Driving to work this morning, I hear a loud clunk from the front. Oh-oh. Did not happen for a few miles. Maybe the parking brake was stuck again. Maybe just my imagination. Then it did it again.

I stop, inspect the suspension and the steering. Nothing. I proceed, and clunk again! Seems to drive ok. Then I hit the exit ramp, and something just feels wrong. I look again. Nothing. Proceed to work nervously.

Every moving part in the front end has been replaced by me, so I was trying to imagine what I might have screwed up, and whether I was going to visit the ditch (or worse). Memories came back from the time when the balljoint popped out and the wheel fell off shortly after I got the car.

Went out at lunch, and looked, and looked, and puzzled, and puzzled, then finally I see it! Broken swaybar bracket at frame. Hard to see, because the broken pieces fit together nicely when parked.

Now I have had these things off the car before, and I'll have to say that they look unbelievably flimsy for something under that much load, so I guess it is no big surprise. Seems like something that should be a heavy forged part. Other cars have beefy frame swaybar brackets. Very un-Benz-like.

Maybe I should build forged ones and sell them. The performance would probably improve as well, because these things must bend a lot even in normal use.

Anyways, if you hear a clunk, check 'em out.

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1986 300E 5-Speed 240k mi.