Answers needed for 1981 240D Problem
 

I'll try as best as I can to describe my problem. There is a bar running horizontal to the firewall that connects to the left and right control arms.When you shift from forward to reverse the bar moves left and right.It seams to shift the front tires a little when this happens.Now the problem is on the passengers side where the arm attaches to the body under the battery box is loose.I had friend shift it back and forth several times because it was making a popping sound and saw the it was pulling away from the body.It has also rubbed a hole in the firewall that you can see from inside the car looking up under the glove compartment.How hard a fix or any advice Thanks,Taylor:confused:

Sounds like guide rod mounts.
Checkout out this R&R thread: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/302031-126-guide-rod-mount-replacement.html

I think you're talking about the drag link (horizontal rod with two ball joints on the end) and the idler arm (sort of angled vertical tube that holds a steering arm). [Fastlane has this as Tie Rod Assembly Center: ]Year Listing - Peachparts

If the idler arm tube has broken loose and worn through the firewall, you probably have a serious safety issue - if that's what has occurred - since that supports the steering on the passenger side.

If it's wear, then maybe welding. If it's rusted through under the battery tray, then that might not be so easy to find something solid to weld things up.

Pics would help ID the parts and a possible fix.

Answer
 

What you describe is the sway bar.
It sounds like the body is corroded and/or the mount bracket has broken.

Pictures would help.

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I believe he talking about the stabiliser bar that connects the two top upper ball joints together. It is very high up on the firewall.

New mounting points will have to be welded in. If this can be done with the bar still in place is outside my knowledge. If the bar has to be removed to do it it is somewhat more difficult I would think.

Either way the mounting system of the bar has to be replaced/repaired.. The other option I suppose is that the rubber mounts for that bar have fallen apart with age and wear. That would be the easiest senario.

Sway Bar
 

I thought it is a sway bar... that is one animal that is hard to fix... it is the only horizontal bar that is even close to running horizontal and that can rub any holes even close to the firewall...

Feedback reply
 

Thanks for the feedback on the problem.Looks like the problem is a broken mount or rusted through.When I had the friend shift the car forward and backward it would pull loose and I could see what looked like rust behind it.Any info or links to see how to take it apart to get to the mount?

whunter is correct, it's the anti sway bar and can no longer be attached to the fire wall. Welding is necessary.

Good luck.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/309404-ok-ill-restore-300td-thread.html

Pic #2 is post #9 shows a more/less intact joint. There is a "hole" already there that normally has a plastic cover (dark gray, center of pic), but that goes to the fender-well, not the glovebox. There are also some grommets, etc, that go through the firewall. You can see part of the large oval rubber grommet in the lower right of that pic.

Hopefully it hasn't progressed to the point where the torsion bar (or sway bar) has actually broken free and penetrated the firewall.