I took a quick look yesterday, and found that I am missing two muffler hangers (I think what you referred to as "suspension donuts"), one in the back (left side) and one in the front (right side) of the muffler. The rest of the exhaust system support looks fine... So I am getting two of those to be installed (by the way, how do I install them? Leveraging with a screwdriver, I guess...). I tried moving the end of the muffler up and down and though it moves more than it should, it does not make any sound.
Besides, the muffler is on the driver's side and the main clunking/banging noise (among others - I think there is more than one thing to be taken care of on the bottom of the car) seems to originate from the rear right.

I'll study the Haynes book's section on suspensions (which hopefully will enable me to understand fully the advice you guys have given me in this and the other thread) and take a more in-depth look tomorrow... And of course, I'll be doing brakes tomorrow evening/night (I am getting a pair of jack stands at Sears today for that task...)

Thanks!

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

Agree with sokoloff, sway bar link part #123 320 09 89. Will need to remove wheel to gain access. If you get under car, safely, check center bearing wobble too, perhaps motor mounts causing cluncking, yet should be from front of car.

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83 SD

84 CD

"how do I install them? Leveraging with a screwdriver?"

To help them become more pliable, I drop the rings into some hot tapwater for @ 5 minutes. Then push up on the muffler til the hangers on the mufflers are almost touching the hangers on the chassis then just muscle the rings into place. Usually a punch or a toothless plier will work if you can't stretch 'em on by hand.
I always replace all of them at the same time.

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Bama1


2008 SLK 280, Firemist Red - "Hurricane"
2001 F150 Lariat 4x4, Black on Black - "Badboy"
1982 240D 4 speed survivor -"Pearl" - Donated to Vietnam Veterans
1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 -"Gertrude"

1954 model original owner - ~2.5M
Gray softtop/solid exterior/modified chassis

(I have also posted the following also in my other thread about these noises I was getting):

OK, early this morning (3:30 am) I replaced the rear brake pads with new ones, put in brand new pad shims, put in 4 new muffler hangers (two were missing anyway) and put in two brand new sway bar links (by the way, Mark, you were absolutely right... the cheap type - I paid $8 each - works wonderfully in the place of the old, expensive ones - THANKS!!! ) As I mentioned previously, the old sway bar link that was on the right side of the car was torn apart and, as far as functionality, as if not there at all, while the one on the left side was damaged but still performing some, I suppose.

Well, after doing the above, I've driven the car extensively today: NO MORE clunking/banging noise on right turns, and the rumbling noise IS GONE! (as noted earlier, the metal-grinding noise from the right wheel I was very concerned about disappeared after I had put the car on stands, taken off the wheels, pulled out the old brake pads and shims, and then reassembled the car with the same exact components...). The car now handles perfectly when making turns. I suppose all this has to do with having replaced those faulty sway bar links: the difference is H-U-G-E... nothing short of miraculous! Honestly, it's like driving a different car...

Now what remains to be seen is whether the old caliper/rotor combo installed in the car keeps wearing the pads at an angle... But I have a feeling, after inspecting the old pad shims, that it might had been caused by those home-made shims getting stuck somewhere inside the calipers... Those "shims" were very rusty, thick pieces of metal, cut unevenly and hard to pull out and fit in... I have no idea what kind of sub-human previous owner could have come up with the idea of using those in the calipers...
Well, we'll see what happens after a while...

Oh, one more thing. The 13mm bolts right in the middle of the rotor holder that become exposed once the wheels are taken off were kind of loose on both rear sides... So I just tightened them up... In retrospect, I probably should have taken off those rotors and look for anything else that might have been loose under them, but I didn't...

By the way, the old differential fluid was replaced almost three weeks ago with Mobil 1 75W90 synth gear lubricant... however, it did not have any effects on the noises.

Thank you all so much for your advice!

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.