I had noticed from time to time a mild creaking or groaning from the front end, driver's side, usually at low speed turning into a parking space, since the fall.

The recent extreme cold weather (-13 F) has made it 20x worse. Now it creaks/groans with the slightest movement of the car, all the time. Loudly (can hear it inside the cabin while driving).

I found this thread: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/153714-w123-front-end-creaking.html

I am trying to get into a shop on the weekend to look at the front end on a hoist.

Given that it's the middle of winter, and I had planned to do a complete front-end rebuild this spring, my question:

I assume it's a balljoint making the noise, probably upper? Am I safe to continue driving, perhaps using the temporary fix Tom describes in that thread (injecting some grease into the balljoint)?

I would need to drive until at least April or May, for the weather to be okay for me to work outside on the front end.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22