Steering clunk on RHD petrol Trialmaster

[AndrewW]

I can’t see any other reference to a palpable but inaudible clunk when turning the steering wheel (except I announced it in the Infotainment thread).
Most surprised that no one else has mentioned it.
From an occasional clunk on a bendy road to twelve consecutive clunks in 20 metres doing a full lock left, full lock right manoeuvre.
Found the cause today. Up on the ramp…
Sadly videos too large to upload
What we saw was the drag link suddenly rotating sometimes 15° sometimes 30° depending on the steering force applied, resisted as it is by the steering damper.
As the mobile end of the damper is attached to a bracket on the underside of the drag link (on mine at least and NOT on at least one LHD unit) a linear rotational force is applied to the dragline as the steering is varied. If sufficient, it will cause a relatively sudden rotation-and-stop rotary movement, of variable angle as described above.

Totally safe, quite irritating, rather sad it should be there, and possibly curable by relocating the bracket to the rear of the drag link as per LHD units. At first glance this might need a slightly modified drag link shape to avoid contact between the damper and the front on diff casing.
But at least I know it’s safe and still wonder if an anyone else notices the clunk.
(I will try to shrink the two 29Mb video files and post. No idea how to do that on an iPhone… )

 

[Trialmaster]

No clunks on mine at all. Wonder if it was modified during the long wait at the factory. My VIN is around 1170 and only just collected.

 

[AndrewW]

No clunks on mine at all. Wonder if it was modified during the long wait at the factory. My VIN is around 1170 and only just collected.

Mine is…2060+

Could you have a look at your draglink? Is the bracket vertically downward?

Further thought about the constant rotation of the draglink is the increased movement at the rubber boots at the ends, and hence earlier demise. Not a cheap repair…

 

[Boston Boy]

I can’t see any other reference to a palpable but inaudible clunk when turning the steering wheel (except I announced it in the Infotainment thread).
Most surprised that no one else has mentioned it.
From an occasional clunk on a bendy road to twelve consecutive clunks in 20 metres doing a full lock left, full lock right manoeuvre.
Found the cause today. Up on the ramp…
Sadly videos too large to upload
What we saw was the drag link suddenly rotating sometimes 15° sometimes 30° depending on the steering force applied, resisted as it is by the steering damper.
As the mobile end of the damper is attached to a bracket on the underside of the drag link (on mine at least and NOT on at least one LHD unit) a linear rotational force is applied to the dragline as the steering is varied. If sufficient, it will cause a relatively sudden rotation-and-stop rotary movement, of variable angle as described above.

Totally safe, quite irritating, rather sad it should be there, and possibly curable by relocating the bracket to the rear of the drag link as per LHD units. At first glance this might need a slightly modified drag link shape to avoid contact between the damper and the front on diff casing.
But at least I know it’s safe and still wonder if an anyone else notices the clunk.
(I will try to shrink the two 29Mb video files and post. No idea how to do that on an iPhone… )

try Vimeo. you can upload a video and just send a link. Their least expensive membership is US$12/month (I'm a user not a shareholder)

 

[DaveB]

try Vimeo. you can upload a video and just send a link. Their least expensive membership is US$12/month (I'm a user not a shareholder)

Try uploading it to youtube and then providing a link

 

[Solmanic]

Interesting.
This is another reported vehicle quirk that sounds exactly like our W463 G-Wagen. It has also had a steering clunk from new which, periodically, the mechanics have been able to eliminate by re-torquing certain steering connections. But it always comes back. The other issue reported in another thread is the loud fan after engine shut-off for the DPF regeneration cycle. Also there have been comments made about the Eaton diff-locks which are also fitted to the G.

Given the G-Wagen and Grenadier were both designed by Magna in Austria, I wonder how much of the W463 DNA is underpinning the Grenadier. I suspect a LOT. The entire layout of the Grenadier matches the previous generation G-Wagen and one of the YouTube videos released last year of the factory in production showed a Grenadier body shell and I swear, it looked very familiar.

