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Suspension "clunk"

Started by BCDC, 27 August 2020, 05:27 PM

BCDC

Hello forum junkies and W116 guru's, I have booked the old Mercedes into a suspension specialist next week to try to find out and hopefully fix the clunk when I drive over low speed humps. The rest of the time the steering and suspension is perfect on the open road but just in carparks with those annoying speed humps there is a loud clunk from the right hand side. Is there anything that people know of that could be the culprit so I can mention it to the mechanic? I'm guessing control arm bushes but I don't really know. I have changed the shock absorbers but that didn't fix the issue. Thanks in advance.

BC
1978 280SE Cream with blue interior. With SLS

Alec300SD

Bad ball joints on rear sway bar connecting rod?
Loose caliper bolts?
Missing buffer between exhaust and chassis?
78 W116 300SD 'Desert Rose' new as of 01/26/2014
79 W116 300SD 'Stormcloud' RIP 04/11/2022

daantjie

Also check upper control arm bushings.  This could be a myriad of factors and usually leads to a bigger suspension fix to cure all ailments.  There is unfortunately no shortcuts to restoring that Benz ride ;)
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

mrkozzy

Had the same issue 10 years ago.

Certainly sounded like it was a shock absorber, so I changed the front ones. They were due.

Nup. That was not the cause.

Ended up changing all the wear items on the front end, including steering linkages and all bushings.
Surprising how once disassembled most bits were past their use by date.

Problem solved. 

No idea what was causing the clunk, but I believe it was a combination of all the worn parts trying to tell me something.
MrKozzy

BCDC

Thanks for the advise. I took the car to a classic car mechanical and suspension specialist locally and they diagnosed it as the cross yoke bushing/bearings. A lot of the ball joints and control arms have been done at some stage before I bought the vehicle so that stuff seems fine. The steering and ride is perfect apart from the occasional clunk. So anyway they will try to source the parts and will do the job for me. I really hope this is it.

BCDC
1978 280SE Cream with blue interior. With SLS

john erbe

Had similar problem. Turned out to be bad shock. Jack car up. Remove tire. Have someone pry/lift up hub repeatedly with a bar simulating going over bump while you listen. Crude but effective.