Rear Vibrations

Update by Tim Suddard to the Mercedes-Benz 230 S project car
Jul 15, 2013

We installed rubber spring knuckles in the rear coil springs, which solved our vibration problem temporarily.

We stopped at Coker Tire for a family photo. The kids are off to college, so this will most likely be the last time for a family trip.

« »

Despite a couple of issues, we made it to Detroit, then Traverse City, Michigan. With our alternator repaired, our biggest problem was a vibration coming from the rear. Oddly, when we stopped for the evening, unloaded the luggage, and headed out for dinner, the vibration had disappeared. It became apparent that the extra weight of our luggage was the cause for the rear end to sink into a negative camber position. We theorized that this extreme angle of operation for the rear axles/U-joint was the culprit. In addition to being somewhere between annoying and downright scary to drive, our assumption was that this vibration would eventually wallow something out and lead to more serious problems.

Something had to be done, but we needed an easier solution than installing stiffer rear springs or compensator springs while halfway through our trip. Since leaving our luggage behind was quickly taken off the table, we decided on an old hotrodder’s trick we hadn’t seen in decades.

We went to AutoZone in Athens, Ohio, and sure enough, they still sell those tacky rubber knuckles that you twist into your coil springs to jack up your Chevelle. For $10, they not only fit Mercedes coils, but they went a long way toward solving our vibration problem—at least, temporarily.

Germans with American fins? In your mailbox six times a year. Subscribe now.