Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-11-2014, 10:02 PM
moon161's Avatar
Formerly of Car Hell
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Buffalo NY
Posts: 2,057
W123 Guide rod & LCA repair

Slid into a curb and whack. Buckled RH guide rod and bent RH LCA of my W123 240D.

Right wheel tracks about 3" back and steering feels not so great, but made it 5 blocks home. Wheel does not rub.

What is relative safety in this situation?

Special tools needed to repair? I'm thinking spring compressor, or at least retainer straps.

Any other parts that usually break or should be replaced while it's apart in this situation?

Does anyone have an LCA to spare near western NY? I'll will hit up car-part.com at lunch.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times
It's hard to
more likely to
concentrate on
have an accident
two things
when you're on
at the same time.
a cell phone.


www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-11-2014, 10:09 PM
Zacharias's Avatar
Not so amused
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: West Quebec
Posts: 4,025
Quote:
Originally Posted by moon161 View Post
Slid into a curb and whack. Buckled RH guide rod and bent RH LCA of my W123 240D.

Right wheel tracks about 3" back and steering feels not so great, but made it 5 blocks home. Wheel does not rub.
Sorry for your bad luck.

I purchased my 300d with similar damage but it was more of a scraping blow in the case of my car.

I would check the tie rod and the center link as well. And I would wonder about the spindle.

You need the correct spring compressor to do the guide rod. If it buckled the guide rod that bad, you will need to make sure that you haven't buckled the tub behind the guide rod mount too. Sounds like a pretty solid impact.
__________________


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
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-11-2014, 10:30 PM
moon161's Avatar
Formerly of Car Hell
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Buffalo NY
Posts: 2,057
Thanks.
The light of day will tell on Saturday. The bent portion is not jammed into the tub. Considered simply, in a buckling situation, the axial force should peak at the actual buckling event, otherwise it would be stable, wouldn't it?

Shouldn't be hard to pop the LBJ from the LCA, that was replaced in 2010. Junkyard LBJ may not show any love though. I'll need to get an LBJ and get the old one pressed and installed in replacement parts. I may not have time for the urban redneck theater of removing it myself.

Quebecois, oui? My high school european french was next to useless the few times i've been to Acadia.
__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times
It's hard to
more likely to
concentrate on
have an accident
two things
when you're on
at the same time.
a cell phone.


www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-12-2014, 02:13 PM
Zacharias's Avatar
Not so amused
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: West Quebec
Posts: 4,025
Quote:
Originally Posted by moon161 View Post
Thanks.
The light of day will tell on Saturday. The bent portion is not jammed into the tub. Considered simply, in a buckling situation, the axial force should peak at the actual buckling event, otherwise it would be stable, wouldn't it?
Honestly I don't know. I just wanted to flag that as a possible outcome.

Quote:
Originally Posted by moon161 View Post
Shouldn't be hard to pop the LBJ from the LCA, that was replaced in 2010. Junkyard LBJ may not show any love though. I'll need to get a LBJ and get the old one pressed and installed in replacement parts. I may not have time for the urban redneck theater of removing it myself.
This is a w123 right? The lower ball joint is in the steering knuckle/spindle assembly. Are you calling the the knuckle the LCA?

Quote:
Originally Posted by moon161 View Post
Quebecois, oui? My high school european french was next to useless the few times i've been to Acadia.
Well if you come to Quebec, they will love you to death if they realize an American is speaking any form of French. The Quebecois pretty much love Americans (often more so than Anglo Canadians LOL).

Sorry to disappoint but I am about as French as Guiness and Haggis combined.
__________________


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
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-12-2014, 03:03 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,115
Re driving as is, you could have too much negative caster. Caster is the shopping cart effect where the wheel follows behind the pivot. The pivot is the line thru the centers of the upper and lower ball joints. If that line hits the road behind the tire patch, the wheel will want to pivot around. By moving the lower ball joint back so far, that is likely. It could be like a bad shopping cart at highway speeds. Ditto for a severely worn LCA guide rod mount.

I wonder if the LCA actually bent. I doesn't resist much fwd-aft motion. That is the guide rod's job. However, there is a little lever arm between where the wheel acts and the guide rod, so could torque it.

The LCA pivot pocket on the K-frame may be twisted a bit, but probably not a big deal. As long as you can get the LCA bolt thru the bushing, it should be OK. The rubber bushings are forgiving.

Removing the lower ball joint was fairly easy for me - framing hammer, rested top of spindle on driveway. Installing the new one was tougher. I used the Autozone rental C-clamp. Follow RollGuy's method of tighten, hammer tap, repeat, and should work easier, as will heating the spindle w/ a torch to expand the hole.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-12-2014, 05:25 PM
ROLLGUY's Avatar
ROLLGUY
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,229
Quote:
Originally Posted by BillGrissom View Post
Removing the lower ball joint was fairly easy for me - framing hammer, rested top of spindle on driveway. Installing the new one was tougher. I used the Autozone rental C-clamp. Follow RollGuy's method of tighten, hammer tap, repeat, and should work easier, as will heating the spindle w/ a torch to expand the hole.
It also helps to put the BJ in the freezer overnight. Be sure to remove the boot before installing the BJ.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-12-2014, 10:33 PM
vstech's Avatar
DD MOD, HVAC,MCP,Mac,GMAC
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mount Holly, NC
Posts: 26,835
There is no way you damaged the LCA on the w123 and drove home. Forget about needing to source one, they are indestructible. The bushing on the other hand, it could be damaged, the guide rod may be destroyed, the swaybar end may be destroyed, the guide rod pocket may be bent in, etc. All easily fixed though. I've done it plenty of times. Get the car on stands, pull the damaged side tire, and the good side, and compare them. It'll be fairly obvious what got tweaked.
__________________
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!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-13-2014, 01:07 AM
Diesel911's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Long Beach,CA
Posts: 51,038
The Lower Control Arm is extremely sturdy. I think it is more likely the Sheet Metal on the Frame that the Lower Control Arm is mouted is more likely to be what bent or are also bent.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page