MERCEDES CLK-KLASSE [Car] [CHASSIS] (EUROPA)
The setting that gives the steering its " self centering" is the caster angle. explained here. Normally its fixed and if its wrong its down to worn, broken or altered suspension components. As suggested time to get the geometry checked

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[DaveTheDrummer]

I had this on my old 2002 S210. A proper geometry setup sorted it no worries.

 

[tlbham]

Sounds bloody dangerous to me. Seized steering idler ? If you are near to Chesham, Tony Bones at Wheels in Motion is the man to sort it for you.

Booked in.

Thanks all for the advice. Hopefully it just needs an adjustment and I don’t have a big fat bill coming my way. I bought the car for 1500 last summer and I’ve already had to shell out 2k on repairs. This should be the last of it though, then I think I may sell. Not really bonded with the old girl.

 

[Major774]

At least drive it for another year, you have spanked 2k on repairs.

 

[tlbham]

Well, long story short... a lot of the camber and caster is way out of spec tolerances. The chap said they can’t adjust it out so I’d need to fit new components such as lower control arms ...and this isn’t guaranteed to fix it.

So my choices are:
1. Spend a small fortune on a car I’ve already spent way too much on, in hope of fixing it with no guarantee it will.
2. Keep the car and live with its ‘quirky’ steering (and get the benefit of money already spend on it). n.b. the chap thinks it wouldn’t affect MOT.
3. Cut my losses and sell this money pit.

A left field alternative to option 1 is to seek out a parts car and swap over parts, but this doesn’t seem viable to me. Firstly, the car is mega rare and unlikely to pop up,secondly it could just mean inheriting of more problems from the donor car.

I’m torn between options 2 and 3. First world problems!

 

[whitenemesis]

How worn are the suspension bushes?
Are the control arms bent, to be so far out?
Where did you take the car?

 

[tlbham]

Old but not perished I think. Rear trailing arm bushes refresh was recommended however I think.

Nothing is visually bent or twisted under the car.

I went to Wheels in Motion (Black Boots), Chesham.

 

[Deletedmember130310]

Given the minute adjustments often made, id be surprised if any bent componets would be visible to the naked eye.

 

[wheels-inmotion]

I was speaking to Joe about the car this morning and it reads like the geometry was very displaced but with opposing angles. Since the adjuster bolts have a fixed amount of adjustment all he could do was balance the forces to aid the drive. Using the angles we can triangulate and suggest what is bent/ worn but it's not a matter of fact method.

 

[Senator]

Just resurrecting this to see if the OP resolved the issue. I think my CLK430 has a similar (but perhaps not quite as severe) issue at full lock.
Cheers
Jules

 

[Doodle]

OP hasn't been back since making those posts, so you may not get a response.

 

[Senator]

Good spot, thanks!

 

[andy27168]

Hi
I had the same issue with both my w202's, same suspension set up as the 208 clk, mine was a combination of correcting the 4 wheel alignment and replacing the front lower inner arm bushes.
If you are going to look at replacing the bushes only, then I suggest replacing both lower arms its quicker, and so much easier followed by a 4 wheel alignment.

 

[Senator]

Is the lower arm item 35 in this diagram.....STEERING KNUCKLE AND CONTROL ARM MERCEDES CLK-KLASSE [Car] [CHASSIS] (EUROPA)

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
That's the one

 

[Merc220cls]

It was my sons’ CLK which drew me to the Marque after many happy years with Rover followed by a not so happy three years with Jaguar.
He just recently got rid of the CLK as he also felt it was becoming a money pit. Just weeks after purchasing it (privately) he had to replace the gearbox then spent a fortune on the brakes, exhaust etc.

Unlike his father his car is merely a mode of transport and I didn’t think he cared too much for it.
I once spent an entire weekend giving it a thorough clean up and it was when driving it I warmed to it.
I had actually considered buying a cabriolet version when looking at the SL but the SL won in the end.