87 300D (w124).

I've searched through and haven't found an exact answer..

When driving around on some of the back roads around here i noticed a scraping sound when at the bottom of a dip in the road.. at first i was worried something underneath was scraping the road but it turns out it's the front fender over the wheels that is rubbing on the tire itself..

I'm assuming it's the front strut/shock assembly? I don't know suspension that well so i just want to be sure about it.

I know something in the front end needs to be replaced because i also get a push when going around a turn at a decent speed.. it feels like the car hits a point and wants to turn even more and that the body is going out over the wheel itself.

__________________
'87 300D new to me
'85 300D Sold
'83 300cd Sold

Check the front end bushings and joints for play, could be something dangerously loose.

The car trying to turn in on its own usually is excessive toe-in in the front, toe-out in the rear, or something loose.

As far as tires rubbing, the stock tire size is 195/65-HR15. I believe the offset is 49. If your car has something other than the original 15-hole flat-face wheels, this could be your problem. Also very close to the struts in the front, which is why the struts have a flattened area to clear the tires.

The original 15-hole wheels had oval holes. The later ones ('90-'93) had rectangular holes (squared corners, not radiused) and less offset, the final 124 wheels are the 8-hole with less offset still.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

What's the size and offset of your wheels? Original wheels on your car are 15" diameter, 6.5" wide, 49mm offset (ET49) shod with 195/65-15 tires. Is it possible you have wheels off an S or SL car with about half the offset? Tires much bigger/wider than called for?

Sixto
87 300D

are you sure its the tires are rubbing.

__________________
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...titled-1-3.jpg
1981 300d

Either your suspension is shot, or you have different tires/wheels than the car was made with.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

tires are stock size 195/65 R 15. These are the tires that are on it.



They don't rub all the time just when you hit a dip and once the car travels up the dip something rubs as the body is still being forced down and it's not anything under the car (front bumper, oil pan)

I can take potholes no problem the car doesn't go squirrely or anything but it does have a bouce to it like a boat would.

I don't know what new struts/shocks feel like at all so i'm trying to get a feel if they are that bad that they allow the suspension to travel that far and if they would also contribute to the pushing feeling or if thats independent of the toe in that was mentioned.

__________________
'87 300D new to me
'85 300D Sold
'83 300cd Sold

Those are not the original wheels, they are later wheels with less offset (= out further). This might be your problem. They could also be V-8 wheels which I believe stick out further and thus the rolled fenders and bigger flares on the V-8 cars.

The offset should be stamped on the back of the wheel.

I guess they could even be 140 wheels.

It would affect ride quality a little, and create a lot of bump-steer.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Wouldn't that "bounce" indicate worn shocks/struts?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

He should be ok with new struts/shocks.

__________________
http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

The body still needs to clear the tires, new struts or not. It won't change the offset.

It would tell more to see the numbers on the back of the wheel, I don't remember the offset of the 124 8-hole wheel, seems it's somewhere around 41 to the original wheels' ET49. From the angle of the photo it seems like the wheel is pretty far out of the opening, a photo more from the front of the car would likely tell more there also.

For a simple reference, my '87 with original wheels: the tire is inside of the fender line below the side-molding. Or, if you site down the body under side molding (looking from the rear forward) you will not see the front tire. The photo looks like the tire is a good 25mm beyond that, like an ET24 rim, or like a W140 rim. Again, bad angle, I might not be seeing it correctly.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Look at the wheel in the wheel well opening.
After repairing my car, the alignment shop pushed the wheel too far forward, causing this issue. It was visible when looking at the car from the side. Maybe something has broke, and become misadjusted that allows the wheel to move forward and back?

__________________
83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Maybe the rubber stops on the front shocks are gone.

Sixto
87 300D

i'll have to check the offset and i think the tires are at least even with the fender line if not just out from it babymog.. i'll take a look when i leave work.

I'm thinking from what you guys have said and from talking to people that new struts in the front will help out with whats going on.. at least stiffen things up a bit and hoepfully not travel so far as to rub on anything.

I will just add them to the list of things to do.. brakes, tires, alignment, struts and while i'm in there i'll look to see what else looks worn past it's time.

I'll post back in about 3 weeks, have a string of jobs in canada this month so i'll have time to add to my list.



thanks to everyone who's posted already and anyone else who adds

__________________
'87 300D new to me
'85 300D Sold
'83 300cd Sold

If it's wheels, the factory original ones aren't hard to find.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Or take them to your local machinist and have them remove a certain ammount of metal so the offset is less.

__________________
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.