1990 300CE Ball joints
 

Are the ball joints in a 1990 300CE removable like in the sedans ? My mechanic is working on my 90 300CE and he just call me saying that the balljoints can't be replaced I need to replace the whole A arm

The original ball joint would have been replaceable but someone might have replaced the LCAs with the V8 (or Sportline?) style with fixed ball joints. It's quicker than replacing ball joints and bushings separately. Or your indy thinks all 124s are like the E420 he just worked on.

Sixto
83 300SD can be yours
98 E320s sedan and wagon

go check your cars ball joints - if the control arm bosses have ears cast around the ball joint - its removable.

If your car is sportline (lower slung chassis with larger brakes) - they would be fixed jobs.

This it a W124 based car correct? The only 124 / 129 non removable ball joints I know of are for late 600 cars that have large brake rotors.

There is a possibility that the arms were replaced once with later parts.

Have you looked to see if ball joints are sold separately?

The 90 CE has the larger 4 piston calipers (295 mm rotors IIRC) and as such will have the later LCAs.

Tanks for the replies it's a W124 and the ball joints are fixed I'm trying to figure out if that's original or the previous owner swap them. I just going to replace the whole A arm. When I brought the ball joints I asked for a 1990 300CE ball joints and they gave me the removables I didn't know I got fixed ball joints

In other words you are saying the LCA's are original?

http://www.w124performance.com/image...ints_both1.jpg
http://www.w124performance.com/image...ints_both2.jpg
http://www.w124performance.com/image...ints_both3.jpg
http://www.w124performance.com/image...ints_both4.jpg
http://www.w124performance.com/image...ints_both5.jpg
http://www.w124performance.com/image...ints_both6.jpg

Index of /images/W124_suspension/front_LCA_early_vs_late

Excellent information and pictures tanks