Bad ball joint, bushings, or JIFFY LUBE???

[darius]

Hi Guys,

This concerns my 85 190E and any car you give a damn about. Read on.
Four months ago I bought my topsider and stopped going to Jiffy Lube. (I had only been twice, anyhow, with this MB) 'Sides, I watched the JL guys try to "top off" my tranny fluid with the engine off and had watched them attempt to re-attach my belly pan with twine.
About the same time...my car started a slight front end "thunk" when going around corners, esp. hills, and speed bumps.
I checked the bearings, bushings, arms, and torsioner bar. I narrowed my results to worn torsioner bushings or a bad ball joint.
Yesterday, I was working on the timing on this car (thanks to MB Doc for the last response), and I dropped the belly pan off to get at the damper markings from below (dab of paint will do ya). So, I drop the pan (remember, I bought a topsider four months ago and my oil changes haven't required pulling the pan since) and low and behold, there is a very nice four or five pound ratcheting oil filter wrench sliding around in the belly pan. So, there is my suspension "thunk" and there is the reason I stopped going to Jiffy Lube and won't ever, ever go back with any car I even give half of a damn about.
I needed a new oil filter wrench, anyhow...and the new bushings can't hurt the torsion bar. What could these guys do to your car in the long run?
Happy motoring!

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John J. Meadows
'83 300D 3.0L 260k mi.
'85 190E 2.3L 99k mi.