I don't know on your year and model but in the CD manual for a W123 it does not tell you the car needs to be sitting on the ground in a normal manner before you torque the control arm bushings. It is something that is on this forum where they said it is in a W115 manual.

The reason for that is the arms pivot on the elasticity of the rubber bushings. When the car is sitting on the ground, and you torque the control arm bushing bolts that sets the bushings in sort of a neutral position. That means they start from neutral and pivot up or down away from the neutral position while you are driving.

On mine the steering box play can be adjusted.

With aftermarket parts some have received ill-fitting parts and ones that did not hold up for very long.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Easy to check for slop in the steering gearbox. With steering wheel unlocked, grab the shaft in the engine bay and rotate it back and forth while looking at the Pitman arm. Ideally, there will be no slop between rotating one way and the arm trying to move. Easiest is to adjust the Sector Shaft play, which is the allen screw (metric) at the top, with lock nut. Loosen the nut and unscrew the screw (ccw) until tight. Best to do this with the wheels up in the air, and going back and forth thru the center position where the sector is tightest. Adjust until tight then slightly back off 1/4 turn or so and tighten there.

I did this once in the junkyard when I found a W123 with a gearbox showing only 2 threads. But before pulling it, I adjusted out the play. The screw showed 7 threads then, as in the worn boxes in my cars (1984 is at limit and has slight play). No idea how they were driving that car with so much play in the steering, like 1930's films where the driver keeps moving the steering wheel back and forth. I saw that once in Indonesia, riding in a Navy van. The driver was constantly moving the wheel back and forth 20 deg while driving straight. One pothole and we could have wound up in the ditch. I guess they figured that normal, or no budget for repairs.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Rear end bushings etc in good condition? Correcting rear steer that is not that . uncommon on older cars not maintained well is on occasion a problem.

There are simple tests to detect it as the problem when driving. Reduce accelerating velocity fast. After accelerating hard. . Any noticeable change in steering is a clue it might be a factor.

Basically coming on the the fuel hard and backing it off. Or a good visual checking of the back suspension system. While prying things unless it is obvious there is an issue back there.

I do not think it probably is your problem. I just have no ideal of your experience level on cars and it might not occur to you as a possibility.

New shocks can be defective, having a space or gap when moving up down, which can
cause a clacking sound, clack, clack, clackie, clack.

New shocks can be defective, having a space or gap when moving up down, which can
cause a clacking sound, clack, clack, clackie, clack.