Front end work! More Pics coming... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

PanzerSD · #1 07-13-2006, 11:08 PM

This weekend I'm going to repair my car.

About three months ago, I began to feel a clunk whenever I'd apply the brakes, I thought something had come loose under the dash and was hitting on something when the inertia would change in the car. I couldn't find it. I also noticed that it only happened when the car was moving so I looked at the suspension. the drivers swaybar mount had rusted and ripped from the firewall...It got progressively worse, till one day I started hearing a dull scrape whenever I went around a corner and again when I straightened out....Sacked control arm bushings on the drivers side. So now, I had a loose swaybar mount, and sacked out bushings. To make things worse (or so I thought) my shocks had had their last bounce...

so I bought some new bushings and planned on repairing he sway bar on Canada Day long weekend. When I removed the control arm, there was a half inch deep groove worn into the front edge of the control arm (pics coming soon) It had held on that long I decided to install bushings and wait on the control arm that I ordered that day...It got here yesterday, along with two nice nre shocks. I'm non a slight budget here so I got jobber parts from a VERY reputable local parts store. I have life time warranty on the shocks and on the control arm. I'll never have to pay for shocks again..

I trust MOOG parts to the ends of the earth, and the shocks are really just temporary untill I can afford some Billstien HD's....

So as I work on my car tomorrow, I will take photos, and post them on here for everyone to gawk at........

stay tuned...,

PanzerSD · #2 07-17-2006, 09:23 PM

Ok, so I finally got down to it.
What I had to do was replace my left upper control arm and re-attach the torsion bar mount to the fire wall.
when I got everything apart (had to remove brake M/cylinder and booster,
it wasn't really as bad as I thought, but I saw one thing tht all of you should be wary of. My swaybar didn't come loose from rust...it was metal fatigue!!!!

My shocks on the front had been non-functional for a VERY long time, and the constant beating that the suspension was going thru took it's toll on the upper control arm bushings. so here's how I believe things lead up to my needing to seriously re-build my front end.

1. Shocks fail
2. control arm bushings get sacked out from taking the brunt of the shock.
3. the repetitive motion ripped the torsionbar mount from the firewall.
4. continued driving cause the control arm to move forward, rubbing on a structural member digging DEEP groove in the control arm...
5. the loose control arm allowed the torsion bar to move forward, drastically effeting the driving characteristics of the car as well as the braking. It would pull HARD left when I brake...dangerous.
6. the moving torsion bar mount was hitting the bottom of the brake booster whenever the passengers side wheel hit crack or pothole or whatever. this wore a substantial groove in the bottom of the brake booster (thank god it's not leaking)

O I set forth cleaning up the firewall are to re-wed the mount....I'll say all went well!

a few tips...

ALWAYS ALWAYS disconnect the - terminal of the battery, no matter how old the car is, there's always something that can get fried..

and NEVER NEVER NEVER weld without a welding mask.....

PanzerSD · #3 07-17-2006, 09:24 PM

Here is what happens to other things...

JimmyL · #4 07-17-2006, 09:33 PM

I wish somebody could host his pics or something similar. Looks like good stuff to see, but is so downsized that you can't tell too much.
Sounds like it was a significant project.

rs899 · #5 07-17-2006, 09:39 PM

Yeah- I'd like to see these pix better. I think you were driving a bomb.

DeliveryValve · #6 07-17-2006, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Got_The_Benz

My shocks on the front had been non-functional for a VERY long time, and the constant beating that the suspension was going thru took it's toll on the upper control arm bushings. so here's how I believe things lead up to my needing to seriously re-build my front end.

1. Shocks fail
2. control arm bushings get sacked out from taking the brunt of the shock.
3. the repetitive motion ripped the torsionbar mount from the firewall.
4. continued driving cause the control arm to move forward, rubbing on a structural member digging DEEP groove in the control arm...
5. the loose control arm allowed the torsion bar to move forward, drastically effeting the driving characteristics of the car as well as the braking. It would pull HARD left when I brake...dangerous.
6. the moving torsion bar mount was hitting the bottom of the brake booster whenever the passengers side wheel hit crack or pothole or whatever. this wore a substantial groove in the bottom of the brake booster (thank god it's not leaking)

So you think all that from worn out shocks?!?! Wow, let that be a lesson to everyone who owns a car/truck/etc with worn out shocks or struts! REPLACE THEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

#7 07-17-2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

I wish somebody could host his pics or something similar. Looks like good stuff to see, but is so downsized that you can't tell too much.
Sounds like it was a significant project.

You can always make them bigger.

PanzerSD · #8 07-18-2006, 04:50 AM

Sorry about the pics, it was just faster to use the thumbnails...
I'll post the better ones when I get time to re-size them.
they're not all that great anyway, since they're from a Cell phone.....