Front End Shimmy at 55 mph
 

Our 190E has developed a front end shimmy. What is the likely cause of a shimmy that develops at approximately 55 mph but subsides at about 70 mph?

Bent wheel, tire belt shift, loose front end, caster out of alignment....

Jim

end shimmy
 

Wheel balance is sensitive to speed. It is typical for the front end to seem solid at a low speed, shimmy at an intermediate speed and be solid again at high speed. Balance also seems to come and go between 45 to 70 mph depending on the degree of imbalance and the specific car.

I would check balance before spending big bucks and throwing parts at a problem like this.

I had the same problem with my 560sec - shimmy and rough between 55 and 70 more or less. I took the car to a local shop for a wheel balance and it was worse! Called my Indie and he said only one shop in town knows how to balance MB wheels and sent me there. Afterwards it was like I had a new front end - smooth as silk and no more problems.
Good luck.

I agree that the first step would be to check the tire balance and have the tires inspected to make sure they are still in good shape. If that doesn't help you might want to check the control arm bushings. Since they are made of rubber they tend to degrade over time.

Thanks. That sounds like good advice. First check balance and control arm bushings. What about tie rod ends? Could they fit these symptoms?

tie rod ends
 

I believe worn tie rods would first be noted as excessive steering play rather than shimmy.

OK Rocky. I've got my course charted.

I took the car in for re-balance of tires and found out that there is play in the passenger side front steering. The strut also squeeks when turning the steering.

The motion is coming from worn rubber bushings that hold the end of a rod that is attached to or near the inner tie rod end. Does anyone know the name of that rod and rubber bushing. The bushing sets inside a cylindrical casing about 4 inches long and maybe 1.5 inches in diameter.
Can I do this repair myself?

Also what is causing the squeek in the strut... and what can I do to fix it?

That is the idler arm. You can purchase an idler arm rebuild kit for a modest sum. I don't know how involved the installation is on a 201 chassis, depends on what other components are blocking access.

- JimY

Jim... is the idle arm and the control arm the same thing? I ask because Mercedes Guy mentioned control arm in an above post.

Thanks for helping me out with this.

My 420 SEL had the same problem and I took it to JohnHef, who did a high speed tire balance on it and waaaallaaaaa problem resolved.

The idler arm and control arm are two different components. If it is indeed play in the idler arm that is contributing to your problem I have listed links to the parts. The first link is a kit that you can purchase and the second link shows a diagram of your front suspension showing all of the components.

http://www.performanceproducts4benz.com/product.asp?pf%5Fid=P46%2D012&dept%5Fid=6390

http://www.performanceproducts4benz.com/diagram.asp?diagram%5Fid=22

If you decide to purchase anything from the above diagram I would check with Phil at Fastlane first. He'll be able to get them to you much quicker than the company in the links. I just thought a diagram of your suspension might make diagnosing your problem a little easier.