clk 200 handling issue

[edgie432]

not seen much in the way of the handling issue. im having the same issue with my 200 being very twitchy on the rear end. only obvious thing i can tell is i have 4 different brand tyres all cheap budgets

 

[edgie432]

hi guys im relatively new to the merc scene. ive bought a 2000 clk 200 elegance and she seems very twichy at higher speeds, any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome,

Any clunks from the suspension? What flavour of tyres are fitted and what's the tyre pressures like?

19 year old suspension components will have had some wear, although I expect quite a few will have been changed or at least should have been. Also check for broken springs.

I'd start looking at steering arms and ball joints for excessive play

 

[AMGeed]

not seen much in the way of the handling issue. im having the same issue with my 200 being very twitchy on the rear end. only obvious thing i can tell is i have 4 different brand tyres all cheap budgets

Holy thread revival 9 years later.

All different brand budget tyres. There is your answer.
Buy a set of 4 quality tyres and watch the handling improve.

I'd also check all the bushes and supension arms at the rear end for play.

 

[Blobcat]

Holy thread revival 9 years later.

All different brand budget tyres. There is your answer.
Buy a set of 4 quality tyres and watch the handling improve.

I'd also check all the bushes and supension arms at the rear end for play.

Nailed the posts together so all on a new thread now

 

[edgie432]

Hello and welcome,

Any clunks from the suspension? What flavour of tyres are fitted and what's the tyre pressures like?

19 year old suspension components will have had some wear, although I expect quite a few will have been changed or at least should have been. Also check for broken springs.

I'd start looking at steering arms and ball joints for excessive play

ive got a mix match of tyres which wont help but set the pressures (im actually a tyre fitter lol) ive had a sneak around under the car theres no broken springs or knackered shocks all bushes seem ok and bearing and ball joints seem ok

 

[umblecumbuz]

If it's not wear, then the next suspects are alignment or tyres.

 

[edgie432]

If it's not wear, then the next suspects are alignment or tyres.

im going to track her tomorrow see if that helps

 

[Jim2]

If it's not wear, then the next suspects are alignment or tyres.

Just speaking in general terms re. "twitching rear end in Merc's" For many many years now, I have been driving front wheel drive cars, and the Merc is my first rear wheel drive since back then. So far it's only happened me once that she "skipped" at the back end. On that occasion, after maybe 10 days of hot and mainly dry weather, it rained enough in 4 hours to make up for it !!! I'm well aware of what happen's on a road when it rains after a dry spell....conditions are treacherous. So as I was taking a long curved bend,it skipped at the back. There are 4 brand new mid-range tyre's on it, and the alignment was done at the same time. This was the first time it has done that since I bought it 18 Mt's and 18'000 Klm's ago. Just a question, is this normal behavior for a Merc? or was it my driving on the day and the road conditions?

 

[LostKiwi]

Brand new tyres have a release compound on them to help release them from the mould. This reduces grip significantly till it wears off after a hundred miles or so.

 

[umblecumbuz]

... So as I was taking a long curved bend,it skipped at the back. There are 4 brand new mid-range tyre's on it, and the alignment was done at the same time. This was the first time it has done that since I bought it 18 Mt's and 18'000 Klm's ago. Just a question, is this normal behavior for a Merc? or was it my driving on the day and the road conditions?

If this has happened only once in 18k kms, it's as much likely to be the specific road condition as any other cause.
It's also often the case that a motorbike rider is more acutely aware of yard by yard road conditions than a car driver, who is insulated from his immediate environment. (That's a tactful way of saying you didn't read the road conditions right!).

