OTTO...as for looseness in steering over bumps, look into the 'steering damper". Do some reading on it. My 87 300TD steering would get loose when I went over a series of bumps. I replaced the steering damper and problem was solved!

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1987 300TDT - 195,000 (Original #14 head)
1993 190E 2.3 - 105,000
1981 300D - 250,000