Swaybar repair pictoral, 300SD - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #16 06-16-2006, 05:45 AM

exactly.

but i would not have thought the bar was cast, rather i would have thought it was rolled or drawn.

tom w

Pete Burton · #17 06-16-2006, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Because the sway bar is a "cold cast" piece of metal, its not really supposed to be drilled into or altered like that....at least thats what I read/heard somewhere. The sway bar could crack apart where the bolt goes into it, the bolt would be fine, but the sway bar wouldn't be. I am curious to see how long it lasts.

The original bar is machined in the same region and eventually does crack where the bolt goes into it, but only when it has been seriously corroded. FWIW, I loaded the bolt in bending numerous times well beyond where the UCA stops will allow it to travel when all assembled. The area loaded now adjacent to the tapped hole is significantly larger and the moment arm is a bit less.

I won't comment on the "cold cast" rumor as I can't think of anything relevant that wouldn't be rude, but that metal was pretty nice to work with. I couldn't see spending hundreds of $ and dozens of hours to replace that bar with a new one with the same corrosion trap point.

Hopefully, the info I posted can be used by someone else.

carwithfarts · #18 09-22-2006, 09:43 PM

this truley is a great diy...i had a broken end on my car so i cut and cleaned up both ends and did this diy. after i did it i drove to philly and back from central illinois with no problems what so ever and getting ready to do it again.. thank you so much for a wonderful idea!

WD8CDH · #19 03-21-2007, 02:08 PM

Hi Pete,

Is the washer still attached to the sway bar in your first attachment welded on or just held in place by rust?

pawoSD · #20 03-21-2007, 02:54 PM

They now have a specially made thing to fix the sway bar with if the end snaps off, its listed in the special tools/parts area of fastlane, it fits over the end of the sway bar and is then welded to the bar, a perfect fix.

WINGAS · #21 03-21-2007, 02:55 PM

Grade 8 might be too brittle. Get a 5 in there. You'll want some "give" in that bolt, or it'll jsut shear. Well heck run it. if t shears off, get a 5, a bit more pliable.

whunter · #22 03-22-2007, 01:39 AM

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WD8CDH · #23 03-22-2007, 03:01 PM

Any idea what the price is? I couldn't find it in the catalog.

Brian Carlton · #24 03-22-2007, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 427L88

Grade 8 might be too brittle. Get a 5 in there. You'll want some "give" in that bolt, or it'll jsut shear. Well heck run it. if t shears off, get a 5, a bit more pliable.

If a grade 8 bolt fails in shear.........you can bet that a grade 5 bolt will fail much faster........

There is no logic to an argument that you wish to have "give" in a bolt.

Mister Byrnzoil · #25 03-22-2007, 09:09 PM

wow, great diy, excellent work. I think perhaps I would have opted for bronze tubing as a spacer between the bolt and the bushing.

Pete Geither · #26 03-22-2007, 09:44 PM

Time will tell.

whunter · #27 03-23-2007, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WD8CDH

Any idea what the price is? I couldn't find it in the catalog.

I edited post #22.

WD8CDH · #28 04-02-2007, 11:48 AM

I don't think it matters whether it is grade 5 or grade 8 since it goes thru a rubber bushing.

I am in the process of doing this repair on my '85 300D. I am going to use a steel 5/8" OD spacer instead of a plastic one. It will be cut to the length that will give the proper bushing compression with the bolt torqued down on the spacer.

I machined up a couple of drill guides to center the pilot hole and the final tap drill size hole.

By the way, If you have the problem on one side of the sway bar, you probably will have the same problem on the other side very soon.