W210 control arm snapped ! Benz quality WOW - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skid Row Joe · #1 05-20-2015, 10:12 PM

Not sure the failure wasn't because of deferred maintenance from looking at the pics?

What are all the stats on the car? Miles? Front end parts (shocks) etc. replaced? Worn/aged bushings not replaced? Lower ball-joints replaced? Steering parts/bushings aged? Rust issue(s), esp. front spring perches?

jake12tech · #2 05-20-2015, 11:23 PM

Don't blame the car company.

How many miles? Any rust?

Skid Row Joe · #3 05-21-2015, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blk90s13

Car is a NJ car all it life not much rust on body 205k miles

tie rods is only thing was replaces since we owned the car about 60k miles ago drove fine no weird noises or clunks, welds did fail.

How do you maintain a control arm ? you replace it ? I always thought bushing gets changed in and out but not the control arm its self !

Are you able to access the repair and replacement parts history of your car before you bought it? That information may prove valuable to you with the investigation, forensically speaking that is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97 SL320

In the old days ( pre 80's ) car bodies rusted rapidly, engines / transmissions didn't last very long. Frames sort of lived only due to their thickness.

Now cars last much longer and parts the previously didn't fail are now wearing out. Kind of like since people live longer, all sorts of new illnesses have popped up in old age.

If the lower ball joint is seizing up, it will translate a bending load to the control arm. Since the end of the arm is a great stress riser, it will break there.

Grab the ball joint stem with pliers and give it a flex, it should move with some resistance but not a struggle.

Good input, 97SL320.

I thought there'd be related parts culpabilities to examine, that POSSIBLY could be related to a control-arm failure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Not sure the failure wasn't because of deferred maintenance from looking at the pics?

What are all the stats on the car? Miles? Front end parts (shocks) etc. replaced? Worn/aged bushings not replaced? Lower ball-joints replaced? Steering parts/bushings aged? Rust issue(s), esp. front spring perches?

..........Qs that may be helpful in forensically finding POSSIBLE causation here........