W124 Differential Bushings - easy?
 

My car has made clunking noises on upshifts since I got it. After reading the archives, I inspected the differential bushings and found that the left one was torn up pretty badly, and it was obvious that the clunking I was hearing was metal-to-metal contact in this bushing.

I bought a new bushing at the dealer, but I am unsure how difficult it will be to replace (I could not find a detailed description in the archives). There is a bolt in the center which I can easily remove, but after that, does the bushing just fall out? Or do I have to press it out somehow? I assume it's an interference fit but I don't know how MUCH interference. :o

Thanks!

Replacing it is not rocket science, however, you must have a puller that fits it exactly. I replaced mine using a puller that my brother in law, an MB tech, made on his lathe. It was hard work turning the nuts to run the puller but it worked great.

MB sells a puller, but it is expensive. Click on Fastlane above and call Phil to see what he can get for you. He also can save you money on the bushings.

When you put in the new bushing it must be oriented correctly so look closely at the old ones before removing. I would replace both of them, not just one.

Good luck,

Larry,
when opening up the nuts/bolts etc to change the differential bushings, does the car need to be on ground when tightening the open nuts/bolts back on or can it be up on the lift while they are tightened back ?
thnx.

Both the car AND the differential will have to be supported. For the DIYer without a lift, the rear wheels on ramps and the differential supported by a floor jack or very strong neighbor will be necessary.

Good luck,

Regarding the diff mounts on the 124: I just ordered new bushings for the rear mounts, but are there bushings on top of the diff also? Phil at Fastlane told me he sells the rear bushings often, but not the others. I couldn't tell if the top bushings were worn or not, or whats actually up there.

Any comments are appreciated.

DS
87 300D
Northern Iowa

There is a mount at the pinion, I think it is more on the right side. It is only a few rubber bushings. There's not much to it and it is NOT prone to failure.

Make sure those rear diff bushings go in at the proper position or they will not last long. Pay attention to the old ones before pulling them out.

Good luck,

Ok, I've never seen what you're talking about but I've replaced literally hundreds of suspension and other bushings so...

I'm assuming that this is a typical rubber bushing with a steel sleeve in the middle for the bolt to go through and a steel outer ring that is press fit into the housing.

Sometimes when a bushing fails the rubber will rip and the middle will fall out. If not, try to cut it out.

If you don't have a proper puller, use a hacksaw blade and carefully cut a slot into the outer steel part of the old bushing from the inside out. Try not to cut into the diff, but even if you do, the bushing is supported 360 degrees so a small nick won't hurt. Once you have cut through the metal it should come out easily. It may even just fall out.

Don't forget to grease the outside of the steel ring and the inside of the bore before you install the bushing.

From the looks of the bushings they won't take much to come out. They aren't in very good shape. And there is a considerable shudder when shifting from forward to reverse now, which should improve with new bushings.

Thanks for the info.

DS
87 300D
Northern Iowa

Put ur new bushings in the freezer overnight and they will go in easier.

Let us know how the job went.

Good Luck !