Not sure where to ask this question. I need a ball joint press to rent to R&R my ball joints on a W124, 93 300D. I didn't see any listed on the tool rental page but I keep seeing folks refer to member rentals of these. I hope someone has one. I am in central NC, but I guess these can be shipped to/from anywhere.



Please PM me if you have one I can rent.

Check your local Riley's or other parts house. I rented one for free. I had to pay a deposit for it which was like $100-something, but was returned in full when I brought the press back.

__________________

Thanks. I should clarify, I am looking for the MB specific press. There seems to be quite alot of controversy on this forum about using the right tool. I was hoping someone had the MB preferred kind of press rather than the C-press style that don't seem quite optimal.

I also have a 20 ton press so I may be looking for a spring compressor and take the whole LCA off and press out the BJ and replace.

Still waiting to see if anyone has a press though!!!!!

Check for welds first, the late 124 control arms have a welded-in ball-joint. I've read both ways on the '93.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Are they just "Tack" Welded in a few spots?

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Thanks. I need to get the wheel carrier off and take a closer look. From everything I can tell it looks replaceable. It appears to be identical to the pics in the DIY procedure in the wiki section for the W124 BJ replacement. I would have guessed it was replaceable at first glance but thought worth asking in case there is a clear reason this model isn't able to be changed out.

welded in? wow... I'll check my set of 94's I've got in the shop, and the 95 when I pull it...

__________________
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 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Yeah, kind of stinks for the later models, seems it was phased in with the 4-puck brakes (different angle to clear the bigger brakes, old-style control-arm won't clear the brakes) and therefore the M103 and OM602/3 cars *should* have replaceable ball-joints.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

orignal poster here. Update.

Well, my 93 W124's are replaceable and replaced. Done! Drivers side was shot. Dry as a bone, and had about a 1/8th in of up/down play in it I would estimate. Once I pulled the strut off, it was very evident.

Used an autozone ball joint press. Alot of back and forth on here about not being able to use this kind of press. I did it today. Worked pretty good actually, but requires some rigging to make it work. Just use some common sense and think it through and it it doable. This would have been a 45 minute per side job with the MB press wheel on to wheel back on I believe but I couldn't see spending for this one time job. For the DIY'er without a press handy this is a very doable job with a couple caveats.


To use the autozone C-clamp style press, here are some key points.

Note 1. I used a 4 1/2 in grinder to make a bottom support for the press. If you don't have a grinder this may be tricky to set up.

Note 2. I have an 80 gallon industrial 5 HP air compressor and can run all day long at 150 psi for my impact gun. Probably doable with a normal garage 20 gallon direct drive lose your hearing kind of compressor but impact gun is key to this and one that can really crank down on things.

1) I Tried to beat the BJ out. I read on here this was possible. Yeah right, not going to happen at least in my case. I was worried I was going to break the damn control arm, I couldn't get it supported right to beat on it. May work if you can brace the bottom somehow. I was just trying to not hit it and end up causing the friggin spring to release and kill myself and my 76 year old father who was helping me.

2) I bought a 2 inch pipe end cap. I used galvanized but might be better with black iron. I had enough trouble finding any kind. This is the bottom cap that the press will seat against. I ground it out on one side to fit the end of the control arm as a lower support for the BJ press. Kind of a end cap for the underside of the control arm end if you can imagine. This is key, the AZ press hardware is not suitable to get a good bite. I used a 4 1/2 in grinder to mold the end of the cap. Took only a few minutes and it's a $5-$6 item at lowes.

3) Used a 3/4 in drive socket (not sure which size) to fit over the BJ and seat on the rim of it. Too small and you are pressing on the ball, too big and you are hitting the control arm casting. Not very doable to push on the BJ stud so this socket method was key. Th 3/4 drive socket set I have is good quality, I wouldn't suggest the HF crap for this procedure. It worked great since the 3/4 in square drive hole is big enough that it sits over the BJ stud and allows the socket to seat. Note the stud is still lower than the end of the socket so the press is seated on the socket itself. Again, have a good quality socket if you do this. Mine was from my dad's factory maintenance days.

4) It took a few tries, but get the press lined up right and put an impact wrench on it. Tighten down, then smack the end of the BJ press screw with a BFH. I mean smack the sucker. Then impact again. Both of mine 'popped' when I hit it again with the impact. Kind of sounds like a gun firing when it goes. Very happy to hear the sound!!! This was kind of stressful, sort of the point of no return once you get to a point in this. I switched to a slightly smaller socket and pushed it right out. It's a balance between the right seating to initially release it and then drop down to push it out (much easier phase than breaking it loose).

5) Once cleaned up, put the new BJ in place. Has to be seatedwith the indent lined up inwards. Put one of the autozone pucks on the bottom of the new BJ. Careful to only press on the outer rim. You can easily see where it is OK to press. Put a socket (larger now to sit on the casting of the control arm and ears) on top. Put the press back on and slowly (using a ratchet or breaker bar now) begin to seat the BJ. I went real slow, continually watching to make sure I seated even. Once good and seated I did use the impact but was nervous to. Seat it tight.

Voila - good to go!!!!

Total cost - 2 BJ's for $22 each = $44. Took the press back to autozone.

PS. If I had to do very many of these on these cars, I'd be buying the MB press. Just looks like it would be smooth!

I don't think impact wrenches are a good idea with the Cclamp press...

__________________
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 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Why? Just wondering. I am certainly not a mechanic by anyone's estimation. I assume you are worried about breaking the C-clamp press part or is there something else I am missing. I have understood from what I've read is it's actually better to use an impact. (again just a shadetree guy here so not claiming to know too much). A ratchet or breaker tends to want to rotate the whole thing. That concerned me that it would spin the entire lot off using a breaker when torque got up there. The impact seems alot safer as I went. I am also not sure i'd have ever gotten enough torque on it without the impact. I'm all ears to learn though and appreciate any advice I can get.

I'm worried about fracturing the clamp, or the threaded rod... if the instructions say it's ok, then fine, but if there are warnings in the instructions for the tool, then heed them.

__________________
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 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Do you have an actual basis for that notion? Or is it just a "feeling?"

wouldn't it be easier to take to a machine shop??? If they have the setup for pressing/pulling, they're usually very cheap (how much is your time worth?) to pull/press the new BJs on. At a tire shop, I was quoted $60 per side, but that included complete installation (R&R).

__________________
1983 300D, the "Avocado"
1976 240D, 4-spd the "Pumpkin", SOLD to Pierre
1984 190D, 2.2L, 5-spd, my intro to MBZ diesels, crashed into in 2002

Not everyone is motivated to do things the easy way. In fact, DIY and "paying someone else to do it" are pretty diametrically opposed concepts. Here we have a case that upholds the highest traditions of DIY. The OP diagnosed the problem, researched the repair, assembled the required tools, improvised to make the tools work, and got the job done successfully. I would submit that "Well Done" would be a much more appropriate response than "should have had someone else do it."