So, recently my signature car ('82 240D) has begun to wobble slightly while driving. Here's some pertinent info:

-I can feel it through the steering wheel.

-One wobble (back and forth, as in "left/right") occurs once per tire revolution.

-Maybe my tires are bad? So I put the spare tire on the front driver side, then on the front passenger side. The wobble still occurred.

-It is consistent.

-It "seems" to be at the front?

Thoughts are steering or suspension. Any ideas?

I searched and only found ONE thread with this issue, and it wasn't really answered. I tried to find it again and can't, so starting new thread.

Thanks all,
Daniel

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1982 240D 4spd, 327,000mi

Warped rotors come to mind. Does the brake pedal pulsate also when you are stopping?

Out of balance wheels can also cause this. How is the tire wear? Bearings serviced recently?

How is the rest of the steering and suspension?

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

The brake pedal feel is consistent. Tires are old, but not down to the wear marks. No clue about the bearings.

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1982 240D 4spd, 327,000mi

have the tires road force balanced and rotated. if the tires are bad or the wheels are bent it will be obvious on the balancer.

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1984 300TD "MAX" 303K+ still going...
fast '70 Chevelle 200k+
home built Shovelhead chopper

I had bent steel wheels on my 81 that wobbled.
New bundts fixed it.

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

Had this wobble at 30-33MPH on my 240D...new tires on the front fixed it.

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Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

Update:

So I swapped driver/front tire with driver/back tire and passenger/front with passenger/rear. It's definitely either the rim or the tire-- the wobble is now in the back.

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1982 240D 4spd, 327,000mi

Put the tire on the front again, and spin it while it is on the jack (the rear would work for this too, but it's a lot harder to spin the tire). While it is turning, watch the lips of the rim on each side for any deviation. Also look at the tread surface for any irregularities in shape. Slipped belts can cause a wobble or even a pull to one side at first, but eventually the tire will fail completely.

Thanks! I did that and identified the Driver/Rear tire as bad.

So now... I need to buy new tire(s). Car currently has Firestone 205/70R14 95T tires. All are showing their age. I'm going away to school in August so I'm thinking I should replace all the tires with fresh ones, but I also gotta be smart with my money. I'm a student. What do you guys think? What am I getting?

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1982 240D 4spd, 327,000mi