new subframe bushings - now have rumble? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

surfblau · #1 08-19-2002, 11:42 AM

Greetings,

I just installed (uneventfully) new rear subframe bushings on my 87 300SDL (126) yesterday. The nock-kneed geometry of the rear wheels looks better now, but I seem to have developed a new problem.

There is a distinct rumbling coming from the front (right?) axle area at any speed over 30mph. It sounds like a bad wheel bearing, but that seems unusual to develop over night. I jacked that side up and spun the wheel and checked for play, and everything seemed ok. (I know I need new tires and probably lower ball joints and an alignment, but there was no problem yesterday as far as noise goes on a 200 mile drive.)

At highway speed, the noise was loud enough for my wife to notice last night.

Anyone have any ideas?

I am thinking that the new subframe bushings have changed the alignment of the front tires enough so that the rubber/tread is having to adjust to a new loading pattern. If so, it seems like this might go away.

But if anyone has any advice, please let me know.

alec

#2 08-19-2002, 11:56 AM

This probably doesn't have anything to do with your noise, but are you sure that you have the proper subframe mounts and they are installed on the proper sides? The post-85 126s have a different mount than the pre-86s and they are side-specific. If you put on a set of pre-86 mounts, they will not be right for your car or if you put on a set of post-85 mounts and didn't put them on the proper sides, they won't be right . . .

Richard Easley
Waco, Texas

surfblau · #3 08-19-2002, 12:12 PM

Thanks for all the rightups (subframe bushings, IP timing, etc) they are really helpfull.

I think that I had the correct bushings. I completed one side at a time and replaced Links with Links and Rechts with Rechts. The new ones had a slightly different design- there were two pie wedge pieces of rubber cutout in the rubber body of the new mounts, but the diameter and thinkness were the same as the originals after accounting for the 8-10 mm of settlement in the used bushings.

alec