I am trying to remove the rear control arm bushing from my wife's 87 300D. The service CD recommends a special tool for the very purpose of removing this rear bushing only.
I thought this requirement for a special tool was a joke in the beginning but 3 hours later, I reget trying to remove the bushing to begin with.
I have beaten the special tool requirement many times in the past , but this time I got beaten.
I clamped the control arm between hardwood jaws in my vise. I thought I could use a bottle jack with a huge socket just the right size to apply pressure between the front control arm mount and the rear control arm mount to press the bushing out. To my horror I actually flexed my control arm and pushed the front control arm mount and rear control arm mount apart with the jack and did not even budge the bushing. When i removed the jack pressure, the control arm came back to normal.
I next tried to chisel the bushing out, using a piece of hardwood as a backstop to prevent damage to the control arm.
The problem I am running into is the bushing's arrangement and design, which keeps you from using a hydraulic press to just push it out. A good deal of rubber protrudes out and absorbs jack or impact force before you can actually apply solid force to the bushing housing.
The tool Mercedes recommends is a special 3 prong rear control arm bushing remover that uses a Bolt. I doubt you can buy it or whether even the dealer has one.
THE ESSENTIAL POINT of this point is please dont take the special tool requirement too lightly. Sometimes we can all be ingenious and win and sometimes we have to sit back and think it over.
Don't worry, I wont give up. I'll post a picture tonight, and if I ever solve it, i will let you know.

Been there, done that and there's no need for a special MBZ tool; go get one of these from Harbor Freight: 3-IN-1 BALL JOINT/U-JOINT/C-FRAME PRESS SERVICE KIT

They work like a champ!

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I knew someone out there had the answer!!!

I knew someone out there had the answer!!!

Are you talking about the front control arms???

Why not burn them out with a torch.

Regards,

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Brian Toscano

If you use a torch, you will still have to deal with the metal flange. Do you mean the torch will heat everything up and loosen the flange?
Please see the diagram. I have Case C and I am currently making my own special tool.
You can't use a hydraulic press or C-type bushing remover.

Strange.

Config "C" looks almost EXACTLY the same as the bushing set-up on a 123 chassis and you can use the harbor Freight tool to remove the 123 bushing.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Mr Leo:
Thanks for answering me. The problem is there is a metal lip on the outermost side of the bushing. Can you check back in two hours, I will post a sketch.

Thanks for you help, I will make it up to you.

Mr Leo:
The control arm bushing is essentially a steel sleeve. This sleeve fits tightly inside the control arm sleeve. The problem is that one side of the bushing sleeve has a Lip or Flange on it.
This falnge is the exact same dimension as the control arm sleeve thickness.
This prevents you from putting a Receiver or Piece of Pipe on that side as the flange will block the movement of the press or screw on the opposite side of it.
If this flange was not there, removing it would be practical with your tool or press.

Now I may be wrong and if so, I'll be gald to mail you a six pack. Can you help me around this?

The bushings are NOT a steel sleeve.

They are rubber with a metal flange that goes up against the control arm.

What's inside the control arm is RUBBER.

There is a metal sleeve that goes through the two bushings & is flared on one side.

Regards,

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Brian Toscano

Images 17a and 17b show the bushings.

Do you have the new bushing kit yet?

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Brian Toscano

Push it like this:

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Thats why I love Shop forum, and I really appreciate your help md21722 and RLEO's advice; i couldnt do this without both your technical support.
The C bushing is basically a steel sleeve with the rubber inside. The rubber is some tough stuff, but at least you could torch or grind it out. Its the steel sleeve that is the problem.
If I try to push the way Mr Leo indicates, the rubber absorbs the impact. So I went out and bought a piece of 2" pipe so I could push against the sleeve and not the rubber. However the metal flange on the opposite side prevents you from locking the tool Mr Leo recommends into place.
When I get home I will post a picture of Mercedes special tool!

One Last question. Does the 17 A kit supersede the 17C kit? I checked Fast Lane and all over the 'Net and have not found the 17C bushing.

I think this picture is taken out of context somewhat. There is more than 1 style of bushing for W124/W201 chassis. For example, the (early) 260E's and W201's had a bushing that looks like 17a that may very well be a steel sleeve.

However, '87 300D's have bushings that look like 17b, with a centering sleeve 18.

You can't push it out from one end to the other.

Regards,

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Brian Toscano

they came out easy.

I know I could send this 17C problem/issue by taking the thing to a machine shop, but i dont want to.

I hope we can solve this and post a FAQ on HOW TO BEAT MERCEDES SPECIAL TOOLS for everyone else. The tool for this one runs $359.00!