'88 300E Suspension Woes

[Rage0582]

Hoping someone can help on this issue, I have a 1988 300E and it's having some front suspension issues. So, to the problem...the car runs and drives fine at low speeds, but at highway speed, the car's front end begins to sway left and right. I'm not sure what the issue is. I know that my passenger's side ball joint needs to be replaced soon, and that may be the problem. However, I have pushed down on the hood on both sides of the car and the strut on the passenger's side makes a hissing noise on the rebound. I have also noticed a squeaking at low speeds going over bumps. I checked my front and rear swaybars and the bushings look fine. My other 300E had the low speed squeak issues from the front and I replaced the swaybar bushings and it went away. I never had issues like these with my other 300 and any help/advise would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Roy

[400Eric]

Does anybody besides you drive the car? Sounds to me like somebody knocked it out of alignment. Did this problem surface suddenly? (i.e. it was fine one day and then bad the next?)
Regards, Eric

[lee polowczuk]

Originally Posted by Rage0582

Hoping someone can help on this issue, I have a 1988 300E and it's having some front suspension issues. So, to the problem...the car runs and drives fine at low speeds, but at highway speed, the car's front end begins to sway left and right. I'm not sure what the issue is. I know that my passenger's side ball joint needs to be replaced soon, and that may be the problem. However, I have pushed down on the hood on both sides of the car and the strut on the passenger's side makes a hissing noise on the rebound. I have also noticed a squeaking at low speeds going over bumps. I checked my front and rear swaybars and the bushings look fine. My other 300E had the low speed squeak issues from the front and I replaced the swaybar bushings and it went away. I never had issues like these with my other 300 and any help/advise would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Roy

how many miles? Sounds like you need ball joints...

[Rage0582]

The car has roughly 100k on it, when I first got it it ran and drove fine but there was some damage on the passengers side (only minor) as well as the front bumper. This problem may have developed because of this issue...but my dad was driving it around for a while and who knows how far he drove it or what he did to it. I know I need a new ball joint on the passenger's side front. That was all the mechanic could find wrong with it before I bought it. So, maybe all it is, is a ball joint. But should the strut be making a hissing noise on the rebound? I have decent ball joints on the 300 that I wrecked . I will try pulling those as soon as I can, and put them on my car. Alignment may be the answer, and I'm sure I will need one after I replace the ball joints. Thanks for the responses so far though! Hopefully I can resolve this soon and I will have my Benz handling like a Benz again

[400Eric]

Please post the results!
Regards, Eric

[Rage0582]

So last night coming home from work, the ball joint failed. Fortunately, there was only minor damage done to the fender and the tire is fine. I replaced the ball joint on the side of the road (luckily the joint failed across the street from my parking lot and I was able to get the car off to the side enough to be out of traffic). The car runs much smoother with less wobble in the front. Although, I heard the other ball joint in the front squeaking, and I still notice some wobble. I'm sure that replacing the other ball joint will help, so I will keep everyone posted.

Roy

[400Eric]

Thanks!
Regards, Eric