the FSM wrote the procedure so anyone who has never in their life seen a tapered bearing pair can adjust it perfectly in the first go.

I have used the dial indicator myself but after a while you get the feel of properly adjusted bearings.

this feel is surely lost if the operator has other problems like coffee jitters or numb fingers from diabetes etc.. For such - its best to follow the book. In real life cases I have seen that after about 10 bearings or so, you get the knack of it.

the other most important part here is choosing the correct grease, packing it right and using the correct quantity, the factory green stuff or good old american hi temp red wheel bearing grease, I choose the american one as it is readily available cheaply and is equal or better than the factory stuff.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I used to think that however, the FSM is specific and when I've adjusted by feel then checked my work with a gauge, it has been off. Your car, your wrenches, your choice - AND most DIY people won't have to adjust 10 bearings in a reasonably short time frame to develop this elusive feel you promote.

Perhaps meditating will help Ohhhhhhhmmmmmmmm.

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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.

lol..

im not promoting the feel way - these bearings are not anything unique and many car brands have some different ways to adjust them on the car.

e.g. old mazda 929s, familias and rx7s front wheel bearings - their early FSMs tell you to use a shoelace and a lugbolt as a weight to test the friction of them. (old mazdas had bolts - and no there is no preload spacer in the hub like on a diff where you test friction)

later ones tell you to use a pocket scale on the lug stud.

some ancient datsun and prince manuals tell you to "feel" a click.

- try getting that squared away.

the MB way is the most reliable way and can be reproduced time and again, however of all the places I have been in and seen cars with these bearings around the world, other than some fancy dealer shop - every single bearing has been adjusted by the old mechanic running the place.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Just wanted to put in a follow-up post to this. Sure enough, that noise was caused by the passenger-side wheel bearing. My local mechanic replaced both on that side, repacked and then repacked the driver's side bearings. Also, replaced a leaking oil cooler hose that I bought from a reputable online source. No more noise, and no more leaking from the oil cooler hose (was weeping at the crimped ferrule fitting between the oil cooler fitting and rubber hose).

Thank you for posting this .

It's been close to 100,000 miles since I last re packed and adjusted the front wheel bearings on my '84 Coupe, by hand just as any Factory / Dealer trained Journeyman Mechanic does / will do .

The hysterical OH MY GHOD ! YOU'VE GOTTA DO IT THIS WAY OR YOU'LL RUIN THE CAR ! posts remain amusing and sill give the oldeer hands something to laugh about during tail gate meetings .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Well like the guy said you can adjust the Wheel Bearings as you wish.

I think I posted already but the first time I adjusted the Mercedes Wheel Bearings I got them too tight and overheated the Grease and had to do the job over but this time with a dial indicator.
I caught it because I drove a block or so and got out and felt the wheel and found it too hot.

Never had any issues after using the dial indicator.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

You are welcome. While I appreciated the info regarding how to do this myself, I'm really glad I let someone who does it for a living perform the repair. Could it end up biting me in the backside (aka poor worksmanship down the road)? Sure could, but from info here, I guess I can take a crack at it from that point.

Thanks, everyone!

The main thing is : you now know how it's done and are building confidence towards D.I.Y. repairs & service .

Older Mercedes are very much over engineered and so are very forgiving of newbie mistakes .

I tend to buy junkers or abandoned impounds etc. so I get to do a lot of 'deferred maintenance' and see lots of DPM/DPO errors and sloppy/bad works .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better