Tires

[LilAbner]

The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.

[Tiger]

If the car is new and the tires are still within warranty, they will replace
your tires for free of cost... the labor you might have to pay is the mount
and balance. If the car is still under warranty, the dealer should
investigate and see if anything needs to be repaired to fix the problem.

[LilAbner]

Post by Tiger
If the car is new and the tires are still within warranty, they will
replace your tires for free of cost... the labor you might have to pay
is the mount and balance. If the car is still under warranty, the dealer
should investigate and see if anything needs to be repaired to fix the
problem.

I'll contact them tomorrow. they're some distance away.
I know I can Google til the cows come home but may not find informative
first hand info.
So here's a second question about tires.
The tires on the C63 are definable inadequate as far as size.
Anyone put a wider tire on the stock 18" rims and fit in the confines of
the fenders etc?

[DAS]

On what basis do you think the tyres are "inadequate"?

DAS
--
To reply directly replace 'nospam' with 'schmetterling'
--

Post by LilAbner

Post by Tiger
If the car is new and the tires are still within warranty, they will
replace your tires for free of cost... the labor you might have to pay
is the mount and balance. If the car is still under warranty, the dealer
should investigate and see if anything needs to be repaired to fix the
problem.

I'll contact them tomorrow. they're some distance away.
I know I can Google til the cows come home but may not find informative
first hand info.
So here's a second question about tires.
The tires on the C63 are definable inadequate as far as size.
Anyone put a wider tire on the stock 18" rims and fit in the confines of
the fenders etc?

[LilAbner]

Post by DAS
On what basis do you think the tyres are "inadequate"?
DAS

Since buying the car I've been looking around the internet for info on it.
Seems grip, from rear tires is perhaps not as great as it should be.
I know that other cars with this much output capability many times have
more rubber or wider rubber, on the road, like Michelin or Goodyear
Super Car tires.
The rims, on the C63 perhaps would handle one size wider tire though?
Tire life is not great with them though. The Michelins on our little SLK
were wider than these tires.
I don't remember the size right now.

[Jens]

On 6/23/2011 7:05 AM, DAS wrote:> On what basis do you think the tyres are "inadequate"?

DAS

Since buying the car I've been looking around the internet for info on it.
Seems grip, from rear tires is perhaps not as great as it should be.
I know that other cars with this much output capability many times have
more rubber or wider rubber, on the road, like Michelin or Goodyear
Super Car tires.
The rims, on the C63  perhaps would handle one size wider tire though?
Tire life is not great with them though. The Michelins on our little SLK
were wider than these tires.
I don't remember the size right now.

Tires could be the reason, but quite new Continentals? I'd doubt
that.

More likely it is alignment of the suspension. Are you sure the car
did not have an accident before you bought it?

[LilAbner]

Post by Jens

On 6/23/2011 7:05 AM, DAS wrote:> On what basis do you think the tyres are "inadequate"?

DAS

Since buying the car I've been looking around the internet for info on it.
Seems grip, from rear tires is perhaps not as great as it should be.
I know that other cars with this much output capability many times have
more rubber or wider rubber, on the road, like Michelin or Goodyear
Super Car tires.
The rims, on the C63 perhaps would handle one size wider tire though?
Tire life is not great with them though. The Michelins on our little SLK
were wider than these tires.
I don't remember the size right now.

Tires could be the reason, but quite new Continentals? I'd doubt
that.
More likely it is alignment of the suspension. Are you sure the car
did not have an accident before you bought it?

Fifty miles on the od. I would have preferred to see none of course.
Don't see any evidence of it. Right rear wheel has a paint smear from
one shade to the other. I think I'll ask for that to be replaced.
Alignment shouldn't cause that sensation. A bent or warped rim or a tire
not exactly right, especially ones without a center rib, or a worn tire
with the belts out of whack. Maybe some other things.
I hat to have to have to fool with things like this on a new car.

