Hello folks,
I have recently refitted my rear sub-frame/diff/suspension back in my 1981 W123 230TE Estate, after fitting new parts including new swinging arm bushes. I have delayed tightening the swinging arm bolts until the weight of the car is on the suspension as per my manual. However now I am unable to get even a standard socket on either the bolt-head or the nut, nevermind a torque-wrench is there a simple way around this problem or is there a special tool required, or am I missing somthing obvious?. This applies only to the outer bolt, the inner one is accessible.

Thankyou David

Assuming it is the wheel/tire blocking access, then I would raise the car by jacking under the rear control arm, just sufficient to allow removal of the wheel. This will keep the car's weight on the suspension bushing.

Hope this helps.

I'm sure someone will jump to your rescue if I am giving bad advice.

regards,

Mark

Although I don't know the details of your geometry problem, in general a lot of such operations are difficult without a drive-over service trench or lift. I have found sufficient access by jacking under the lower suspension member - usually directly under the spring - just enough to remove the wheel. Block and repeat on the other side. Access is usually sufficient then to tighten the bolts as needed on most vehicles, to the point they will not shift when the suspension is later unloaded. Then jack high enough to use a torque wrench.

If this still won't allow access, then have all retorqued when you take it in for alignment.

Steve

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'91 MB 190E 2.3
'08 RAV4 Ltd 3.5
'83 Lazy Daze m'home 5.7

Hello Mark and Steve,
Thankyou both for your input, unfortunatlly my access problem is not a matter of access under the car its-self as I have the car on wheel ramps at the front and large wooden beams under the rear tyres. The access problem is being able to get on the bolt head with a socket/torque wrench, as there is very limited space between the bolt head and the body, oneside, and the nut and sub-frame the other.

I hope this makes it somewhat clearer
David

In that case, what I use is what is called a 'crow-foot' set. They are like open-end wrench heads with a square hole adjacent to attach a 3/8" socket wrench handle. This could be your torque wrench, and the error is small if the wrench handle is long. You can calculate the correction needed easily enough, too.

For fast tightening, a set of box-ratchet wrenches is handy, but I'm too cheap to buy those.

Steve

__________________
'91 MB 190E 2.3
'08 RAV4 Ltd 3.5
'83 Lazy Daze m'home 5.7

Hello Steve,
Thankyou for your suggestion I think I am going to have to invest in those crows feet to get the job done.

Many thanks David

MB has a set of specail tools for jobs like this, basically an extended open-end wrench that fits on the MB torque wrench.

I just use plenty of "beef" on bolts like that and don't worry.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Hello Peter,
Thankyou for the advice.

David