4/9/03 progress
Installed the rear left trailing arm today. After installing the bushings. Went easily.
Installing the subframe bushing was an easier job since I built a C shaped unit to mimick the Mercedes unit as shown in the Service manual. I used some C channel mild steel. Cut it and welded it together. Mercedes in the service manual wants you to put pressure on the outside edge of the bushing ( actually a metal section covered in rubber)to get it to fully seal. This C shaped unit presses against the outside rim as shown in the service manual. Cost about $2 to make, that is if you have a welder. The welds are not the best. My auto dimming welding helmets batteries are dead so I had to use the non-dimming unit. (welds are so much easier with an auto dimming helmet) And I'm out of CO2 gas for the welder so I have a lot of splatter on the unit. But it worked really well. The unit was used with the Ball joint press I always seem to be using on the suspension.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38335
The dimmensions of the press piece are (approximately) 2 inch tall
3 1/8 long and 2 1/4 wide.
Dimensions are not extremely critical. If you want to make one. check out the service manual for the concept and measure your new subframe bushing for dimensions.
The new coil spring went in after attaching the rubber hose that is slipped over the end of the coil spring. I guess this is used to prevent noise. I compressed them and they went in quickly. I had the subframe bushing unattached when I replaced the spring. I then jacked up the trailing arm to attach the screw for the subframe bushing. Released the coil spring and Saturday I will install the hydraulic shock (have to fly thurs and fri).
Re-attached the parking brake cable( done to remove the trailing arm) and the drive shaft (done to remove the trailing arm bushing bolts).
Rear Differential mount on the 300TD wagon. Go to Thomaspin's site. He did a great phototechnicalmanual for changing the mount on the 300SD.
What I will add is the wagon presents some space problems for your tools. The wagon fuel tank is behind the rear suspension along the floor of the back of the wagon.
This makes getting a wrench into the space to remove the two large bolts that attach the mount to the differential a problem.
The 4 attaching bolts at the top are no problem. The 2 differential bolt required some creativity. OR removal of the fuel tank.
I was able to use a box wrench, 22MM, on the top bolt. The bottom bolt was removed by using a 22MM socket and a small piece of 3/8 square steel. This allowed me to use a open end 3/8 inch wrench to grab the piece of steel. And remove and install the lower bolt and the upper bolt. I kept the 2 bolts loose while installing the 4 mount bolts at the top. Them used the setup I have described to tighten the 2 large bolts.
I could not torque the bolts due to setup. I remembered the loosening strengh required and tried to duplicate it upon instalation.
This is a problem only in the wagon.
One additional lesson I learned. When you unbolt the rear differential to replace the differential mount. You can now lower it, Your supporting it with a hydraulic floor jack. BEFORE you lower it you need to unbolt the brake lines to the calipers. As the rear suspension drops the only thing holding the unit will be the brake hoses, which are very short. And the sway bar. Which was not a problem. The front of the subframe is attached and will hold the assembly but the problem is the brake lines.
The attached picture shows the socket, small 3/8 drive and the C press I built.
Dave