Hi Folks:
I have a squeaks on both side in front of my 300D Turbo 1985. I located them on the area of upper control arm. Sprayed a little silicone spray, and went away for about 2-5 minutes and comes right back. More niticeable at low speed. Really bad squeak. Also when I stop and go, stop and go it squeaks every time I apply the break and every time I take my foot off the break. The road condition has nothing to do with the squeak. It happens on the nice roads too. I just put in brand new Bilstein HD about 50 miles back, but the squeak was before that so I gueass its nothing to do with the shocks.
SO I looked at the rubber bushings for upper control arm inner and outer bushings. The inner ones looked a bit disintigrated ( but had another 25-30k life on it) but I replaced them and also the outer bushings replaced. The ride became much tighter and nicer. but the sueak returned in few minutes. When I hold the upper control arm and ask my wife to bounce the car, the squeak can be felt on the upper control arm esp towards the outer end of the control arm. When I come to a stop put car in park shut off the engine and get out of the car I hear the squeak or creeek sound again. Also if I lift the car from the fender above the wheel and leave it down, it goes down with squeak. I have ordered new upper control arms now and will replace it but then what? What if the squeak is still there after replacing the control arms? The springs looks very very clean no rust shims for the springs are nice and clean.
I am just going nuts with this noise. Can someone please help me. All the front tie rods - inner outer and center-, steering damper, steering idler arm etc. are new, front sway bar bushings are nice and clean.

PLEASE HELP. ANY HELP will be appreciated.

MVK

__________________
One penny saved is three penny earned.

1985 300D Turbo 179,000miles

Ok folks:
I got to the bottom of the squeaking problem.
Its the lower ball joint on both the side in front. The rubber boot on top of those ball joints were cracked and have run the ball joint dry.
I sprayed in some lithium grease with a lond thin nozzle and try to regrease those joints. and it worked for now. So after all it was nothing wrong with the upper control arm or its bushings.
The squeak is completely gone for now. I will keep regreasing the lower ball joint thru the rubber boot cracks until I have enough $ to replace the lower ball joints. I have already ordered the lower ball joints for 16 bucks a piece. But the labor is about 400 bucks cant afford that now. My be will give it a shot to do it at home.

But the bottom line is its the lower ball joint. I am so happy and releived to have found the problem.

MVK

__________________
One penny saved is three penny earned.

1985 300D Turbo 179,000miles

Wow, that was fast! glad you found the problem. The labor sounds high. This thread Lower balljoints...DIYer or not. may be helpful. There are about 30 others in the archives by searching the words 'ball joint replacement' . Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

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John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E

Thanks JCE:
I will merit the pros and cons of doing it at home. Then I will see what to do. Mean time will keep them lubricated once every 15 days with the lithium grease spray.

MVK

__________________
One penny saved is three penny earned.

1985 300D Turbo 179,000miles