dixie wrecked

iTrader: (6)

Howdy all.
First, this is for a 97 Mercedes e class. For some reason I can't sign up on two of the big Benz forums..
Anyway, I'm having an odd issue.
Front end shimmy felt only in the wheel at highway speeds that comes and goes.

Might be there at low speed, but I can't feel it.
Highway, it goes from mild to moderate, with no real pattern.
Can't hear any sounds, my car has true dual side exit straight pipes..
As of recent (within last year), new LCA's and bushings, upper control arms with ball joints, lower ball joints, outer tie rod ends a year and a half ago, new sway links, new left spindle and hub. Koni yellow shocks about 4 years old, no signs of leak or damage.

New tires yesterday, thought it was a balance issue with my old worn tires, but nothing has changed. Alignment two months ago..
Which, right before that, my pass side LCA snapped suddenly. Was low speed, so no other damage. She drove fine up until a few days ago.

Up on the rack, everything appears fine, only abnormality is that the shock body is touching spindle on pass side with wheel off. On the ground, both sides are the same. No abnormal play in the wheels..

Only thing currently wrong is warped rotors, especially pass side. Been like that for 30k miles, but recently noticed burn marks on the rotor.
Never known rotors to cause a come and go wheel shimmy while off the brakes..
Doesn't pull either way either, though she does feel slightly "floaty", haven't hit anything recently either.
Anyone have any ideas?

Only ones I can come up with is the warped rotor got bad enough to affect it while not braking, or my upper control arm/balljoint was bent or damaged when the LCA snapped and has just gotten bad enough to be noticed, although it appears fine. That, or tie rod ends and inners may be defective, I suppose.
All parts were Moog or oem Mercedes.

dixie wrecked

iTrader: (6)

Man, my phone just doesn't like this forum, won't let me edit again..
Added a pic, snapped at the balljoint at sub 5mph, towed to shop where it sat a few days. Spose that could have damaged the upper and ball joint?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Real common cause of that is, brakes.

Calipers that don't return properly (usually because the rubber line has rusted shut inside) and/or warped rotors.

Since you ALREADY KNOW the rotors are fornicated, change em out. Then, rubber hoses are CHEEEEEP, so do those at the same time. And calipers are almost FREE, might as well do those too. Just do it. It's worth it even if that's NOT the cause of the problem at hand.

dixie wrecked

iTrader: (6)

Actually I didn't even think of that rubber line. She has 208k on the clock, and I haven't changed that line since 142k mikes.
Sadly calipers aren't as cheap on this thing as the firebird is..
However, you make a good point, I'll start with rotors and the lines.

Something I just noticed today, with front end off the ground, I can spin drivers side wheel and see (without tools) High and low spots, appearing to be out of round? Looks like 1/8 inch difference or less between the high and low spot, if that makes sense. A out if round wheel generally has "sweet spots", and I don't seem to have have that, the vibration comes and goes at all speeds.