Hi all, my car is very "wiggly" going down the road. Ball joints and tie rods and such all seem tight. It has what appears to be the original shocks and struts. Bilstein seems to be the recommended replacements, at least for the 300 series cars. Is it the same for my 190? Also, does it "need" an alignment after you replace the front struts? or can it just be left alone if it tracks straight down the road now. I've read up on alignments a little, should I trust my local tire\alignment shop that I would normally trust with my other vehicles or go to the dealor which is about 100 miles away, one way?

Thanks for all the advice,

Matt

__________________
1987 190E Garage find... 47,800 miles, more everyday!

The rear subframe should also be checked out in the case of a "wiggly" feel. The ends of the 5-link rear suspension components can wear out, leading to a decidedly wiggly feel, especially under acceleration, braking, or changes in the pavement. It is definitely worth checking out the rear suspension for this type of problem.

Some people will tell you to stick with the Bilsteins, but they are expensive. You can get Monroes or Gabriels from Autozone, Advance Auto, etc. for much much less. I have personally had good results from the cheaper struts and shocks, but then again, I also buy cheap tires. Maybe I am just plain cheap, but as I said, I've been satisfied by the cheap stuff.

To get the alignment right, you should really have a 4-wheel alignment performed, particularly if you find any wear in the rear components. Most "modern" wheel and tire shops can do this job.

As you can tell by my signature lines, I'm fond of the W201's, and my '84 190D 2.2 5 speed was one of the best. Now I regret selling it.

SteveM.

__________________
'93 190E/D 2.5 Turbodiesel 5-speed (daily driver)
'87 190D 2.5 Turbo rustbucket - parts car
'84 Dodge Rampage diesel - Land Speed Record Holder
'13 Ram 2500 Diesel
'05 Toyota 4Runner

How do I check the rear subframe? Just grab the parts and wiggle them? Do they "look" bad to the naked eye? I really loke the car but it is a bit squirrely when you drive it. Are the rear parts something that I can change myself without an alignment? I want to get as much done as I can myself before I take it in to have the pros do it.

Thanks, it's good to see that I am not alone with this car.

PS, just filled it up again this morning, was 38.6 MPG. I am pretty happy with that!

Matt

__________________
1987 190E Garage find... 47,800 miles, more everyday!

You will have to get as much of the load off the rearend as possible (without removing the springs). Get the back end up on jackstands, and try pulling/pushing on the top, bottom, front, and rear of the tires. Then remove the wheels for a visual inspection. Look for rotten rubber, or links that feel loose on one or both ends. This is also a good time to inspect the rear brakes. In my mind, the E-brake mechanisms are troublesome if you live in an area where rust is common. However, they are not tough to rebuild, and the parts are pretty inexpensive.

SteveM.

__________________
'93 190E/D 2.5 Turbodiesel 5-speed (daily driver)
'87 190D 2.5 Turbo rustbucket - parts car
'84 Dodge Rampage diesel - Land Speed Record Holder
'13 Ram 2500 Diesel
'05 Toyota 4Runner

Everything Steve (Jetmugg) said, rear suspension parts are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. One of the first things to go is the funny plastic part, sort of vertical shaft with a ball/socket type attachment on top, that is just inside the rear wheel (I think maybe they call it the thrust arm). If they are worn it will make a huge difference when you replace them, especially on a windy day.

Do you occasionally notice a squeak when you turn? Does the steering seem a bit "jerky"? If yes to either you probably have a bad ball joint. I have found that they tend to dry out and exhibit the above symptoms long before they get noticeably loose.

I put 50K a year on my daily driver and consider tires & suspension of utmost importance to my comfort and safety, therefore I won't cheap out on either. A few extra dollars for struts, spread over a hundred thousand mile design life, I feel is money well spent.

I get all of my parts from Fastlane (Buy Parts at the top of the page). They are competitively priced and great folks to deal with.

Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

Hi, Yes, on a windy day it is almost no fun to drive. I am continually correcting the steering for the wind, way more than any other car, new or old that I have ever driven. The steering feels good in my mind. It groans a little when you turn the wheel at slow speeds. I have read that changing the power steering fluid might help that so I have a filter on order & will change all that when it comes in. I will look into the rear stabilizer? that you have talked about. Does it feel loose when the car is sitting on the ground or should I lift it up?

Thanks for all the help on this!

Matt

__________________
1987 190E Garage find... 47,800 miles, more everyday!

If you are continually correcting the steering, and it is "groaning" it is probably a ball joint. Can you isolate the noise to one side or other? It is not likely that you would hear PS pump noise if you are moving.

It takes a pretty stiff crosswind to have much of an effect, even with moderately tired rear suspension parts, but a bad ball joint will make the car behave just as you have described and a crosswind will make it worse, a real PITA to drive.

Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

well now, I wonder...... I just had it by my family mechanic and he put it up on the lift and checked the ball joints and didn't think there was an issue with them. He is not THAT familiar with older mercedes, but a very good and trusted "old school" mechanic. Is there a different way to check these? He was pushing and twisting and such and thought they were alright. Any kind of insight on this would be great. I am more than willing to start to throw parts at it but I would much rather kind of like to know which ones to start with. After ball joints, do I need an alignment? I would guess I would but I really don't know.

Thanks, Matt

__________________
1987 190E Garage find... 47,800 miles, more everyday!

Yes you will need an alignment. If you can isolate the "groan" to one side it is safe to assume that the ball joint on that side is the problem. Roll the windows down and, if you can have a helper with you, do some turns in a vacant parking lot having him/her help you listen. The noise will usually occur between 5 and 15 mph. As I indicated previously, these symptoms will generally occur long before it is noticeably loose. What happens is that there is no longer any grease in the joint so it doesn't move freely and the metal-on-metal grinding is the squeak or groan that you are hearing. New ball joints are only $40 or so and if you have ever done them only take an hour to change.

Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

Photomatt, I am heading out of town until mid-week. Will not have access to internet, so will not respond to further inquiry...... Best of luck, will check in when I'm back to see how you're making out.

Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

Thanks jaoneill & Jetmugg, you've been a great help. I am going to look at the replacement parts and such in the morning, I was just replacing the fuel filters and the power steering filter and fluid. It's a raining, icky night here, good night to "fart around" in the garage!

Thanks again, Matt

__________________
1987 190E Garage find... 47,800 miles, more everyday!