Loud Clunking noise left front wheel... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Chadahar · #1 08-12-2008, 10:39 PM

Problem and solution.

I rotated my tires on Freesil last night and replaced a bad(from PO), front tire. All went very well.
Freesil no longer pulls to the right(or left).
All the way to work and most of the way back things were fine(or at least I couldn't hear the loud Clunking noise over the stereo blasting Chris LeDoux and Willie Nelson), but I thought i heard a noise when I turned off the freeway. Turned off the blower and the Stereo and sure enough there was a loud Clunking noise from the left front wheel area. I couldn't really tell if it was the left or right front that the sound was coming from.
I came on this forum and searched and found lots of info on what this might be, but none specifically about the front wheels.

Fast forward to this afternoon. I jacked up the right front and there was no noise, I shook the wheel and checked for wheel bearing play and that was good. spun the tire and no noise, so I let it down and went to the other side. I shock the tire and wheel and could get no movement. I jacked it up and BOY OH BOY was there movement. OH CRAP! I thought the wheel bearing were GONE!, but upon further inspection....

1. I either had not tightened the lug nuts tight, or
2. The lug nuts came loose on the trip.

There was two lug nuts fairly tight, but finger loose and the rest were really loose. I tightened them up , then let the car down and used a short cheater bar along with the lug wrench from the tool kit. Then I rechecked the other wheels and they all were tight.

I did take a break between doing the left side and the right side and I just might have not tightened the left front with the cheater bar or even tightened them more than just tight with the lug wrench.....

BOO HISS ON CHARLIE. God protects fools and children and I have been both way more often than I want to admit.

We'll see tomorrow when I go to work. If the noise comes back then the lug nuts loosen by themselves.

Biodiesel300TD · #2 08-13-2008, 11:45 AM

Good thing you found it before something bad happened!

winmutt · #3 08-13-2008, 12:42 PM

Yup. I always take a test drive and retorque after any kind of wheel removal.

Chadahar · #4 08-13-2008, 03:34 PM

Update:
I really wanted to come on here and say the lugs loosened again this morning, but I cannot. I just didn't tighten them properly.

OK! Charlie gets the DUMBA$$ AWARD!

Like a friend of mine that took a cigarette break folding his parachute. Hanging from the nearest tree(and onliest one on the airport too.) just off the ground by a foot or so, because the lines tangled, he reminded himself to NEVER do that again. Black and blue for a month, but alive due to sheer luck.(and that one lonely tree.) LOL!