UpDate: re my original squeak problem.
As usual, Steve was right on the dot.
Ball joints were dry and rusty.
2 new ball joints later and a wheel alignment, everything is back to normal.,
JackD

So Stevebfl, Do you mean the when my dealer told me that for my '94 wagon, the whole control arm needed to be replaced because the ball joint can't be replaced separately - they were not accurate? I've caught them in a few 'incorrect diagnoses' before by educating myself on this site. Maybe this is another case of that? Thanks for correcting my goof in the previous post.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

There are a few differences on 93on 124 cars, so before I wrote that I looked the parts up for a 124.032 car. I went to the frame with the lower control arm and there was a ball joint pictured.

Just for curiousity I thought I would look up the number for 124.032 and 124.034 and .036 cars. Ooooooops! The picture shows a ball joint but NO it doesn't apply to that model. There are two separate control arms that were new with the 124.032 body; one for "sports undercarriage". Neither have ball joints listed separately.

So I need to correct my ealier statement that all 124 ball joints are replacable. Looks like all cars up to 1992.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Thanks for clarifying Steve. One reason why I read all your posts is because of your commitment to get it right. I feel a little more comfortable with the MB dealer diagnosis now. That control arm job was almost $800 back then, CT prices. I really don't have a problem with them but I try to be an educated consumer. They've helped out many, many times.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

Well.... on my '95 E300 D, the lower ball joints are certainly replaceable independently of the control arm. Had it done recently - in fact to fix a squeak, which it did!

Rgds,
Chris W.

Yes, it appears the diesel models continued with the early control arm. The early cars use 124 330 30 07 for the left lower control arm. On those chassis with sports undercarriage the left arm is 124 330 40 07.

The 124.032 shows 124 330 34 07 or 36 07 for sports undercarriage for the left side. Interestingly the 124.034 and 036 cars offer only the standard control arm with the 500e being made early enough that by chassis number one could need the 30 07 or the 34 07. All 032,034, and 036 cars after some point only use the later arms which don't show a ball joint replacement part.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

" A squeeking joint is usually one that is tight due to getting packed with rust. If really tight it will affect the steerings ability to return and that makes the car track badly, as one will be constantly chasing the steering." per Steve

I had this exact situation with my 94 e320 Wagon. However, after the installation, an inde MB shop, an auto body shop using a Hunter and an elder gentleman who just uses his fingers were unable to make it track straight. All noted the car has original undercarriage without any cosmetic aka accident repair. Currently Caster left @10.0 right @10.7.

The original installer of the right lower control arm took almost a week. He said he broke his spring compressor while doing my car. Then, he couldn't get the alignment correct "until I purchased new tires". I haven't gone back since.

After every other shop switched tires and poked and probed every bushing etc. I'm wondering...

Could the spring or another component be bent or installed incorrectly to cause the car to still pull to the right?
Bob

OK, so I'm out there bouncing around on the car and I noticed that with the tirs on the ground and bouncing the left-front (where the squeez/groan is) it makes the sound when pushing fender up and down.

I'm wondering if maybe the strut is toast? But would it fail in that manor and that quickly?

Or do the balljoints sometimes make thier complaints heard with suspension compression as well?

THX!!!

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Holeshot, like I said earlier, squirt some oil / lubricant into the ball joint boot. If the squeak goes away.....

OK. I have to clain the *dumb* flag here.. Right now the boot is not ripped so there is no opening unless:

1 - I create one (then I guess I have to replace it anyway.. or at least get a new boot)

2 - ply it up and try that? Can that be done? I've spent the last 8 years mostly working on motorcycles and my cag skills are VERY VERY rusty so I'm not sure exactly *how* to do that but I'll do that! I did shoot oil onto everything that looked like it moved but not actualy *into* the joints.

This brings up another question. Would it be safe to drill out a hole in the bottom and install a greese fitting?

EDIT: AHAHA based on the amount of rust I see inside the ball joint (after I pried up the circlip and the boot) I'm thinking that this is the source of the noise. At least I know it's something that has to be replaced.. thanks for the suggest to dig in deeper... now to source the part locally (if I can).

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Some later models have a ball joint that is welded in place & not replaclable. Exactly model information is specified in the factory service manuals. Part of the differences are explained by the BIG brakes on some models.

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Brian Toscano

Any suggestions on who to orde the balljoints from? Locally they are asking $60 ~ $70 to order the part. I thought I read that I could expect to pay about 1/2 that... (or close).

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Holeshot, look no further than the top of the page.... FastLane.

Awesome! Thanks guys!!

I ordered from Fastlane and the parts arrived this past week, just in time for me to spend the weekend futzing with the car.

The old one was so corroded inside the control arm the *big hammer* trick was of no use. In fact it just drove the ball itself out the bottom of the joint!

Lucky for me there was a tool rental place across town that was open on Sunday and had the ball-joint press.

I would not say that it worked well (the lower part of that control arm is not really flat so the tool was at a really weird angle) but in the end, I get the tool rented, the old balljoint out, new one in and the front end re-assembled AND the tool returned to the rental in 3 hours!

Oh, and that was definatly the problem!!! Man... was it fried!

Thanks for all the helpful info and suggestions. The *oil in the joint* was an excellent suggest.

Took the old sled for it's first drive in weeks to take the tool back. Rock solid!

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