I just purchased a 1994 S600 coupe. It is in pretty good shape at 144k miles, but the tires only have about 30% tread. At about 50-55 mph I get some tire shake. Above or below this speed the car is solid. I was prepared to replace all four tires today, but my mechanic tells me that tire shake at this speed is endemic to this model and that new tires will probably not cure the problem completely. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

 

That's a pretty bold statement for someone to make without checking the balance on the tires/wheels first. Have the tires balance checked to see if it's off. Before letting someone scare you with gloom aand doom stories.

 

Agree with Bugman. My 1993 600SEL has zero wheels/tires shake or vibration or balance issues. I have stock OEM wheels that came with the car and Michelin Energy Tires with 40% tread left. These cars will ride perfectly smooth and balanced with only normal maintenance, with MB quality parts. I have had tire/wheel balance problems in the past when using cheaper tires and with doubtful background used wheels that can get out of round or straightness with misuse in their lifetime.
Bill Mercer. Virginia

 

how's alignment?
its probably wheel balancing, someone said a while ago that it might be a loose driveshaft, might wanna take a look into that

 

I used to have that problem. At 55 to 60 mph my tires would shake. I would end up having to rise above 70 mph for some relief, but then when decelering the vibration in the front end would come right back. It can be very annoying. To fix this you may have to do several things. First, you may want to do as it has been suggested already, which is to have the wheels balanced. Have Road-Force-Balanced. Not every tire shop has the ability to do road-force balancing. Most do dynamic balancing only, which is cool, provided there are no issues. But, from time to time you have to match the tire to the wheel.

Secondly, if balancing is not your issue. It could very well be the type of tires you have. For instance, if you are running Continentals, they are known for flat-spotting, and cause a front-end rumble. More than likely you can find this out when you first take off in the morning, when you first drive the car. There's subject to be rumbling, usually until the tires warm-up and round out.

Thirdly, if you have not tire issues, then you may want to deal with the wheel-bearings. They don't always squeal like many would suppose, but they will also create a vibration.

Fourthly, if not the wheel-bearings, you may want to check the tie-rod ends, and/or replace them. Along with checking the tie-rod ends, also check the upper control arms.

In my case, I check all of these areas, and eventually replaced all of these items.

However, I donot believe it's your drive-shaft because the drive shaft would give you a driveline vibration. You can tell this if when you step on the accelerator for quick speed, you get the feel that perhaps the transmission mount is loose or broken, or something is wrong with the exhaust system. But it will give you an all-over drive-line vibration from the console clean back to rear seat.

Hope these suggestions help. Just check them out before you start spending that kind of cash.

Oh, I forgot to mention the shock or strut towers. Check them too.

 

I had a similar problem, but not with a Mercedes. The tires went out of round at around 40K whichcaused a road vibration at exactly the same speed every time (70 mph). Slowing up or speeding up solved the problem. I found the only cure was to install new tires that were specified for the vehicle.

 

Many years ago in Ypsilanti, MI, I had a Physics Prof for a car mechanic who took me through three types of wheel shake. These happen at around 50 mph, around 80 mph and around 110mph. The first is tire shake, and the cure is to get the wheels balanced as mentioned by many above, the second is tire tracking (specialist tire tracking shops exist, but many mechanics can fix this. It's a question of ensuring the tires are parallel in all directions). I have forgotten what the third type was, it hasn't been all that relevant.

Quite aside from this, my 1996 S600 also has tire shake. I have had the wheels re-balanced three times including once by my MB dealer and this did nothing to solve the problem. In fact the dealer road-tested the car and said they could not find anything wrong, which is strange as it is very obvious to me. Mine kicks in at around 50mph, but does not disappear until well over 80, more like 90mph.

I am also having problems with my rear suspension (see other post) so that may be a part of the issue - someone above in this thread thought that might be relevant - but I have not had that fixed yet, so I don't know.

 

Hello all, The olderS-class in general has had tire issues, some things to remember about tire shaking is lower speeds 35-40 is usually a twisted belt or bent rim. Higher speeds 55-60 is usually a balance issue. Have your tires balanced first. Dont forget to have your suspension chacked as well. Bad suspension parts can amplify any tire shake. The S-class is known for the control arm bushings and rear control arm bushings to go bad, also broken front springs, have your steering dampner checked as well. Look in your area for someone that can do a ROAD FORCE BALANCEon your tires, this may help as well.