Hi Guys, any help would be appreciated, as this is driving me nuts. I had original steel wheels on my W202 and at last service they moved the fronts to the back. After that I had a small wobble on the steering wheel. I didn't bother with it because I was buying new 17" E class replicas (alloy). These were meant to be balanced and ready to fit. I did so and the wheel wobble was worse. Took them into Qwik Fit where they told me they were not balanced and did the fronts again. Wobble still there, so went back and they checked the front again (one was out), balanced the back and put the backs on the front. Wobble now worse than ever. My question is: if a wheel is balanced on the machine, how does it become un-balanced over night and is there anything else on the car that could be causing the problem other than wheels. It happens from about 60-75 mph.
Factors such as distorted/defective tyres and buckled wheels can contribute BUT since the problem only occurred AFTER the garage rotated the wheels over it could be that perhaps the garage distrubed something or damaped a suspension component? If the tyres have bene given the all clear by the wheel experts then I would ger ur suspension checked out/inspected a snext step.
Good luck.
Good luck.
If I was you take the wheels/tyres to a "High Performance" tyre centre and have them rebalaneced once more and checked out. I'm not convinced that Kwik Fit have the in house expertise (always thought of them as cow boys from few experiences that I have had with them in past).
What u ahve described sounds like a balancing issue if only happens from 60-75MPH (ish).
What u ahve described sounds like a balancing issue if only happens from 60-75MPH (ish).
lotusmark2
MB Enthusiast
I had the very same thing on my 202. I tried 4 different places for balancing but evertime the "wobble" though the steering was there at around 60-75 mph.
In the end I took the car to Brabus in Wigan and they got it spot on first go, cost £100 for a wheel balance though!!
As Flash says, try and find a specialist high performance tyre place and they should be able to sort it for you.
In the end I took the car to Brabus in Wigan and they got it spot on first go, cost £100 for a wheel balance though!!
As Flash says, try and find a specialist high performance tyre place and they should be able to sort it for you.
Wezzel
Active Member
I had a similar problem some years ago on another car (I think it was my good old 2.8i capri). In the end I had the wheels balanced while still on the car. This did the trick as it takes into account any inbalance in the hub/disk etc.
You just have to remember to put a corresponding mark on the hub and wheel if you ever remove the wheel so that it can go back the same way around.
You just have to remember to put a corresponding mark on the hub and wheel if you ever remove the wheel so that it can go back the same way around.
Chris Murray
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2005
- Messages
- 950
I suggest you check the centering of the wheel on the hub, especially with replica wheels. Have you ever bolted the wheels to the hub yourself? Also, check the bolt seat radius comapred to the wheel seat radius.
As for balancing them on the car... The only was I can think they do this is by rotating and seeing where the wheel settles. Modern Mercedes will have properly cast and machined components, and since the hub and disc are both closer to the centre of rotation than the wheel/tyre, they are likely to have very little effect on the whole apparatus.
To check for centering, jack it up, loosen the bolts 2 or 3 full turns and see if you can move the wheel up and down.
As for balancing them on the car... The only was I can think they do this is by rotating and seeing where the wheel settles. Modern Mercedes will have properly cast and machined components, and since the hub and disc are both closer to the centre of rotation than the wheel/tyre, they are likely to have very little effect on the whole apparatus.
To check for centering, jack it up, loosen the bolts 2 or 3 full turns and see if you can move the wheel up and down.
Ian B Walker
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2003
- Messages
- 7,668
- Location
- Freckleton
- Car
- 300-24, saloon and coupe, E300 24 valve diesel estate
lotusmark2 said:
Now now Mark, own up and let everyone know that you really wanted a Brabus Badge or key fob.
lotusmark2
MB Enthusiast
A key fob would have been another £50Ian B Walker said:Now now Mark, own up and let everyone know that you really wanted a Brabus Badge or key fob.
Wezzel
Active Member
I am not exactly au fait with how balancing machines work but when I had my tyres checked whilst on the car they were spun at a rate of knots like any other machine.
They used a machine which the operator sits on. It is pushed up against the tyre (with the car jacked up) and rollers on the machine grip the tyre and set it spinning.
They used a machine which the operator sits on. It is pushed up against the tyre (with the car jacked up) and rollers on the machine grip the tyre and set it spinning.
Just an update on my progress. I have had new alloys and tyres fitted and still have wobble at around 60-70mph. Had wheel bearings adjusted, which made quite a bit of difference but did not solve completely. Is it possible that new bearings are required. There is no noise coming from them.
