Thanks for your reply.. I will not be able to compare the new links to the old one as they have been discarded. I have discussed the subject again with my mechanic this morning and he offered to come with me to our local Benz dealer, put the car on a hoist and spend as much time and money necessary to find the cause of the problem (at his cost).
Any other idea. If larry read this, I'd appreciate his comments. Thanks
JackD