I've noticed that when I have the rear of the car up on jacks and try to move one of the rear wheels, it moves what I consider unusually far before the drive shaft begins to move. Maybe 5 to 10 degrees around. And there is a definite loud "clunk" that eminates from the rear when the driveshaft does finally "engage". And the clunk is getting to where I hear it when I initially accelerate or deaccelerate.

I have the factory service CD for my car. I seem to recall seeing at one time something about a required adjustment in the rear, and I'm thinking this may have something to do with the noise. But I can't seem to find what I'd previously read about this now.

Anyone got any suggestions? This is getting worse, and I'd hate to lock it up if I can repair it now.

Thanks!
Wendell

If its not noisy while driving I wouldn't worry about it. The spider gears/side gears in the carrier have lots of side clearance which becomes part of what you observe with the wheels in the air. Back lash between ring and pinion which would be a wear item and a concern is rather hard to judge from the axle driveshaft coupling due to the above reason.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

What ever is causing it is so serious of an amount of play that it interferes with the cruise control. With the control on, and the car on a down hill slope, there is so much play that the car jerks, or rocks, back and forth against the two points of play. That just doesn't seem normal to me.

And I've changed out both of the rubber rings on the ends of the drive shaft. One was admittedly bad, but not the other. And the car still does this.

Still confused.

Wendell, you know.. I think i have possibly the same symptom on my 92 300e... Mine does the following:

In the mornings when i want to say.. reverse the car out of the driveway, i place the car into "reverse". i then go to accelerate the car a little as i reverse. i hear a single, pronounced "Clunk" out of the rear after a few revolutions of the wheels. If i happen to have my foot on the brakes when this noise happens, i can feel a definate pulsation in the brake pedal (!). After i reverse out, i will put the car into "Drive". As soon as i press the accel. pedal, i hear another single clunk emit from the rear. This behavior is baffling me, - i had the front flex disc replaced a few weeks ago, and it didnt change a thing. I may also mention that i do seem to have a vibration from approx 60mph+, if its of any relevance (Might be another issue, don't know.. i hope it's related!)
Is this anything at all like what you're experiencing??

-Miles
92 300e 2.6
120k, silver

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milesb@mac.com

Also.. i do have occasional weird cruise control behavior, it will "cycle" as if it is accelerating to the speed I set, then will back off, then will accelerate back again, all in a quick continuous loop, for like 10 sec, then it will give up and shut off.

I keep wondering if there is some sort of "slack" in the driveline somewhere... possibly in the differential (?)

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milesb@mac.com

Exactly my point. I can usually spot a "cycle" when I see one, but that's not what this is.

Picture sitting still in the drivers seat of your car, and some one is behind the car pushing and pulling it forward and backward in quick succession. Literally no more than a second or two between pushes. And they're pushing it hard enough to jerk your head (definitely no pun intended) back and forth.

That's what this feels like. Only it does it at 70 mph!

ack! those certainly sound like some unpleasant symptoms, Wendell!.... Anybody have any ideas on either of our cars??

-Miles
92 300e 2.6
120k, Silver

__________________
milesb@mac.com