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Old 10-24-2008, 07:19 AM
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bobs bobs is offline
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 310
There are lots of rubber bits under there that can go bad over time:

sway bar links / bushings
tie rod ends
upper/lower control arm bushings
idler arm bushings

The best thing to do is get under the car with a flashlight and a big screw driver and start poking, prying, and wiggling things and see if you run into something obvious. Most things should be a relatively easy DIY to replace but you'll probably want to spring for a proper 4-wheel alignment once you're done.

Also, it might be worth just stopping by a dealer and asking them to diagnose it for you. I recently did that with my S420 (trying to solve the classic 45mph shimmy). I told them that I had surpassed my ability to diagnose the problem and needed help. They put the car up on the rack, did an inspection, took it for a test drive, and gave me a list or recommended steps to take. They had the car for over an hour and did it all at no charge! They even washed it for me too. I don't know if this is standard procedure or not, but it was a pleasant surprise for sure.
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Bob in Richmond

'97 S320 (LWB), Ruby Red Metallic, 73k miles
'97 S420V, Smoke Silver Metallic, 155k miles
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