So as the car is on the lift, I notice the subframe bushings coming apart, but strangeley, this is where all the pressure is and where the lift is supporting the car. We brought the car down and up again for other reasona and It slipped back into its place.

Theres quite a bit of rust around there and its a part some previous owner mus have dine some body work but not for a long-term fix.

Bringing up and down the car again, it appeared popped out again. Is there not a big bolt that should be holding this together?

Im thinking it may be completely rusted out inside that its not holding it.

Would this be accounting for rear end sway like feeling, especially when heavily loaded?

The other side was OK. Also the trailing arm bushing appear in pretty decent shape, no cracking etc... they probably aren't the originals.

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It doesn't look good. Are your rear sway bar links good? It is surprising how much looser the car feels if that little puny sway bar is not functioning.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The links meaning the plastic arm between the sway bar and the wheels?

They were replaced a couple of years ago, and they still seem in good shape, the sway bar bushing to me dont look like anything to be alarmed about.

Really? the Sway bar can really make the whole rear end feel like its, well... swaying?

And if anyone can give their educated guess, about the shape this differential mount is in.

I wasnt sure it looked so bad, but at the same time, what Ive been reading is that it could play a pretty important role in the alignment and rear end feel of the car...

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Yes.

Yes, very likely.

Yes. I mentioned this to in your previous SLS thread as a major cause of the rear end swaying you described.

The trailing arm bushings are can be mistaken for motor mounts when taken from the box. Similar to motor mounts, looking at them on the car is not a good indicator of age or condition.

If the mount area is rusted, unless you know a bodyshop that likes such work, you may need to look around. I was quoted $300 for rebuilding a w126 mount point back in the mid-2000s on a cash basis by a shop in Aylmer.

Does the shop who is advising you what to replace have any background on these cars at all?

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

If it is doing this



by itself you need to get this fixed before you drive the car again.

The big bullet shaped bolt that holds this front bushing / mount on the sub frame in place =>



Is not doing its job any more.

You essentially no longer have a rigid fixing on (at least) one of the three corners of your sub frame.

Forget anti-sway bars (sorry Tom) this is seriously dangerous.


The force from the springs have a tendency to twist the front sub frame mounts up and down - if you remove the sub frame with the springs still in place you will see exactly what I mean. With a loose mount on the differential and the springs pushing the wheel on the ground the front of the sub frame wants to come out and down - it will do this with out a solid mount.

Most people would look at the repair work for this and tell you that the vehicle needs to be scrapped.

If you need further information and pictures of this area with the sub frame removed let me know.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

That would be good, Im planning to try and fix this myself... Im a welder and I happen to have some time on my hands this month...

I may ask help from the aquaintance who jacked up the car, who, to answer the question, doesnt have any experience with these cars, but is simply a a self taught mechanic with a very well set-up shop. He charges $20 an hour cash, but I can work with him which is a bonus.
And hes just around the corner...

I guess I would need to know how this looks, I could take the drivers side as an example of how it should look.

Any ideas on the dif. mount?

Also Im wondering how much Ill have to take apart if Im going to want to rebuild this.. Will the trailing arms have to come out?

You're best off removing the sub frame in one go so you end up with this



Loads of tips and tricks in this thread for that - and as you have a lift you will be laughing (even one sub frame bolt is undone for you - bonus!) =>

Rear subframe removal and bushing replacement

I've got a fair bit of information of what the structure is like and how it all goes together in this thread =>

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/body-repair/303669-my-w123-saloon-sedan-old-accident-repair-bit-rust-repair-thread.html

I'll be working on my W123 tomorrow. I'll post up some more pictures of the area that you're going to be fixing. The captive nut for the sub frame is in a closed compartment though. So if that is bust then you're going to have fun...

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Oh sorry - diff mount - it looks a bit dead from the pictures: But when you take it out have a good look at it - if it has cracks in it then chuck it...

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Thanks for the extra info. I have seen the thread for the subframe removal and repair. Its a good guidline.

I'm trying to see what this specific part looks like and its components.

Where to get the bushings? I've been searching to no avail. My wallet is trembling as I think I may actually have to go to a MB dealership?

I've just had a quick look for the bushings - wow they've gone up in price

Here's the MB part number for the kit

Car Part MERCEDES 1233500375, Repair Kit, axle body

Febi number is the same as "Record France" in that link => not that Febi is recommended at all but it fills in a gap in options

If you punch those numbers into google you should get some hits

I'll do more pictures for you tomorrow

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Thanks, I also found this from Mercedes source: 123-chassis-coupe-sedan-rear-subframe-mount-kit-instructions

However theres a disclaimer stating theres no guarantee they will be an exact fit as they are for w123 sedans. They give a couple of comparison pictures on one pulled out of a Wagon and the new one for Sedans and they look exactly the same, but apparently not quite so?

Any experience with this? Is it really so different?

Sorry the link wont work as I guess its a competitor to pelican parts... but they kit is only $85. I would be interested if Pelican parts sold it but they dont carry it.

I compared a new 126 diff mount with an old one. The rubber on old collapsed down. It wasn't cracked, just sagging. There weren't any negative symptoms like clunking but I replaced it because I had it in hand and knew that it hadn't been changed.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Here are the pictures of the chassis with the subframe removed

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Interresting, so i guess the little nub sticking out is where the big tapered golden bolt from the earlier picture goes in to sandwich the subframe arms to the underbody?

Thanks for that... Im getting ready now for what Im against... This will be my first real bodywork Ive done...

One thing I dont reeally understand, is the shape of the rubber in the Image in post #6, that you posted. I dont see any reseblance to this shape of rubber and the kits Im seeing (and just ordered) online...