Help guys, suspension trouble - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DslBnz · #1 09-29-2003, 05:32 PM

In my 300SDL,

I encountered a friendly forest creature in the middle of the road, scrambling across it, just a few minutes from my house. I locked up the brakes and tried to swerve around it. I heard a clunk, like the type of clunk you get when vaccuum pressure is too low in a transmission. The car started pulling WAY off to the left, and the steering wheel followed. When I tried to center the steering wheel, it would still pull dangerously sharp to the left.

I got out of the car and inspected the driver's side wheel (as that's where the clunk came from). Didn't notice much, until I went to the front of the car and compared the two front wheels. The bottom of the wheel on the driver's side was bent outward about 15 - 20 degrees, and the one on the passenger side was perfectly straight.

I will drive the SE for now.

I have this posted in the Tech help forum, but I am not getting enough responses fast enough. So I look to you dieselers for a second opinion. I think the trailing arm snapped, is it possible you guys could post a picture of this part so I could know for sure?

sixto · #2 09-29-2003, 05:43 PM

There is no trailing arm in the front suspension of a W126. You might mean the guide rod that keeps the lower control arm in place during acceleration and braking. I doubt that would cause the camber change you describe because the camber doesn't change that much while replacing the guide rod. For that drastic a camber change a ball joint or control arm bushing collapsed. That's my guess, anyway. If you were able to steer to get it home then I doubt you broke either control arm.

ABS didn't kick in?

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

DslBnz · #3 09-29-2003, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sixto

ABS didn't kick in?

ABS worked, but I still made skid marks.

There is a rod of some sorts that connects to the control arm. While the control arm itself is fine, the rod that goes behind the firewall of the car broke off. It looks like a pig to get to.

It's connected to the upper control arm.
I'll try to post a picture.

sixto · #4 09-29-2003, 06:00 PM

Ah, the sway bar. That's a herd of pigs to get to. Everything attached to the firewall has to come off. But I still think there's something else. Something else failed and took the sway bar with it.

Sixto

DslBnz · #5 09-29-2003, 06:03 PM

Here please help to identify,

sixto · #6 09-29-2003, 06:07 PM

Can you crank the wheel over full right and take a shot from behind the left wheel?

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

DslBnz · #7 09-29-2003, 06:10 PM

Actually, I have to go to dinner. I will post another picture, as you request sixto, after eating. Thanks for your help.

DslBnz · #8 09-29-2003, 06:31 PM

Here,

sixto · #9 09-29-2003, 06:50 PM

What's for dinner?

If you can swing the upper control arm fore-aft easily, the inboard control arm bushing is shot.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

DslBnz · #10 09-29-2003, 07:11 PM

What happened was the sway bar rotted off.

It just broke away from the control arm.

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Dinner was just your basic vegetable(corn) and starch(potato) and salad. Enough to keep you healthy.

#11 09-29-2003, 09:05 PM

I found this link about a year ago that relates to what I think you're having a problem with.
Good Pictures, etc.
Good Luck!

#12 09-29-2003, 09:12 PM

Oops, forgot the link:
http://home.earthlink.net/~alchemyking/300/front-end/index.html

DslBnz · #13 09-29-2003, 09:16 PM

I was just reading your post and was confused. Thank you, Bob.