W124 clunking noise, front suspension/steering

[tim124]

I'm getting a 'clunking' sound (nearest best description) at the front RHS end on my '95 E280 W124 estate (120k mileage) when going over severe speed bumps (at low speed), sudden braking or acceleration from standstill, or turning at mid/near full-lock (low speed). The noise is intermittent. Specialist garage (very experienced with all W124s and reliable) thought it might be the coil spring 'sticking' to the lower mounting (and found that the spring was rotated out of position when investigating), did some remedial work but the noise returned. I wondered if it's the anti-roll bar end bushes that are worn (from previous Forum thread)? - but other ideas and suggestions will be welcomed.

 

[kth286]

first thing to do is to test the suspension by opening bonnet and pushing down each front side in turn, to assess whether you feel there is less suspension movement/more stiffness, on one side of car than the other.

If so, the side of car with more stiffness has one of the wishbone bushes seized to the bolt that goes through it.

This has resulted in the other bush on that wishbone getting worn, with slackness in the bush, which you can hear knocking over bumps etc.

If however the suspension seems compliant, then I guess the ARB bushes is next to assess.

 

[alexanderfoti]

+ 1 for Arb bushes if the wishbone test passes.

 

[tim124]

Thanks for this. The car is booked in for further investigations next week so I will report back on what they find and what they recommend (and do).

 

[tim124]

Update on W124 clunking noise

Took longer than planned to get the car booked in to the workshop, but the wait was worth it. It turned out that the RHS wishbone arm had been previously replaced with a non-OEM item, and the bolts had worked loose. The arm was replaced with a genuine MB version, bolted securely and - so far, so good - the noise has disappeared. Seems that sometimes it's worth paying for the real thing when getting spare parts.