Just thought I'd share this info - been having some fun diagnosing the strange front end feel on my 92 300C3-24. Finally got some time to have a poke around underneath whilst changing the steering damper.

what I found is that the brackets that mount the ARB / sway bar to the body have cracked so that only the 'half-moon' shape retainer is holding the roll bar in place !

going to replace these ASAP as I'm sure this is part of the reason the front end feels so strange whilst driving.

Question is, apart from OEM are there any brackets that are available that are stronger, as the standard ones are made from a flimsy pressing that has all the strength of a piece of cheese - seems all w124's (even the mighty 500E ) have the same flimsy brackets.

If anyone else has front end issues it might be worth checking these brackets to see if you have the same problem.

anybody got any ideas ?

many thanks - Tb

been through this issue on two 124's.....both times just the driver's side broke....

we just keep a spare now in the parts bin.... no heavy duty replacement as far as i know.

i was told that the passenger side rarely breaks.

__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]

The left front sway bar bracket on our 1992 300CE broke also. Replaced in kind.

__________________
Fred Hoelzle

500E brackets are wider, the parts suppliers sell the 300E brackets for all models just as they do the fenders...

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
'88 300TE, 175k, black RENNTech 3.6L Recaro C's AMG 1 SOLD
'92 500E, 110k, Spruce green, stock SOLD
'94 E320 Cabriolet, 130k, E500 wheels, Emerald green SOLD
'94 E320 Cabriolet, 110k, black, stock, SOLD
'88 300TE, 229k, dark grey, SOLD
'90 300CE, 212k, white, new paint, SOLD
'91 300E, 209k, white, rebuilt head SOLD
'74 914-6, grey, 2.7L 325hp twin turbo Audi conversion

Hi Pifcat2 - now I'm really confused as all the EPC diagrams i have looked at show the same part numbers for the sway bar brackets on every w124 model from 220 upto the 500E ?

part numbers I have are A124 323 0426 (left) and 0526 (right) - do you know the part number you have pictured ? - as if there is a stronger bracket I'd like to track it down and use it.

many thanks for the response

cheers - Tb

There doesn't seem to be a part number on the part, you may have to ask the parts people at the dealer about the part. Did you specify the 500E model #, I believe it ends in .036 in the EPC?

I was going to ask a fabricator to see if he could make some stronger brackets until I found out one already exists. Can you show where your bracket failed? Maybe you can have a metal guy weld in reinforcements.

__________________
'88 300TE, 175k, black RENNTech 3.6L Recaro C's AMG 1 SOLD
'92 500E, 110k, Spruce green, stock SOLD
'94 E320 Cabriolet, 130k, E500 wheels, Emerald green SOLD
'94 E320 Cabriolet, 110k, black, stock, SOLD
'88 300TE, 229k, dark grey, SOLD
'90 300CE, 212k, white, new paint, SOLD
'91 300E, 209k, white, rebuilt head SOLD
'74 914-6, grey, 2.7L 325hp twin turbo Audi conversion

No offense- but you be careful.

You want the easy to replace to part break first (weak link). And if it flexs a bit- that reduces load into the body. Beefing up the bracket, you may find a broken point on the body next time which will take welding and metal instead of R&R a bracket.

Early cars were thinner than later W124's. On my 94', the passenger side was broken.

Just go buy a replacement... make sure there is no sharp edges, the radius block under the bolt should be snug into the radius, a little MIL-8802 or something so there is no corrosion to initiate a crack.

Cheers for all the help guys - have ordered some new brackets and clamps from local MB dealer - hope this finally leads to me sorting the front end on my CE.

Regards from UK - Tb