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Old 01-18-2005, 08:36 PM
Chris Blanchard's Avatar
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Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 221
W124 Broken Front Spring Due to Rust

When I got my 92 300D, I knew that the front left coil spring had snapped - (the last coil on the bottom had rusted), but it looked like it had enough area to hold on to the control arm. I wasn't worried, I knew I'd get to it soon.

Well, that was 18 months ago and now I do believe it's time. On the way home from work tonight, the car started to handle as if there were crosswinds moving the car from side to side. Then the noise started. It seemed to come from the front left and got worse as I drove the next 20 miles home on the highway.

By the time I got home (a twisty route), it was making quite a racket! I stopped, gave the steering wheel a hard right turn (to expose the front left suspension). Sure enough, it appears that another small section of spring has broken away and the spring is very precariously sitting there, scraping against the old broken pieces which are rusted to the control arm.

This car is not rusty, it's just that there is a somewhat of a design flaw in the front control arms where the springs mount. The circular indentation in the control arm where the spring rides collects water - and around here in the winter that is salt water. There is no drain, you have to rely on the motion of the control arm to "shake" the water out. After many years, the springs start to rust out - the control arm does not appear to be damaged. Eventually, the bottom coil will snap off and the new "end" of the spring will seat in that indentation, next to the broken piece (if you're lucky).

So, I made the call to Aaron, who lurks this place frequently and has an excellent shop (shameless plug) here in Cincinnati. He'd just done the same work to another W124 300D just last week.

Here's what I plan on having replaced (it's too cold for me to do it).

1. Front Springs
2. Front Struts (Bilstein Comfort) with new bellows and bump stop.
3. Strut mounts.
4. Front sway bushings
5. Ball joints (one has a torn boot)
6. Rear shocks (Bilstein Comfort)
7. Rear thrust arms
8. Rear sway bushings and links

Of course, I'll have it aligned.

I've also had my ignition tumbler get sticky on me last weekend. Does it suffer from the same issues as the tumblers used on W123s and W126s? I've owned both of those and dealt with the sticky tumbler issue at around the same mileage as this car. Same deal, or should I try to lubricate it??

Anything else I should consider on the suspension. I've considered the Sportline suspension, but this is a diesel - would be cool, though. Don't want to lower it or anything like that - I want it to ride as new.

I also have an 94 E420 with lower mileage than the diesel, and it rides _much_ differently (better) than the diesel. Maybe the 300D's suspension is shot. It seemed to ride "OK". I don't think that the E420s came with stiffer shocks than the 300D's did, did they? Any other differences that would make them ride differently?

Chris

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