Creaking Rear Suspension

[Sean Ng]

Hi Guys

My MB is a 1996 W210 E230 Estate on 142,000 mileage. It has a problem and I would like to ask for your help and see if I can repair it on a DIY manner.

The followings are my findings:
(1) It starts creaking in the rear suspension of passenger side whenever the car moves.
(2) When I push the car down at the corner, it creaks but it does not bounce up and down. It resumes to its original position fairly quickly.
(3) After loading some heavy items on purpose, I notice the rear passenger side is lower than the driver side, but it does go back to level after a short period.
(4) The rear springs have been checked by me and confirmed by a garage that they are not broken.

I wonder what the problem is . Could it be the shocks that require replacement? Could it be the bushes? Or, could it be something else? Please advise.

Will you need further information, please let me know.

Regards
Sean

 

[television]

I think that the only way you will find it easily. I would jack the car and lower it onto a ramp or something, and while somone pushes the back down you can listen as to where the squeak is coming from, It should just be a bush somewhere.

Malcolm

 

[OlafMaxwell]

I have the very same noise and found it was not the suspension but the rear seat!! Mine is also an estate and it seems there is some issue on the passnger side. It only came after the rear suspension was replaced but it disappears when the seats are folded flat!!

 

[Sean Ng]

Hi Guys

After loads of research and asking, I have been advised that the problem should lie on the rear "accumulators" or "pressure spheres", and I receive advice how to replace all the two of them. Cost-wise, each genuine MB accumulator costs £88. So, total cost is £176. It will be a messy job taking about 2 - 8 hours depending on rust condition, though should be relatively OK to a middle-level amateur.

Will have a go and come back to share the experience.

However, any other thoughts or comments are welcome.

Regards
Sean

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Let me know about this because my creak only came after the spheres were replaced.!!

 

[Lacy]

My W210 saloon has developed a squeak also on the rear nearside. I have had a look underneath and, while someone else bounces on the corner, I have isolated the problem to one of the rear wishbone bushes. If I load the bush with a prybar the squeak disappears.........so, now, how do I stop the damn thing squeaking.....is replacing the bush the only option or, could I take the bolt out, clean everything up, bit of copper grease and reassemble......anyone done this before? (it's the inner wishbone bush by the way.....)

 

[clive williams]

My W210 saloon has developed a squeak also on the rear nearside. I have had a look underneath and, while someone else bounces on the corner, I have isolated the problem to one of the rear wishbone bushes. If I load the bush with a prybar the squeak disappears.........so, now, how do I stop the damn thing squeaking.....is replacing the bush the only option or, could I take the bolt out, clean everything up, bit of copper grease and reassemble......anyone done this before? (it's the inner wishbone bush by the way.....)

Hi Lacy,

You're idea sounds fine (sorry, forgive the unintentional pun) but use a new bolt as it will be badly worn and not too much grease as rubber bushes don't lke mineral grease as it makes them go soft.

When you tighten everthing back up make sure the car is level and the supension at static load - this part I always find difficult!

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

 

[Lacy]

Cheers Clive, thanks for the advice....I'll give it a try once I've done the 1001 other jobs that are queueing up!

 

[mioba]

i would have first thought it was rubbers on the suspension bushes

 

[dianoga]

My W210 E320 creaked for a few months after the winter period but cured itself-it even had all the joints lubricated by a mechanic and it still creaked

 

[television]

My W210 E320 creaked for a few months after the winter period but cured itself-it even had all the joints lubricated by a mechanic and it still creaked

The silicon sprays are very good on rubber, in the hard to get to places.

Malcolm

 

[Sean Ng]

Hi Guys

Eventually I had a go to change the hydraulic accumulators last week, when my wife did not need the car for daily school runs.

I must point out that well before I did the job, the creaking noise at the rear passenger side had gone for some reasons that I do not know. However, I decided to keep going to do the job after considering the age and high mileage of my car.

Everything went well - thanks to all the good technical notes found in several forums. I feel good when driving the car afterwards.

Just want to leave some points according to my experience:
(1) Jack the car and support it with stands, rather than on ramp. In this way, the car will not be lower exposing risk of life to amateur.
(2) Use flare-nut wrench (11mm and 17mm) rather than line wrench that could round off the nuts at the hydraulic pipes. The nuts are of ralatively soft metal, and I rounded off one of them.
(3) Took the oppontunity to drain the hydraulic fluid fully and change the hydraulic fluid filter.
(4) Prepare for rust and seized nuts.
(5) Protect the driveway with loads of cardboard paper.
(6) Protect yourselves by wearing goggles and gloves.
(7) Do not skip the test drive after the job. Do it and check level of hydraulic fluid frequently. I filled it up several times. Totally I used just less than 2 litres of MB approved fluid.
(8) Be alert for any oil leakage.

Regards
Sean Ng

 

[Lacy]

My creaking was getting worse and worse.....to the point where the noise was loud enough to be embarrasing as pedestrians craned their necks to see where the noise was coming from.....It was almost a constant noise as even the slightest movement of the suspension was rewarded with a squeaky creak. Spraying with WD 40 made no differance at all.......well, as mine is a saloon, I don't have anything as clever as spheres.....just old fashioned coils.....anyway, dropped the bolt out of the inner joint and lowered the arm....cleaned everything up, applied the faintest smear of copper grease over things, put it all back together and........perfect!....absolute silence.

 

[Lacy]

......Oh....another thing I did which helped the job was, before jacking the car up, I marked the damper body where the shroud came to, this gave me an indication of the correct height of the suspension. After replacing the bolt in the arm, I simply jacked up the hub so the damper shroud met the mark.......this meant that the suspension was at the right height then tightened the bolt up......so much easier than trying to torque the bolt up on the driveway with the car back on it's wheels and no ramp to work under!

 

[edward28]

I have a 99 C220 cdi tip auto 101k and it creaks over strange camber/bumps and a garage told me a rear spring had snapped......haven't changed it as yet....opps !

 

[Jay Kilby]

My W210 saloon has developed a squeak also on the rear nearside. I have had a look underneath and, while someone else bounces on the corner, I have isolated the problem to one of the rear wishbone bushes. If I load the bush with a prybar the squeak disappears.........so, now, how do I stop the damn thing squeaking.....is replacing the bush the only option or, could I take the bolt out, clean everything up, bit of copper grease and reassemble......anyone done this before? (it's the inner wishbone bush by the way.....)

Lacey,

for the cost of a bush kit, and you are going to all that effort then replace the whole bush!