Experienced advice sought (123 boot/axle) - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BioBens · #1 09-12-2007, 12:01 PM

On a recent 2500-mile trip my 84 300TDT turned 200k

and then the rr inner cv boot blew

Drove it home and am getting ready to DIY replace the boot/bearings or axle -- whatever it needs. On takeoff it makes a pretty loud noise, like a poorly timed engine. Was wondering about the advisability of driving it for a few days while I wait for parts, and if there's a temp fix.

Thanks

junqueyardjim · #2 09-12-2007, 04:58 PM

It kind of depends how far you have driven it. Eventually it will wear so much the balls and other parts will fall out and the car will no longer move on its on. The differential will make the other side axle ineffective. Also, I don't know if the core value will hold if the joint is really junk. Some of the guys have put grease in the joint and then wrapped it with plastic and duct tape. I drove mine after they got noisey and sprayed them once a day with WD40. That seemed to quiet them down. But once the boot is broken, you just have to get under there and change that axle. There is a very good writeup on the procedure here in the forum. It is written on the 300D, not the SD, but I think the process is pretty much the same. Work safe, you can do it.

tobybul · #3 09-12-2007, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BioBens

On a recent 2500-mile trip my 84 300TDT turned 200k

and then the rr inner cv boot blew

Drove it home and am getting ready to DIY replace the boot/bearings or axle -- whatever it needs. On takeoff it makes a pretty loud noise, like a poorly timed engine. Was wondering about the advisability of driving it for a few days while I wait for parts, and if there's a temp fix.

Thanks

Where did you decide to get the replacement axles from?

Ken300D · #4 09-13-2007, 10:52 AM

If you have the time, there is a lot of information here in the forum on axle issues. It is a common thing to happen on these cars because of the age of the rubber boots.

At one time you could find new axles from GKN-Lobro, very expensive but something you could hand down from generation to generation as a family heirloom, because the boots are more easily replaceable.

You should still be able to find "remanufactured" axles, but the quality is highly variable depending on how much hardened bearing surface has been removed.

You can find good used axles that still have intact boots. To prevent a repeat boot problem they could be rebooted using special boots and a special boot installation tool (see the tool forum).

And, if not damaged, you could clean up your axle and reboot it yourself with new lubricant. If you decide to do this, swap the axles from side to side so you change the bearing surfaces that get the wear.

For my cars that have good axles, I am hoping at some point to have the time and guts to do a preventative reboot and swap sides on them.

Ken300D

BioBens · #5 09-13-2007, 11:07 AM

I wish I could tell if the cv joint itself is shot because I'd do the boot repair and axle swap. I drove it 1200 miles on a recent road trip with the boot torn, which I think it had been for some time before that. It made some noise on the trip, which seems, according to the consensus on the forum, to indicate that the cv joint is damaged. Now it isn't making noise. Even though it's a price/quality tradeoff, I think I'm going to buy/install a remanufactured axle and keep my fingers crossed. Just put my daughter on a plane for and overseas college semester, so my piggy bank won't get me first-quality axles.

Thanks for your help and advice!

Jeremy5848 · #6 09-13-2007, 11:08 AM

I have been told by CVJ Axles of Denver (a rebuilder, one of the good ones) that you are safe for many miles even with the CV joint making noise. I would recommend, as was said earlier in this thread by junqueyardjim, adding some grease (you can buy CV joint grease), wrapping the axle in plastic, and covering it with duct tape until you can get to the repair. I had to do that on a trip and it worked fine.

Jeremy