Control Arm Bushings
 

my front lower control arm bushings are in a fairly poor state but my local tech said not to worry about replacing them.
Is there anything I can treat the rubber with at least to stop them deteriorating further?

I had to replace all front suspension bushings on my 1990 300TE.
Most of these bushings are relatively inexpensive. I suggest doing all of them. If you have a mixture of worn and non-worn parts, your new parts will just wear faster, and handling/ride will still be sub-par.

Bushings to look at:
sway bar inner/outer $25-40 for parts (oem v.s. non-eom v.s. MB parts)
end tie rod bushings
check the stabilizer shock assembly (shock and bushings, if any)
control arm bushings ** more expensive
strut mounts (big rubber cap thingie where strut bolts to body of car) ** more expensive

Regarding the control arm bushings specifically. The shop will have to remove the entire control arm, and use a mechanical press to punch out the existing bushings, then press in the new bushings. If your mechanic does not own a press, he/she will have to send the control arm out to another shop to have it done.
At that point, it may be cheaper to simply buy new control arms, and have them installed. I don't remember price on the control arms. $140 - $180 ?

treatment to make bushings better?
 

I'm not aware of any treatment that will restore the original volume and elasticity of the rubber compound. It has oxidized, cracked, and shrunk. Mass has been lost. I don't think it is reversible. (A little armor all bumper protectant ain't gonna fix it. :D )
These bushings withstand considerable force doing there job. Once they are worn, they only get worse, in my humble opinion.

Control Arm Bushings 300E
 

Just as Jason said:
"I had to replace all front suspension bushings on my 1990 300TE.
Most of these bushings are relatively inexpensive. I suggest doing all of them. If you have a mixture of worn and non-worn parts, your new parts will just wear faster, and handling/ride will still be sub-par."

Don't forget engine mounts and shocks as well.

I did the whole job myself as a novice (with the exception of the bushings that had to be pressed out) and did a self allignment, limped it down to the tire shop for an alignment, and home in the same day.
The whole car rode much better.
Joel

Re: Control Arm Bushings
 

No. You cannot even get at the rubber that matters without removing them.

let me get this straight.
 

I just purchased an 95S420 that needs suspension work (camber strut for one) and was told that the bushings for the strut are not available. It cost me $200.00 Can for the strut alone (thats about $20 and inch, or $100 a pound.) Where do you get the bushings? Better yet, what bushings are available?

S420 has a completely different setup. You would have better results starting a new thread.