Reasons Behind the Abnormal Noise in the Rear Suspension of Your Mercedes-Benz
by schearerswpadmin November 4, 2022Nothing ruins the image of a brilliant Mercedes-Benz driving down the road, glistening in the sun, throwing care to the wind, than the sound of squeaking metal parts scraping and clunking together like an old box truck. You did not spend thousands of dollars to get that kind of reputation. You don’t want your neighbors wondering why you can’t take care of an investment like your Mercedes-Benz, and you don’t want your clients or customers thinking you are irresponsible. What do you do when your favorite car is making these awful noises from your rear suspension?
Noises: Squeaks or Clunks?
Clunks are not typically an issue for rear suspensions, but occasionally they will occur. The origin of the noise is the improper installation of new hardware in almost every case. There are two places of issue in the rear suspension of your Mercedes-Benz vehicle: the sway bar bushing brackets and the sway bar end link. In both cases, if you tighten the point of issue, it should resolve the clunking noise you hear from your rear suspension. This is not an especially difficult mechanical procedure to perform yourself, provided you can get to the suspension.
Nevertheless, bear in mind that this clunking noise problem almost always comes from an improper installation of hardware, and if you do not do the job more correctly than the lasts person who worked on your car, you may end up making the problem worse and causing damage to your suspension.
Squeaking noises are another matter altogether. Squeaking sounds coming from the rear suspension of your Mercedes-Benz may indicate that your suspension components have become damaged or worn out with use over time. Many of these fixes require replacing parts of the suspension, or other systems.
Sway Bar
It is not always easy to tell which component is causing the squeaking noise, but you can start with the sway bar. The sway bar bushings have a tendency to wear down because they are exposed to outside elements which eventually corrode them. They need occasional lubrication and eventual replacement over time.
In addition to the bushing, the sway bar end links can create strange noises as well. They have two ball joints which are quite famous for failing and require replacement. This task requires a special 12-sided tool to complete.
Arms
The adjustable camber arms are also out there, exposed to the elements often, and can cause squeaking noises over time. The arms require a lot of lubricant, so be very generous in your application of lubricant on them and expect to reapply eventually, particularly if your car endures a lot of hard weather.
The lower control arm bushings also wear down over time and need to be replaced. Of all the squeak related problems with your rear suspension, this may be one of the most challenging to fix. Spraying lubricant is not a good test to see if the lower control arm is the source of the noise either. The best way to deal with this is to try everything else first and if they are not the source of the problem, replace the lower arm. With the proper equipment you can get by with a partial replacement of the lower control arm, but the time it takes to do it and the complicated attachment of the bushing to the rear hubs in your wheels (which also need to be replaced) make it simpler to just replace the whole arm.
Lug Bolts
The last common problem causing squeaks in the rear of your Mercedes-Benz is not exactly a suspension problem. Squeaking can occur when your rear lug bolts are too long for your wheels. When you put on new tires, or even your spare tire, you need to make sure that they are the proper size for your lug bolts. You can check this by comparing how far your lug bolts come out the back of your new and stock wheels. It should be the same length. One of the consequences of driving with lug bolts that are too long for your wheel is that you will quickly lose functionality in your parking brake and will have to replace it.
Schearer’s Sales & Service provides 
the assistance your car requires and the peace of mind you need in knowing that your car is in capable, trusted hands. While it may be tempting to attempt auto repairs yourself, you risk injury and the potential of damaging your car even more if you do not have the right tools and expertise. If you live in or around Allentown, Bethlehem, and Macungie, PA, don’t risk the thousands of dollars in damages by trusting your Mercedes-Benz in the wrong hands. Call Schearer’s Sales & Service today!