It might pay for new owners to peruse some of the G-Wagen forums to see if their queries relate to older threads there. Might even be some reassurances or solutions.

Australian Gelandewagen Owners Association

An online community for owners of the Mercedes-Benz & Puch Gelandewagen in Australia

www.tapatalk.com

 

[AWo]

Given the G-Wagen and Grenadier were both designed by Magna in Austria,

The driveline was design by Magna Drivetrain in Steyr, the car by AKA, former MB Tech. Magna Steyr in Graz, where the G-Wagon is build, transformed the prototype into a series modell. They did not design the Grenadier. It is also not true, that just a car build in Graz at Magna Steyr is always developed by the G-Guys. Each manufacturer has their teams in Graz, their own staff which works together with Magna stuff. Normally a car manufacturer has no interest that their knowledge flows via Magna staff to other vendors projects. If a vendor pays for a Magna development it is their property. If Magna develops something which is taken by the vendor, they can sell it elswhere to.

However, Alexander Quindt, development lead, comes from Magna Steyr and was involved in the G-Wagon.

AWo

 

[Solmanic]

Yeah, I wasn't really referring to the beer mat to prototype design, but the production ready development.

 

[AndrewW]

First video from underneath facing forwards

View: https://youtu.be/y6nFvw628ms

 

[AndrewW]

This version should be visible here (didn’t understand the significance of the 18 year age limit ).

View: https://youtu.be/pPbMcxawUrI

 

[DCPU]

I'm not hearing any clunk, but then you did say "inaudible clunk"; so are you feeling a jerk through the steering wheel?

 

[AndrewW]

Second video looking aft

View: https://youtu.be/lE6SpPjZ9_s

 

[AndrewW]

I'm not hearing any clunk, but then you did say "inaudible clunk"; so are you feeling a jerk through the steering wheel?

Feeling, rather like the “haptic”? bump you get in a smartphone when pressing buttons, but beefier in tone. Occasionally left and right rotation of the wheel produces a subtle difference - as in tick and tock from a clock…

 

[AWo]

Looking at that video, is it possible that the protection doesn't protect the steering and that it is even lower than the axle? Or is that just the perspective?

It looks like an obstacle could easy damage the steering, or am I wrong?

AWo

 

[DCPU]

If you manually rotate the link to different positions before turning the wheel, is this movement consistent or maybe there's a sweet spot it will sit in to reduce the angular movement?

 

[DCPU]

Looking at that video, is it possible that the protection doesn't protect the steering and that it is even lower than the axle? Or is that just the perspective?

It looks like an obstacle could easy damage the steering, or am I wrong?

AWo

Why not start your own thread, or post on a thread already discussing that, rather than drag OP's off topic but right into your personal agenda?

 

[AndrewW]

If you manually rotate the link to different positions before turning the wheel, is this movement consistent or maybe there's a sweet spot it will sit in to reduce the angular movement?

Tried that - it rotates by hand moderately easily but returns immediately to the “naughty” position as the wheel is turned.

 

[AWo]

Why not start your own thread, or post on a thread already discussing that, rather than drag OP's off topic but right into your personal agenda?

Can do that. Where was it discussed already? Do you have a link, please?

AWo

 

[AndrewW]

Looking at that video, is it possible that the protection doesn't protect the steering and that it is even lower than the axle? Or is that just the perspective?

It looks like an obstacle could easy damage the steering, or am I wrong?

AWo

Actually, that is a valid point, looking when not on the ramp - another reason for seeking to have the bracket aft (as in LHD) instead of underneath. It would require a redesigned draglink. I will follow that in the new thread you propose…

 

[AWo]

I will follow that in the new thread you propose…

DCPU suggested that this was already discussed here somewhere else...My comment "I could do that" was more to not going Off-Topic and openimng my own thread instead (in the future).....

AWo