At hwy speed - Terrible Shaking from Rough Part of Road
 

Hey Guys. '92 300TE 4 matic. At highway speeds - for example 60 mph, I hit a series of small potholes and the front end begins to shake and get worse. Kind of like the shake gets momentum and I have to brake to lower speed for it to stop.

The shaking is so bad I almost think the front wheel lugs are loose and wheels are shaking off. Seriously, this is scary on the highway - I'll keep out of that lane this morning.


Would this be the Tie Rod ends, Ball Joints, Idler Arm Bushings(?)???

And what are the idler arm bushings? I will check the play on the wheels today.

may want to check steering damper.

Shocks ??????????

Steering damper is the likely suspect. Look at the following thread from a few days ago for a detailed discussion.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=62789

Duke

The first thing you need to do is raise the car safely and do the four P's, Push, Pull, Pry and Prod. Look for anything loose. Even with worn out shocks and steering damper, if everything is tight, you shouldn't get a violent shimmy like you describe.

You also need properly balanced tires. Many shops will balance with weights ONLY on the inboard lip. This is static balancing and will prevent the wheel from jumping up and down. You need a dynamic balance with weights on both planes to prevent the wheel from "wobbling."

Good luck,