Spring compressor for 123 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

KAdams4458 · #15 12-12-2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I still see no issue with raising the car an extra foot off the ground, and using a floor jack to lower the control arm to release all the pressure off the spring... it's what we did in the shop, and I will give it a try when I rebuild my euro TD...

I've used that approach on some vehicles, but never a Mercedes. It might be perfectly safe.

I'll say this much... The lower control arms on my 300D wouldn't drop but a tiny bit further with everything unbolted. Even with full spring pressure on them, the LCA joints were so ate up with gunk and corrosion that they would hardly budge. I even tried to lever them downward with an 8' 2X6, and only managed to crack the board in the middle.

Spring pressure may not ever be relieved in such a hardcore case of joint stiffness such as my car suffered from, because extended travel of the LCA through rotation of the pivot point may not be possible, or it may progress from stuck to fully extended too rapidly to be safe. Don;t let that jack drop too far away from the LCA if you find yourself prying on the LCA to get more travel.