[Jens]

Post by LilAbner

On 6/23/2011 7:05 AM, DAS wrote:>  On what basis do you think the tyres are "inadequate"?

DAS

Since buying the car I've been looking around the internet for info on it.
Seems grip, from rear tires is perhaps not as great as it should be.
I know that other cars with this much output capability many times have
more rubber or wider rubber, on the road, like Michelin or Goodyear
Super Car tires.
The rims, on the C63  perhaps would handle one size wider tire though?
Tire life is not great with them though. The Michelins on our little SLK
were wider than these tires.
I don't remember the size right now.

Tires could be the reason, but quite new Continentals?  I'd doubt
that.
More likely it is alignment of the suspension. Are you sure the car
did not have an accident before you bought it?

Fifty miles on the od. I would have preferred to see none of course.
Don't see any evidence of it. Right rear wheel has a paint smear from
one shade to the other. I think I'll ask for that to be replaced.
Alignment shouldn't cause that sensation. A bent or warped rim or a tire
not exactly right, especially ones without a center rib, or a worn tire
with the belts out of whack. Maybe some other things.
I hat to have to have to fool with things like this on a new car.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Of course you should look for wheels/tires before anything else,

If it is wheels/tires, it would be some unbalance in front wheels.
Your can try to swop rear wheels with front wheels to veryfy this. If
problem persists, it is unlikely that you have same problem in both
sets, and the problem should be looked for in the steering/suspension.

Wrong toe could definately cause your symptoms. This is easily
verified and adjusted at any service station. If adjustment is wrong,
the question is how this happened, therefor my question of possible
accident.

Difference between wheels in caster angle could also cause the
symptoms. Caster angle is not adjustable, and wrong caster angle can
only be caused by mecanical deformation. That's the second reason for
the question.

If the problem is in the steering/suspension, you still have the
dealer to return to.

[t***@optonline.net]

Post by Jens

Post by LilAbner

On 6/23/2011 7:05 AM, DAS wrote:>  On what basis do you think the tyres are "inadequate"?

DAS

Since buying the car I've been looking around the internet for info on it.
Seems grip, from rear tires is perhaps not as great as it should be.
I know that other cars with this much output capability many times have
more rubber or wider rubber, on the road, like Michelin or Goodyear
Super Car tires.
The rims, on the C63  perhaps would handle one size wider tire though?
Tire life is not great with them though. The Michelins on our little SLK
were wider than these tires.
I don't remember the size right now.

Tires could be the reason, but quite new Continentals?  I'd doubt
that.
More likely it is alignment of the suspension. Are you sure the car
did not have an accident before you bought it?

Fifty miles on the od. I would have preferred to see none of course.
Don't see any evidence of it. Right rear wheel has a paint smear from
one shade to the other. I think I'll ask for that to be replaced.
Alignment shouldn't cause that sensation. A bent or warped rim or a tire
not exactly right, especially ones without a center rib, or a worn tire
with the belts out of whack. Maybe some other things.
I hat to have to have to fool with things like this on a new car.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Of course you should look for wheels/tires before anything else,
If it is wheels/tires, it would be some unbalance in front wheels.
Your can try to swop rear wheels with front wheels to veryfy this. If
problem persists, it is unlikely that you have same problem in both
sets, and the problem should be looked for in the steering/suspension.
Wrong toe could definately cause your symptoms. This is easily
verified and adjusted at any service station. If adjustment is wrong,
the question is how this happened, therefor my question of possible
accident.
Difference between wheels in caster angle could also cause the
symptoms. Caster angle is not adjustable, and wrong caster angle can
only be caused by mecanical deformation. That's the second reason for
the question.
If the problem is in the steering/suspension, you still have the
dealer to return to.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

On a brand new car there is no question what I would do. I'd
take it right back to the dealer. No reason the steering wheel
should be shaking from side to side above 70 mph on any new
car. And I would not assume it's the tires. I once bought a
new Ponitac and every start from a dead stop, I'd here a metalic
snap, metal hitting metal. They tried to deny anything was
wrong, but I got the service mgr into the car and finally convinced
him something was not right. Turns out they used bolts that
were too long to secure the whole engine/trnasaxle to the body.
So, every time you started out, the whole thing moved 1/8" or so
causing the noise. Which shows you sometimes something can
be very wrong with even a new car.

