Left Turn + CLUNK-Thump=New Sway Bar? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mobetta · #1 09-26-2006, 09:38 PM

1984 300TD, 278K

well, i was on the way home last night ,and while taking a left turn iI heard and felt a clunk. My first thought was that i had left a screwdriver under the hood, and it had come free- wouldnt be the first time- as i felt something in my left foot.
well i took it easy, got off the busy street and looked things over. didn't see anything. I continued home, when i braked for a lite, the car pulled really hard into the left lane. OK, not the first time Ive had a car that did that, so I eased her home the last 3 miles.

upon inspection, i found that the sway bar?, i believe, is shot- it looks like the whole end of it let loose.

anybody done one before?
it looks like you need to remove a lot of parts to get at it-the battery tray,and the brake booster for starters.

next, does anyone have a good parts car that they can access this easily?

I wont have time to get into working on this for a few days, but this is my daily driver, so i am without a car until i can fix it.

well, thanks for looking anyhow.
heres some pics...

this is the passenger side, all good here...

and here is the drivers side- looks to be sheared right off- i havent gotten time to jack up the car and get a better look.

t walgamuth · #2 09-26-2006, 10:05 PM

you dont want to drive it that way. you will lose the top connection of the hub carrier and the top of the hub carrier will fall out and the wheel fold under the car. bad news.

so you need to get it towed to the place to be repaired (or do it yourself).

we saw one of those on this site earlier this year where the end of the sway bar had broken off. is this your situation?

tom w

Hatterasguy · #3 09-26-2006, 10:22 PM

Ouch that sucks. Not sure how to replace the sway bar on a W123, on the W126 its a bear. You have to remove everything in between the fire walls.

Some people have had luck welding or threading in a grade 8 bolt. There are a few threads in the archives. Personaly if I planned on keeping the car I'd just replace the sway bar, its a suspension part and I'd rather not trust a bolt at 90mph.

mobetta · #4 09-26-2006, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

you dont want to drive it that way. you will lose the top connection of the hub carrier and the top of the hub carrier will fall out and the wheel fold under the car. bad news.

so you need to get it towed to the place to be repaired (or do it yourself).

we saw one of those on this site earlier this year where the end of the sway bar had broken off. is this your situation?

tom w

seems to be exactly what happened.

it is in the drive way, so it is not moving till it is fixed.

pawoSD · #5 09-27-2006, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

you dont want to drive it that way. you will lose the top connection of the hub carrier and the top of the hub carrier will fall out and the wheel fold under the car. bad news.

so you need to get it towed to the place to be repaired (or do it yourself).

we saw one of those on this site earlier this year where the end of the sway bar had broken off. is this your situation?

tom w

Nahhh, My dad drove home from chicago to Grand Rapids MI (over 250 miles) at 90mph with a broken sway bar, and he had no prob except a slight pull to the left. We replaced it, and all is well. Time for a link to the SWAY BAR EPIC!! (Mighty Trumpet Annoucement Blast Plays Here)

Enjoy:

W126 The EPIC has BEGUN... Project "Sway" is Underway!

Took about 60 hours of work but I put the whole thing back together and its been great for almost 11k so far!

mobetta · #6 09-27-2006, 10:31 AM

thanks pawosd, I found that link and read up on it already. I'm glad i have a 123 chassis,as there is no second fire wall.

I was wondering where ypu got your swaybar and what it cost you.

I am now a stay at home dad, as my wife is back to work as a teacher, so I need to ask her for the money

to fix it.

i am out of a car until i can get it fixed- i already drove it home, so it wont move until it's fixed proper.

pawoSD · #7 09-27-2006, 03:07 PM

Any MB dealership can get the sway bar for you, at our dealership it ran about $228 or something. Not too bad for a cast 45lb steel bar!

I bet phil on fastlane could also get you one, just give him a call, 1-888-333-4642

mobetta · #8 09-27-2006, 03:26 PM

yeah- phil can get a new one with everything for $417. found some used ones- $65- $150 each...

t walgamuth · #9 09-27-2006, 10:55 PM

that would be forged or drawn not cast.

it is a minor point, but cast wouldn't work in this application.

tom w

pawoSD · #10 09-27-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

that would be forged or drawn not cast.

it is a minor point, but cast wouldn't work in this application.

tom w

Oh.

You're right, I should have known that....

.....had I thought about it before saying it I'd have realized that cast metal would crack apart in that type of application....twisting and bending = non-cast applications. Got it.

Ara T. · #11 09-27-2006, 11:34 PM

They are a pretty big pain in the butt to change. Easier on a W123 than on a W126 though. If you do swap it out make sure to get new rubber bushings.

mobetta · #12 10-20-2006, 08:28 PM

well, after getting screwed over by a online junk yard, i ordered brand new from the dealer. got my parts this morning, and commenced the project. 2.5 hours later, i was reassembling the car. this included doing some minor rust work under-on the battery tray, so not such a bad job(123).

I ended up fishing out the t-bar thru the drivers side wheel well,back in the same way.

dont have pics, as the wife was off with the camera all day.

the bad thing is that i also decided it was time to install the brand new brake lines i got a while back. broke a bleeder- no big deal. got that out, after having to pull the caliper, and now cannot find a replacement. tried csk, napa, autozoo, no luck. napa was the most helpful, we looked it up, and it seems no stores in the 3 state area have one. i dont get it- we are in the rust belt.

any sources on these? 8x1.25 pitch

pawoSD · #13 10-20-2006, 09:25 PM

Call phil or use the website, calipers are all available on there.

Monomer · #14 10-20-2006, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobetta

any sources on these? 8x1.25 pitch

Check hydraulic stores in the area.

The Parker store by me has speed bleeders in stock, and in a huge selection.

mobetta · #15 10-22-2006, 01:08 AM

good call on a hydraulic shop. wouldn't of thought of that.

picked one up at a parts store today, and spent the morning and evening working on the car- new brake lines all around, and a valve adjustment, new VC gasket, and of course the new sway and rubbers up front.

just need to put the air cleaner back on, and take for a test run.