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#1
04-23-2008, 07:01 PM
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W124 Control arm bushings and ball joint replacement
Hi,
What is the best option for replacing these worn parts?? They are worn on both sides of my W124 300D. I can remove the control arm, but will probably have a hard time with the ball joint. Is it worth it to spend $500 on brand new control arms?? 
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#2
04-23-2008, 09:44 PM
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Well, new ball joints and Lemforder bushings will likely cost you $250, plus a lot of headache to replace them. The ball joint must be installed in the proper orientation (there's a locating notch), and the bushings are even more critical to have aligned properly (front and rear are 90° different, and the placement must be correct). BT, DT. Or, you can buy brand new control arms for a little over $400 if you shop around.
You MUST have the proper Mercedes plate-type coil spring compressor to remove the control arms, btw. Don't use the generic compressors. Several places rent the correct tool, or you can buy one for ~$200. 
__________________
Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!
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#3
06-10-2011, 01:54 PM
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Quote:
__________________
RIP: 2011 E350 BlueTEC, Schwartz 81k (totaled by uninsured drunk driver) 1964 Unimog 404.1 (wrongfully towed by the city) 1994 E320, Brilliantsilber 208k (transmission shuffled off after sudden catastrophic fluid loss) 1982 300D, Silberblau under a blue repaint 256k (sold for parts) 1995 E320 Polarweiss, 131k (sold for parts) 1995 E300D Polarweiss, 287k (totaled by drunk driver)
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#4
06-10-2011, 02:04 PM
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Quote:
Generic compressors do not work well and can be very dangerous.   
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#5
06-14-2011, 01:02 PM
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What about this kind of compressor?
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Cheers! Scott McPhee 1987 300D
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#6
06-09-2011, 11:11 AM
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Bump...
Same position, considering the same option: whole arms versus piecemeal rebuilding. My question is, there seems to be a break in year at 1988 and up for w124 control arms, which are easier to come by (ebay etc). Do newer control arms work on my 1987 300D?
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Cheers! Scott McPhee 1987 300D
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#7
06-09-2011, 11:18 AM
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The front control arms changed on models with the M104 and M119 engines, to allow more clearance with the larger brakes used on those models. The late LCA's have non-replaceable ball joints and were first used in 1990 on the coupes, IIRC. They bolt right up to the early cars. Definitely worth considering these instead of rebuilding your old ones. Avoid no-name/eBay items, stick with OEM like Febi/Lemfoerder which are available via aftermarket for <$200/ea as mentioned previously.
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#8
06-14-2011, 01:08 PM
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not me.
I'd use plate.
__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 560SL convertible 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!  1987 300TD 2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
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#9
06-14-2011, 02:05 PM
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Quote:
I wouldn't use the generic type shown in that photo. The aftermarket plate-type tools are under $200, how much is your life worth? If it's a one-time job, you can re-sell it afterwards to recoup most of your investment (easier than renting, IMO)... or just rent the proper tool from someone on the forum. 
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