Couldn't Replace Idler Arm Bushings - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#16 08-04-2003, 02:12 PM

Once the bolt is cut out, you will have no trouble whatever getting the old bushings out. Just anything stuck up against the bushing and a small hammer will tap it out. You most likely will not be able to get the new bolt in from the top. Just put it in from the bottom and tighten it well. If you want a little more peace of mind, loctite the nut.

Hope this helps,

EricSilver · #17 08-04-2003, 02:56 PM

Hmmm, cutting it will not likely be an option. I think I will need to struggle with getting the old bolt out.

EricSilver · #18 10-24-2003, 02:46 PM

I finally had the idler arm bushing installed. The tech's solution, once the car was on the lift, was to use a tall floor jack of sorts to lift the engine a bit at one of the motor mounts. That provided enough clearance to lift out the bolt.

That did not solve my sloppy steering problem. The culprints were actually my dried-out, creaking ball joints. The temporary solution was to poke small holes in the boots and spray in Wurth lubricant. The noise -- and sloppiness -- are gone. I guess dry ball joints get sticky.

Since I expect to replace this car in the next few months, I see no reason to replace the ball joints. The lubricant, I assume, will eventually dry out. Hopefully by then I'll have my new car.

EricSilver · #19 10-24-2003, 03:14 PM

Come to think of it, last winter, whenever I would back out of parking spaces that required me to turn the wheels hard to the left, I could feel a type of "kick" in the steering wheel, as if one or the other front wheels had a kink in it.

That same kick, (which evenually went away) occured in a more gentle form during highway driving, during which the front wheels would jerk slightly at random intervals. I assumed it was the idler arm bushing. Evidently, it was not.