I have pulled the rear suspension from my parts car with 280K on it to put it in my runner.
When I started taking it apart to change the bushings, I have found the bushings to have no cracks in them, I expected them to be shot.
So I am now down to deciding should I replace them anyway? or put it back together and put it in the car?

The dif mount is completely shot, so that will get changed.
thanks
Doug

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Rear sub frame bushings are a pain for me.

They would have to look awfully good for me not to replace them.

Guess it depends on how much you enjoy wrenching,
and how much money you want to spend.

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When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

If I were you I'd change the bushings now before you put them on another car - the chances of having to change them again are less likely - However, I like things to be over engineered!

Take a look at the Whiskey Dan method of changing bushings

W123 1984 300TD wagon rear trailing arm bushings R&R

It works a treat.

The bushings are cheap. Replace them now.

That is the thread I have been using in planning all of this.
I will change them.
Thanks
Doug

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Geesh, I meant to say the rear trailing arm bushings are the toughest, not the sub frame, but there both a pain.

I agree the bushings are cheap, compared to the time and effort it takes to change them.

__________________

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

Actually with it out the trailing arms went smooth compared to the sub frame. I still do not have them seated all of the way into the sub frame. but close.
In the kit for the sub frame there are 2 bushings the car did not have. The smaller ones, I am assuming these are for the top of the sub frame?
thanks again.

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

I don't know exactly what you mean - but perhaps you are talking about the foam like bits that are fixed on the chassis around the place where the bullet-like bolts screw in? These are about 20mm in diameter...

EDIT:- This information is for a W123 - not a SD - sorry

Not sure, can you find a link to a pic of your extra bushings ?

How did you get the trailing arm bushings out ? and back in ?

__________________

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

here is a pic of the kit.
Also I used the Whisky Dan method, and it worked great. Put just a little ATF on them and they slid right in. The larger sub frame ones were more of a challenge, but not bad.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Hmmm, I don't really recognize the smaller ones.

Kinda look like the front thrust rod to lower control arm but not quite.

__________________

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

I can only think of two places for these, One would be inbetween the sub frame and the car, Which is what I am leaning to, the other would be between the subframe and the bracket on the bottom of the car.
Or they could be for a differant model, and I do not need them?

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

I just changed these on my SEC.

The smaller bushings are jump bump stops from all I can tell. They are located directly above the center of the large bushings, on the same bolt.
When you start to take the large ones out, you'll find the little ones up above them, surrounding the threaded piece in the body where that large bolt threads into.


Personally, I didn't find this all that difficult a task, other than getting over the dread built up reading all the accounts people had about it, here on the forum!
A quick rattle from the impact wrench loosened the three bolts on each side, (two locating bolts, the one main bolt) and a bit of creativity with a piece of all-thread, some washers, and nuts got the old pieces out. I got impatient after a bit and used a small floor jack to put a little extra pressure upward on the subframe, pushing the bushings out faster than the car's weight was doing.

Installing them, I used the same threaded rod, washers, and nuts, with the addition of an old circular saw blade as a large washer. Then I replaced the saw blade with an old 2.5lb barbell weight. The application of a good bit of silicone spray lube on the bushing let it slip right in.

To get clearance for the ratchet on the top of the subframe while pulling the new bushing in, I used a large pry bar to push the subframe down from the body of the car 2 inches or so, before letting it back up, holding the ratchet in place against the body mount, which made the installation that much easier and quicker.

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...

They did go above the sub frame. Got it together, and in. Squeeks some, But I assume that will go away in time as things settle in.

thanks

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside