must read for all 124 body owners - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

david s poole · #1 07-26-2010, 10:54 AM

okay,i work on benzes for a living so i should have already known this.my 88 300te wagon started making a clunk noise in the front and upon examination i find left side inner sway bar bushing somewhat torn up.after moving it back into the bracket and tightening i drive car and clunk gone.i look at the other 3 bushings and see no problems but i decide that i will replace all four of them and order the parts waiting for spare time to do the job[ha,ha] month later i go ahead and fit all new[4] bushings and notice that as i remove the outer ones on the lower control arm that despite being held tightly by the brackets they are both wallered out in the centre[which you can't see until they are off]anyway finish job[easy diy job with plenty of grease] and drive car WHAT A DIFFERENCE no more slight steering corrections car drives straight,seems to roll more easily down the road and the general dynamics of the front end remind me of when those cars were new.cheap job[under $30]with a very impressive bang for the bucks.previously i had only replaced the inner bushings as needed per customer complaints now i will replace all every time.

OTTOBUNZ · #2 07-26-2010, 12:16 PM

Hey thanks...let me ask you something about a 300e front-end.

Mine has a little 'jiggling' feel in some component up there that I can feel in the st. wheel when I turn over a bump. It's rather slight so I dont really care, but I wonder if some bushing in the sway bar setup is the culprit and how you could test to see if that's it.

The tie-rods and b-joints all got replaced a little while ago so maybe some other bits are getting tired, like the sway bar bushings you found or something else up there.

Thx again.

lkchris · #3 07-26-2010, 12:20 PM

Whole suspension could likely use freshening on these cars at their age.

"Lasts forever" is wishful thinking only.

david s poole · #4 07-26-2010, 02:10 PM

the main reason i wrote the post is because the changes are dramatic,you can't see the problem and the parts are cheap.my front end now feels new again.

david s poole · #5 07-26-2010, 03:17 PM

ottobunz,swaybar bushings could be problem don't even bother to check,get four new bushings and fit them.[2-outer and 2-inner]

mbzman · #6 07-26-2010, 05:25 PM

This thread has reminded me to change out my sway bar bushings. I too have a faint clunking from the front end that I haven't been able to pin point. The car still rides well enough but my guess is that they are due for replacement.

Skid Row Joe · #7 07-28-2010, 07:33 PM

Quote:

"Lasts forever" is wishful thinking only.

That's not even "thinking."

These cars are meant to be worked on as they age - and their workmanship lends them to being worked on for the mostpart.

skinnison · #8 08-05-2010, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTTOBUNZ

Hey thanks...let me ask you something about a 300e front-end.

Mine has a little 'jiggling' feel in some component up there that I can feel in the st. wheel when I turn over a bump. It's rather slight so I dont really care, but I wonder if some bushing in the sway bar setup is the culprit and how you could test to see if that's it.

The tie-rods and b-joints all got replaced a little while ago so maybe some other bits are getting tired, like the sway bar bushings you found or something else up there.

Thx again.

had the same problem. replaced the bushings and the problem solved. When you get the car jacked up you can feel the play in the sway bar.

skinnison · #9 11-17-2010, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skinnison

had the same problem. replaced the bushings and the problem solved. When you get the car jacked up you can feel the play in the sway bar.

Looking back at this, I had it wrong. When the car was jacked up, the shocks would push down so there was no play with the sway bar. This is why everytime I checked, when I had a wheel off, I felt nothing. It was when the car was down on the ground and I slid underneath that I could move the sway bar slightly and feel the play in the bushings.

ps2cho · #10 07-27-2010, 02:24 PM

When I upgraded to the Sportline swaybar with new bushings, I can agree it was a drastic difference in the firmness on cornering. My old bushings were all enlarged and cracked. It no longer felt like a boat.

jonbobshinigin · #11 07-27-2010, 11:38 PM

OTTO...as for looseness in steering over bumps, look into the 'steering damper". Do some reading on it. My 87 300TD steering would get loose when I went over a series of bumps. I replaced the steering damper and problem was solved!

J. M. van Swaay · #12 07-28-2010, 07:16 PM

94 E320 Wagon, 240,000 miles.

I can also confirm a dramatic improvement after replacing the front sway bar bushings. I also had a clunk, it was most noticeable when only one front wheel bumped up at a time. (think of hittng a speed bump at an angle....) That was what initially lead me to suspect the sway bar bushings.

J. M. van Swaay

Oldwolf · #13 07-29-2010, 10:04 AM

That and the availability of parts for them.

ps2cho · #14 07-29-2010, 12:07 PM

I have a glunk coming from the rear when I turn on bumps...I wonder if it could be my rear swaybar bushings?

I hear rear swaybar removal is a big job though...

silversleeves · #15 07-29-2010, 12:15 PM

You aren't afraid of big jobs! Go for it