[Tiger]

I suggest you look into Tirerack.com... they got great customer reviews
there. Since it is C63. I believe you won't be driving in the winter without
snow tires... so it is best to look for Ultra High Performance Summer tires
only.

The Continental you have may be All Season High Performance Tire... which is
completely different than the strictly summer tire only and a major
improvement in traction... on same size tire. Tirerack will list any other
size tires you can install on your car.

[John Simpson]

"LilAbner" wrote in message news:I5vMp.17352$***@newsfe11.iad...

The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.

Possibly they just need to be balanced?

jas

[Jens]

Post by LilAbner
The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.
Possibly they just need to be balanced?
jas

I assume that Continetals in US are the same as in Europe, and here
they (SportContact2) are considered as being among the better (and
more silent) in the class. I drove them myself, and my only complaint
is that they wear a bit too fast (because the prioritize other
parameters higher).

The shaking around 70 mph is because this is where the whole steering
is in resonance. Any imbalance will be felt most at this speed.

Deformed and/or unbalanced wheels/tires are the first things to
suspect.

Next is suspension alignment.

The geometry of the wheels is constructed as a balance between easy
handling and stable straight driving, where the speed of the vehicle
will tend to straighten out the course. This balance is usually
optimized at a point, where only little force is required to turn the
wheel but enough force is applied to keep a steady straight course.
If this alignment is not right, the balance is moved, and if it is
moved toward less force on the steering, the steering will tend to
oscillate. Again felt most around 70 mph due to the resonance.

Even a small accident (like hitting the curbs hard) may deform
steering/suspension parts (or worse the chassis) causing misalignment.

Play in the steering balls can amplify the symptoms, but I would not
suspect that on a relatively new car.

Probably some experienced guys can tell the difference between
unbalanced wheels and misaligned suspension, but I cannot.

I have a chassis, that is slightly deformed, so I could not get caster
angle into specs. Instead I adjusted both sides to be equal and gave a
little more toe-in than specified. That solved my problem after having
gone through a lot of pain and expences trying different tires/wheels.

[Roland Franzius]

Post by Jens

Post by LilAbner
The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.
Possibly they just need to be balanced?
jas

I assume that Continetals in US are the same as in Europe, and here
they (SportContact2) are considered as being among the better (and
more silent) in the class. I drove them myself, and my only complaint
is that they wear a bit too fast (because the prioritize other
parameters higher).
The shaking around 70 mph is because this is where the whole steering
is in resonance. Any imbalance will be felt most at this speed.

You have to change the steering shock absorber regularly (all 50000 m),
they are of bad quality.

An other source of wobbling may be rust or rotten alloy between rim and
brake disk. Now after some decades of experiences with alloys, some
shops have learned that cleaning the edges and applying corrosion
reducing grease is essential for smooth riding.

[DAS]

I have Continental tyres {Jens, with a y, outside America :-)} on my CLK Cab
and have no such problems at any speed up to 120 mph.

DAS
--
To reply directly replace 'nospam' with 'schmetterling'
--

Post by Roland Franzius

Post by Jens

Post by LilAbner
The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.
Possibly they just need to be balanced?
jas

I assume that Continetals in US are the same as in Europe, and here
they (SportContact2) are considered as being among the better (and
more silent) in the class. I drove them myself, and my only complaint
is that they wear a bit too fast (because the prioritize other
parameters higher).
The shaking around 70 mph is because this is where the whole steering
is in resonance. Any imbalance will be felt most at this speed.

