Hey guys,

So I have had this popping noise ever since the dealership aligned my front end...(or at least about a week or so after)
I thought that I may have incorrectly done the idler arm right before I took her to the dealer, so today I redid it with new Lemfoerder, but the noise is still present.

Its coming from the front middle, or front right.
Its absolutely just like a "pop" and it does it whenever weight is put on the right side of the car. NEVER does it when going straight, only while turning and weight on that side....so I figure its got to be something in the steering right? Ball joints? Center Link?

I know most of the times these noises are sway bar related, but I have new bushings as of last year and everything is tight (incl brackets). I triple checked everything there.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

__________________
2016 Monsoon Gray Audi Allroad - 21k
2008 Black Mercedes E350 4Matic Sport - 131k
2014 Jeep Wranger Unlimited Sahara - 62k
2003 Gray Mercedes ML350 - 122k

Likely didn't get the lower control arm bolts tight enough. They'll pop like that if left relatively loose.

__________________

90 300TE 4-M
Turbo 103, T3/T04E 50 trim
T04B cover .60 AR
Stage 3 turbine .63 AR
A2W I/C, 40 LB/HR
MS2E, 60-2 Direct Coil Control
3" Exh, AEM W/B O2
Underdrive Alt. and P/S Pulleys,
Vented Rear Discs, .034 Booster.
3.07 diffs 1st Gear Start

90 300CE 104.980
Milled & ported head, 10.3:1 compression
197° intake cam w/20° advancer
Tuned CIS ECU
4° ignition advance
PCS TCM2000, built 722.6
600W networked suction fan
Sportline sway bars
V8 rear subframe, Quaife ATB 3.06 diff

outer tie rod end at the center drag link.... you should be able to have someone turn the wheel while you isolate the side....

__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]

Agree with duxthe1. Check the lower control arm bolts. If they are tight check if the rubber bushes are damaged. During alignment they sometimes struggle to loosen the bolts and hit it with a hammer damaging the bushes.

I visually checked the bushings and it seems the inner rear one does have hairline cracks, but I cannot tell if that's just age or not.

It almost sounds as if I am going to be forced to just redo everything -- new LCA's, tie rods and center link otherwise its going to cost just as much in getting an alignment after each item individually...

Will I need any other special tools to replace all the above? (updated lower control arms have new ball joint preinstalled). I already have a spring compressor.

__________________
2016 Monsoon Gray Audi Allroad - 21k
2008 Black Mercedes E350 4Matic Sport - 131k
2014 Jeep Wranger Unlimited Sahara - 62k
2003 Gray Mercedes ML350 - 122k

how is your idler arm bushing?

__________________
1987 300E

Replaced it on Tuesday.

__________________
2016 Monsoon Gray Audi Allroad - 21k
2008 Black Mercedes E350 4Matic Sport - 131k
2014 Jeep Wranger Unlimited Sahara - 62k
2003 Gray Mercedes ML350 - 122k

When mine was popping on the E300 it was the tie rod. I had someone move the wheel when I was under it and I saw the end moving around. Swapped it out and the noise is gone.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

on my 2005 E320 it was a loose bolt mounting the subframe to the chassis. It wasn't all that loose, but allowed the subframe to move slightly against the mount when the suspension loaded, and the pop i heard was a grunt, like a low-frequency squeak. I got underneath with a socket and a wrench and solved that problem.

__________________
Providing a home for these cars:
1951 Buick Special De Luxe
1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II
1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
1986 Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL
2005 Mercedes-Benz E 320 CDI
2012 GMC Sierra 1500 4X4
1927 Pierce-Arrow Series 80
1931 Pierce-Arrow Series 43
1926 Ford Model T coupe