As I was trying to get out of a parking spot when I heard a loud bang. I thought my spring broke, but after looking under the car I discovered my ball joint broke in half. I never heard of nor seen such thing. My 1994 E420 is 15 years old, the wheels are from an E500, and the road was uneven tilting to the right. But still, I don't think this should have happened. I am fortunate it did not occur on the highway, granted there must be much more stress on the steering and suspension while parking. I had the car towed to home, about a mile away. The towing was free, courtesy of GEICO. Now I ordered a spring compressor and I am planning to replace the lower control arm, probably on both sides. I hope the wheel is OK. Sorry for the large photos, but I wanted to show the detail.

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2004 E500 4Matic 138,000 miles

'Never seen that happen...But y'all do use SALT on the roads in Winter?

Too late this Morning...But I will be inspecting mine "Right Shortly".

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

If you are going to DIY, LCA for a W124 can be had for about $100 and can be safely replaced without a spring compressor. Do a search on my name as I did this job and posted quite a bit of detail.

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Was that an aftermarket replacement ball joint? Original OEM? How many miles on it? It looks like it starting cracking a while ago, with rust in the initial fatigue cracking (very nice pictures!). The grease boot looks intact but completely dry devoid of grease - having grease in there would have at least curtailed the rust and any pitting stress riser. I'm surprised by that failure. Very dangerous.

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http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...aman/Fleet.jpg

Peach Parts W124.128 User Group.

80 280SL
85 300SD
87 300TD
92 300D 2.5 Turbo
92 300TE 4Matic

Definitely caused by rust - I would replace both LCAs as a preventive measure. Be thankful you weren't in a W210 with suspect spring perches! Interestingly, it seems that most of these major catastrophic failures appear at low speeds. Probably due to greater torque on these components when working against friction between the tire and the road.

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Compress Ignite: Yes, the City uses salt in the winter.

Gmercoleza: I did not think of looking for a Lower Control Arm (LCA) on eBay, but now I will. My local parts store is offering it for $220. I found your thread regarding not needing a spring compressor, however my ball joint is busted and that I think adds to the danger of the spring getting loose. I am planning to install the compressor, then lift the car.

Pwogaman: I bought the car with this ball joint about 3 years ago, therefore I don't know if it is OEM or aftermarket. The car has about 125K miles on it. I knew the LCA bushings were cracked, but did not get around to replacing the LCAs. Also, I don't think it is possible to grease these ball joints because there is no grease fittings on their bottoms. I think they are supposed to be permanently lubricated and sealed.

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2004 E500 4Matic 138,000 miles

Here in Michigan we have issues with the Spring Perch on W124, W202, and W210

W210 DANGEROUS FLAW please read
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=231861



Spring Perch

W124 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing
W124 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing

W202 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing
W202 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing

W210 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing
W210 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing






Have a great day.

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ASE Master Mechanic
https://whunter.carrd.co/

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
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Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
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1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

I noticed that too. We must do the same kind of work. Corrosion really went to town at that critically loaded area.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

I've seen this happen on some older rear-drive GM cars. One in particular, an '80's Olds Custom Cruiser popped just like yours in a parking lot. I've never been a big fan of suspension that supports the entire load on the lower joint in tension but I guess a lot of manufacturers do it this way. I guess it pays to keep a close eye on it.

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Using larger or non standard wheels can place extra loads on the steering and suspension too, and may have contributed?
G

At about 150k, my 94 e320 Wagon snapped a ball joint due to rust while doing a hard U turn in a parking lot Recently had other lower A arm replaced due to lack of grease in ball joint.

make sure you check the lower coils in the springs. one of mine rusted through and broke. no coincidence that the tires were severely worn on that side

I replaced both Lower Control Arms (LCA) (1243303407 and 1243303507). For the most part it was straightforward. There were a few unexpected surprises. On the right side one bushing's eccentric bolt (2013300018) was seized and required cutting. I ended up replacing all 4. The ball joint bolt (1299901001) was rusty, and I replaced the bolt and the nut (910113012003) on both sides. Although they looked OK, I replaced both spring shims (2013210984) as well. My spring perches looked fine and rust free.

I bought a spring compressor on eBay from El Paso Tools, which is Baum Tools' eBay operation. The tool is superb and ships directly from Baum for about $200.

Here is a nice thread describing some of the work I had to do and was very useful to me. Especially with regard to the anti-seize compound and silicone paste usage. I loaded the bushings and the ball joint bolt with anti seize to ease installation and future adjustment and removal. I used Permatex gasket maker to seal the gap at the knuckle where the ball joint stud is. The manual calls for wax. 300E suspension rebuild questions

A relatively easy and safe way (if not the best way) to cut the eccentric bolt is by disconnecting the ball joint, removing the spring, then cutting at the front of the rear bushing. I managed to remove the LCA with one cut. I used a Milwaukee Sawzall with the foot fully extended. I managed to cut without hurting the car, scratching the finish. I found the 5712 blade to be the best for this. It is still a lot of cutting, rubber smoke, but it works its way through the bushing.

Thanks again for all who replied to me. Please see photos below.

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2004 E500 4Matic 138,000 miles

Cool. I hope you loaded the suspension before tightening the LCA bushing bolts.

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Yes, I followed the manual for torque and all. I tightened the bushing nuts after lowering the car and moving it back and forth a few feet. I loosened them again to align the front, then re-tightened once again. I should write a detailed post about doing home alignment, but I think it's for another thread.

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2004 E500 4Matic 138,000 miles