Need Spark Plug Socket to Change Shocks
 

This is not an April Fool's bit. The March/April issue of The Star had a nice article about replacing the front shocks on a W210. I want to do this and ordered up the M-B tool part specified which is a sparkplug socket (part # 123 581 00 67). I got it thru my dealer as none of our fine sponsors stocked it. However the one I got has the 16mm socket end, not the 17mm end required. It was pointed out in the article that there are two flavors of this. tool. How can that be if there is only one part number?

Anyway, does anybody know where I can get the one with the 17mm socket? The article says these are sometimes included in the tool kits in the cars. My 1997 gasoline care has no such item in its kit. Thanks.

OKC

I can tell you this for sure.
My W 202 uses the 17 mm socket on the wheel lugbolts ( part of the toolkit ). ;)

My W126 uses 17 mm wheel bolts as well.

Buy a 17mm deep well socket at Sears. That's what I use in combination with a breaker bar/torque wrench on all lug bolts.

Thanks, but.......
 

I can use a very deep 17mm socket if it has some way that I can grip the top of it to turn the socket and loosen the nut. I have to simultaneously feed a 1/4 drive connected to a special shock socket down through the 17mm piece to hold the inner mechanism steady while I loosen and tighten the nut. May have to grip the outer socket with a pair of vise-grips or something. Sure would like to have that sparkplug socket from MB though.

Try an impact gun with the standard 17mm deep well socket, or perhaps a rubber strap wrench on the standard 17mm deep well socket with the shock socket inserted inside. Sears sells a 1/2" drive electric impact gun that may work nicely (use it to loosen the shock nuts and return it). Now I understand why you wanted a 17mm spark plug wrench ... as it has a hex head that you can hold/turn with an open end or adjustable wrench.

That's right, Fred.
 

Guess I'll go socket shopping this weekend. I have a couple of standard sized S-K Wayne sparkplug sockets. Wonder if they make a 17 mm? Did you look up the article in The Star?

okc329

You could also try something like this.
When I had to use a similar set-up to change struts on my VW Jetta, I bought a 22 mm, 6-point, 1/2'drive, deep socket, ground wrench-flats on the topsection of the socket, so I could hold it with an adjustable wrench.
I then inserted the required 6 mm allen bit socket, & 1/4' drive short extension, right up through the 22 mm socket.
This way I could hold the strutrod from turning, while being able to undo the strut nut itself. ;)
Have I got you confused yet ?

No, you are right on!
 

I forgot to mention that my S-K Wayne sparkplug sockets have squared off tops so they can be turned/held with another wrench. Thanks for the idea of grinding down a socket.