You have to change the steering shock absorber regularly (all 50000 m),
they are of bad quality.
An other source of wobbling may be rust or rotten alloy between rim and
brake disk. Now after some decades of experiences with alloys, some shops
have learned that cleaning the edges and applying corrosion reducing
grease is essential for smooth riding.
--
Roland Franzius

[LilAbner]

Post by DAS
I have Continental tyres {Jens, with a y, outside America :-)} on my CLK Cab
and have no such problems at any speed up to 120 mph.
DAS

What's the max width tire size that will fit in the C63 wheel wells?

[Tiger]

Stick with factory size tire when you use factory wheels.

[Lil Abner]

Post by Tiger
Stick with factory size tire when you use factory wheels.

The Continental are toast on the rear.
Gotta take the lead out of wife's shoes.
They are rated at tire wear 320.
Some of the Michelins are rated at 500.
Can't go mixing them though?
All that in mind I don't really know if I want Renntech to up the power
or not.
Need a lot more tire and there doesn't appear to be any room.
I wonder how the Brabus Bullet with 720 hp makes do with the same size
tires?

[Tiger]

You should not mix and match brands and models for your car.

If you want to upgrade your tire to larger size, you also need to buy
corresponding wheels. You can go any size as you want as long you got a
wheel that will fit.

Putting a fat tire on skinny wheel is not proper. Consult a tire
professional. If you liked Renntech or Brabus wheel package, then buy those
wheel package.

[Jens]

Post by Roland Franzius

Post by Jens

Post by LilAbner
The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.
Possibly they just need to be balanced?
jas

I assume that Continetals in US are the same as in Europe, and here
they (SportContact2) are considered as being among the better (and
more silent) in the class. I drove them myself, and my only complaint
is that they wear a bit too fast (because the prioritize other
parameters higher).
The shaking around 70 mph is because this is where the whole steering
is in resonance. Any imbalance will be felt most at this speed.

You have to change the steering shock absorber regularly (all 50000 m),
they are of bad quality.
An other source of wobbling may be rust or rotten alloy between rim and
brake disk. Now after some decades of experiences with alloys, some
shops have learned that cleaning the edges and applying corrosion
reducing grease is essential for smooth riding.
--
Roland Franzius- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

I believe the model in question does not have such absorber, but
otherwise you are right, the absorber wears out and should be replaced
regularly (which shows how much stress it takes).

[Roland Franzius]

Post by Jens

Post by Roland Franzius

Post by Jens

Post by LilAbner
The Continentals, on the new Merc do just fine until you get to about 70
mph. They shake the steering wheel side to side.
Should I talk to the Dealer or just buy new tires?
if I talk to the Dealer and they agree, they will probably want to
replace them with the same brand. Might not be a bad idea but I think
differently.
What tires are quiet, stick like chewing gum and last many miles?
I had Michelins on the last one: all seasons (Y) rated.
Possibly they just need to be balanced?
jas

I assume that Continetals in US are the same as in Europe, and here
they (SportContact2) are considered as being among the better (and
more silent) in the class. I drove them myself, and my only complaint
is that they wear a bit too fast (because the prioritize other
parameters higher).
The shaking around 70 mph is because this is where the whole steering
is in resonance. Any imbalance will be felt most at this speed.

You have to change the steering shock absorber regularly (all 50000 m),
they are of bad quality.
An other source of wobbling may be rust or rotten alloy between rim and
brake disk. Now after some decades of experiences with alloys, some
shops have learned that cleaning the edges and applying corrosion
reducing grease is essential for smooth riding.
--
Roland Franzius- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

I believe the model in question does not have such absorber, but
otherwise you are right, the absorber wears out and should be replaced
regularly (which shows how much stress it takes).

You are right, the last model with the old steering assembly was the
W202. Looks a bit like steering by wire, the new one in the w203 and w210.