W126 subframe mount clarification needed
 

There are two W126s in our family - a 1981 300SD and a 1990 300SE.

I am suspecting they are long overdue for subframe mount replacements as well as differential mounts.

I went to the Baylor U. site for info and noticed it covers only the rear subframe mount bushings.

I would appreciate it if someone could clarify how many front and rear subframe mount bushings there are as well for the differential.
Also, why are the rear ones discussed more often then the fronts ?

I've read various threads and have a good idea what's involved but not very clear on the above questions.

Thanks for any help you can offer,

Alan

Please click FastLane tab on the top of this website page. You´ll find good pictures and prices of subframe mounts. There are one left and one right subframe mount and also one differential mount at rear.

Thanks.

I can't seem to find the differential mount bushing.

Found the two subframe mount bushings.

As you can see, there are two rear sub mounts. The kit comes with everything except for the center bolt, which the Baylor site says to replace. Get this at your dealer. There is one rear diff mount...at least the one that looks like this: click here. It's under transmission. Remember when you replace it, replace the nut strip (2) inside the frame rail as stated on the Baylor write up. Also get those at your dealer. In the manual it discusses a differential bushing which almost looks like a half spherical looking thing...can't find it on FastLane, and I am not sure if this is a replacement item. Maybe someone else knows. I also want to know why the front sub mounts are hardly ever mentioned....they don't have them in FastLane as far as I know. Anyone?

Thanks for elaborating on the fine details.
It explains why some items are not showing up at fastlane.

As for the Baylor site, for some reason the page disappears as soon as it finishes loading and switches to a "Not Found" page.

Fastlane doesn't call them front subframe bushings
 

Go to the suspension section and look at "bearing bracket bushings". I'm 95% sure this is what you're talking about. I just changed mine and know how frustrating it can be when there are several different names for the same part. Good luck.

Yes, that looks like it could be the correct part. However, it shows a front set and a rear set. Where would the rear set go? The rear set shown is surely not the same rear subframe bushings that we know under another name. They look different and the price is very different. It has to go somewhere else. Just wondering if anyone knew where the rear set goes.

There are two bushings per side
 

Look at the bracket that holds your guide rod joint (it's right behind the lower control arm). You will notice that there are two vertical cylindrical parts of the bracket that bolt to the frame. Inside each cylinder is a set of bushings. There are two sets of bushings for each side. My bushings were so worn they came out by just wiggling them back and forth with a large screwdriver. I suspect they would have been much harder to remove had they not been so dried up. Good luck.

Aahh..I see, so they are all four in the front. One is just the rear of the front! :D I am replacing most of the rubber on my car. I've already done the motor mounts, motor shocks, and tranny mount and I've got the rear subframe mounts and diff mount sitting in my garage, just haven't tackled that one yet. Do you think I should replace these too?

Also, what do you know about the diff mount? I got that one that is kinda U-shaped, rear one I guess. Is there another diff mount maybe in the front of the diff that needs replacing also? The manual showed something else, I think they called it a bushing. I'm not really sure...

Hi mbtjc,

I just had my diff. mount done on a '87 420. The new one looks like this:

the old one was "notched" at the bottom, which indicates replacement time...

Go here for the exploded view of the 81 front end

http://www.************************/BitMapPage.aspx?bitmapid=150&bitmapname=126%20Front%20Suspension%20and%20Steering

The 81 rear suspension

http://www.************************/BitMapPage.aspx?bitmapid=149&bitmapname=126+Rear+Suspension

If the body style is the same they usually don't change a lot on the suspension.

The 90 should be ABOUT the same. I'm sure they may have had improvements.

My 107 Service manual shows the early stuff. The 560SL I have has 124 brake setup.

Dave

Reinhardt...that is the mount that I have in my garage that I have no installed yet. I was wondering if there was a second mount (not the same) on the front side of the diff.

On that blow up from PP, I saw the control arm bushings...should I go ahead and replace those along with the subframe mounts? Are they hard to do? Thanks guys!

Hi mbtjc,

I have no experience with the rear control arm bushing, but I am sure a search on it will provide you with some info.

Good luck

Reinhard Kreutzer

The first step in the section on removing the semi-trailing arms is to "completely remove rear axle together with rear axle carrier."

Nothing on doing the bushings without removing the semi-trailing arms.

Sixto
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD