Oreo,

Glad to see you have solved the problem. I believe for a 400E, the balljoints are not replaceable.
The biggy is having access to a MB spring compressor or renting one.

As for others contemplating LC bushing replacement- it's not difficult. Maybe an extra hour, but worth the savings. I did a writeup a while back.

For the 2 nub 3 nub positioning question from Oreo. The manual says to install them by the flats... THe nubs on the front and rear should not be at the same position. They should be 90 degrees clocked.

Michael

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Michael McGuire
83 300d
01 vw A4 TDI
66 Chevy Corsa
68 GMC V6 w/oD
86 300E