 

[thebiglad]

not seen much in the way of the handling issue. im having the same issue with my 200 being very twitchy on the rear end. only obvious thing i can tell is i have 4 different brand tyres all cheap budgets

Hi edgie, last year I bought a 2005 CLK 270 cdi with about 120,000 mls on the clock and Kumho tyres on the back but different ones on the front. As soon as I got her home I changed the front ones to match the back (about 63€ iirc) and her handling has been exemplary - absolutely no handling issues. Even in conditions similar to what you describe, long hot spell followed by rain, she handles 100%

My guess is that you are suffering from :
1. Being used to front wheel drive;

2. Unmatched tyres;

3. Incorrect tyre pressures.

My advice ? Put on a matching set of Kumho's as soon as you can, but before that check your pressures.

 

[edgie432]

Hi edgie, last year I bought a 2005 CLK 270 cdi with about 120,000 mls on the clock and Kumho tyres on the back but different ones on the front. As soon as I got her home I changed the front ones to match the back (about 63€ iirc) and her handling has been exemplary - absolutely no handling issues. Even in conditions similar to what you describe, long hot spell followed by rain, she handles 100%

My guess is that you are suffering from :
1. Being used to front wheel drive;

2. Unmatched tyres;

3. Incorrect tyre pressures.

My advice ? Put on a matching set of Kumho's as soon as you can, but before that check your pressures.

this is my first rwd so yes a learning curve, ive done the pressures its made a difference but minimal. i will get a set of bridgestones on it they have been highly recommended have a higher quality rubber compound

 

[AMGeed]

this is my first rwd so yes a learning curve, ive done the pressures its made a difference but minimal. i will get a set of bridgestones on it they have been highly recommended have a higher quality rubber compound

Go for Goodyear Asymmetric 3's.
They stick like sh*t to a Persian cat.

 

[LostKiwi]

this is my first rwd so yes a learning curve, ive done the pressures its made a difference but minimal. i will get a set of bridgestones on it they have been highly recommended have a higher quality rubber compound

Or for a more wallet friendly tyre Uniroyal RainSport 3s.

 

[rifiki]

Or Goodyear Efficient Grip, am on second set.

 

[Jim2]

If this has happened only once in 18k kms, it's as much likely to be the specific road condition as any other cause.
It's also often the case that a motorbike rider is more acutely aware of yard by yard road conditions than a car driver, who is insulated from his immediate environment. (That's a tactful way of saying you didn't read the road conditions right!).

You could be right at that umblecumbuz,,,,,but I was driving normally ( my normal A6 style ) on a stretch of road that I have been driving for more than 20 years on...and this was the first time that this happened to me. None the less, you could still be right though...maybe a shade too fast for the prevailing condition's, plus rear wheel drive. A friend who drives a BMW 520, tell's me that they can be a bit "Skippy" too. Anyway, while driving the Merc, I will treat bend's with a bit more respect in future.

 

[Blobcat]

You could be right at that umblecumbuz,,,,,but I was driving normally ( my normal A6 style ) on a stretch of road that I have been driving for more than 20 years on...and this was the first time that this happened to me. None the less, you could still be right though...maybe a shade too fast for the prevailing condition's, plus rear wheel drive. A friend who drives a BMW 520, tell's me that they can be a bit "Skippy" too. Anyway, while driving the Merc, I will treat bend's with a bit more respect in future.

Had the back out on mine leaving a roundabout, fresh rain after a dry spell. My skills (the electronics ) caught it before it got expensive

 

[rf065]

i will get a set of bridgestones on it they have been highly recommended have a higher quality rubber compound

Vastly over rated tyres in my experience, there are much better ones out there.

 

[Wighty]

You could be right at that umblecumbuz,,,,,but I was driving normally ( my normal A6 style ) on a stretch of road that I have been driving for more than 20 years on...and this was the first time that this happened to me. None the less, you could still be right though...maybe a shade too fast for the prevailing condition's, plus rear wheel drive. A friend who drives a BMW 520, tell's me that they can be a bit "Skippy" too. Anyway, while driving the Merc, I will treat bend's with a bit more respect in future.

10 days of dry weather with everyones tyre rubber being laid down on the road surface , then some rain turning it into a slippery top coat is a common hazard . I wouldnt worry about your car tyres unless it happens repeatedly . I doubt it's the tyres .