Wheel Balance and Wandering

[vrsmith]

I looked in the archives and found some helpful information, but I would appreciate a little specific help, please. My 560 wanders at higher speeds, especially on poor roads. It also has a definite shaking effect going on at 85mph which even causes the hood to move noticeably. We don't often travel at that speed, so there is no immediate problem. I have had the mechanic check all suspension pieces and he said they were good. I recently put new tires on the car and wondered if they might be poorly balanced. I have also been advised to experiment with the air pressure although more air could stiffen the ride. Finally, I put Bridgestone tires on the car due to price and because the tire guy at Costco said that Michelins were not as long lasting.
Any comments are appreciated.

[need2speed]

Vaughn - your local dealer may have a dynamic balancer that spins the front wheels while still on the car. This has been very helpful to eliminate front end shakes that static balancing cannot. The dealer terms it "finish balancing".

[TommyMB]

Vaughn - I have had the same problem before on my W126. The car is extremely sensitive to out of balance and out of round conditions. Even 0.25 oz off would resulted in shake and wander. I finally solved the problem by balancing the tires and wheels on a balancing machine that applies a load on the tire as it checks the balance. The machine also check the tires and wheels roundness. It was a Hunter balancer. Good luck.

[Luke@tirerack]

The balancer Tommy referred to is also the model that we use it is called the GSP9700 Vibration Control Unit. You can find a local shop near you at Hunters' web site http://www.hunter.com

Good Luck
Luke

[vrsmith]

Just talked to Big-O Tire here in Parker, Co who have one of the Hunter machines. He says it's $12 per wheel. I'm going to get it done asap and I'll let you know the results. Thanks for the help.

[vrsmith]

I got the dynamic balance done on the weekend and took it out on the highway afterwards. The ride is much improved. At 80mph and up, there is no shaking and the steering is much better. There still is a little floating, but nothing like before. I'm going to experiment with tire pressures a little, but I am quite happy with the car now.
Thanks for suggesting this type of balancing.

Brothers of The Benz,
My 1987 W124030 is very sensitive to tire unbalance.
For many years my Tire Shop, balancing my wheel/tire off the car would fixture the wheel on the inside flat of the wheel and on the outside with a cone where the wheel cap seats.
The tire re-balance would be so poor I couldn't exceed 65mph.
In referencing my Technical Data Book I find that there are only 2 qualified surfaces on the alloy wheels and the flat on the inside isn't one.
By having the balancer operator fixture the wheel using a cone on the inside of the surface as the outside brought the balance to perfection. Fixturing on Centers.
Ask to have this done on your wheels as I have on mine and you will be amazed at how smooth a Benz is at 100mph and above.
Happy Trails beep beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

dlswnfrd,


Can you please describe this again in simpler terms? thank you .

Brother of The Benz
I will try to remove the fly specks from the pepper.
Imagine you have a round bar and at one end is a circular plate with a hole the same diameter as the OD of the Bar and is attached to the bar so to rotate yet not move longitudely on the bar.
Onto the bar you place a mass, circular in configuration with diameter and width and a center whole with an insde diameter larger than the bar's OD.
Place a second tool, being conical in shape with the smallest portion of the cone smaller than the ID of the mass on the bar.
You slide the cone to the ID of the mass, and the bar being threaded you tighten a nut to clamp cone tightening to position the mass on the bar.
The flat plate fixture can not position the mass centerally on the bar because the two flat surfaces can not true position on center. The mass will assume a postion from it's weight OFF of center.
Replace the inner flat plate fixture with a conical tool as on the outside of the mass. Tighten the retaining nut will position the mass on it's common center, inside and outside and concentric on the bar.
Replace the mass with a wheel tire and postion the wheel/tire's own centers(the diameter where the hub-cap is)and tighten the retaining nut.
The wheel will rotate concentric on the cones(center toolig).This is one of the qualified dimensions of the wheel.
Using this fixturing in conjunction with proper sequenced tighting then torquing of the lug bolts will give you smoothness you may never had before.
Try this and if you need further explanation, that's what I'm here for.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

got it thanks!

Brother of The Benz, Benzo 300.
It's so easy to dazzel you with my footwork than baffle you with my big WOIDS.(BS)
I better realise that not all of our Brothers of The Benz have had this experience.
I'll do better next time.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!