Sway bar mounts on the 280 SE

[psfred]

I lost a sway bar mount Sat. night on the way home -- when I ran over the diagonal railroad tracks, something went bouncing under the floor pan, and when I gathered up the courage to look, I only had three rubber buffers on the driver's side of the sway bar.

I got the kit, very nice, even has new metal plates that go under the sway bar to frame mounts. I didn't install those, will put them in when I do the front subframe mounts since I have to remove them then anyway, and it will probably need an alignment (they hold the leaf spring that adjusts the caster).

The left side was easy, just took a pair of vise grips and held the bolt while I unscrewed the nut -- all 1 1/2 inches back to the top of the bolt. Sorta overtightened, I think -- new bolt only has about an inch of threads, much less than the old one.

Put all the stuff in -- bolt, spacer, four buffers, four steel plates, and hey, short about half an inch of getting the nut on. Messed about trying to pry the sway bar down to compress the rubber, but finally jsut wrestled the floor jack under the bolt and lifted until the bolt stuck out. Much better! Screwed the nut down so that about 3/16" of thread shows.

Moved over the the right side after picking the gravel out of my shirt (I'm in the drive, getting eaten by mosquitos since the 300D is in the garage with some links out of the right side rear -- long story). Unscrew the nut, and cannot get the bolt out. Spacer sleeve is frozen. REALLY stuck, can't move it. Pounded on it, pryed on it, etc, no dice. So, I get the hacksaw out, take the blade out, and sart sawing at the base of the spacer. Stone bruises all over my shoulders, dirt in my hair, but the blasted thing finally breaks.

Repeat the jack trick, tidy up, and drive off.

Simple one hour project has now taken until 10:30pm.

What a difference! Ride is MUCH nicer, get only the "thump-thump" I expect ouf of a Benz on isolated bumps rather than the carsh and shudder I've been getting -- haven't shaken the removable face off the cheap Kenwood aftermarket radio since!

I guess those old Bilsteins aren't shot after all! The Monroes in the rear have to go, though!

Peter