This price was quoted to me by my friendly neighborhood mercedes dealership. I think its almost funny, considering I've already bought the the ball joints and UCA's and spent a grand total of $115. It'll cost another $75 to get a local shop to press the new ball joints in, and probably 3 hours of my time to install everything.

My question is regarding the axle support. What exactly are they talking about here? The mechanic said it was a rubber bushing of some kind that would need to be special ordered from Germany, he said it was between the control arm and frame and involved 6 bolts.
He said he could move it with his fingers and that was bad. I'm getting this info BTW second-hand, through the service consultant. They want $825 for that and I'm not sure exactly what they're talking about so I can fix it myself. Thanks good people. The car is an 1983 240D.

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1985 300D Gretchen (Astral Silver) 220k
1983 240D 4-speed Evelyn (Orient Red) 203k


TANSTAAFL

Best of luck on the three hour estimate.

That must be the guide rod mounts.

http://catalog.worldpac.com/mercedesshop/sophio/wizard.jsp?partner=mercedesshop&clientid=catalog.mercedesshop&baseurl=http://catalog.peachparts.com/&cookieid=2650Q36L327V1ARD8Q&year=1979&make=MB&model=240-D-002&category=L&part=Guide+Rod+Mount

3 hours is about right (maybe less) if, instead of using a spring compressor, you let the whole shebang hang by the shock. This means using two jacks - one to hold up the car, and a second one to put underneath the arm, so that the spring doesn't unload all at once. (this way, you can slowly lower the jack, and after a few love taps, free the upper joint). Be sure and loosen the nut on the upper joint, but don't take it off, until you are sure it is loose, and that you have the jack high enough.

Be careful!

PS: I hear the thrust rod mounts can be a bear.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Someone who has not done the job before would be well advised to have a full day available per side.

I would venture to say that the probability of a first-timer completing the aforementioned job in three hours is zero. Even with all the proper tools.

Those are usually the kind of jobs started at 4pm on Sunday until one gets a little older.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

Check with phil here.. I don't think there's any front suspension rubber pieces he doesn't sell for your car. They might come from Germany, but they aren't expensive.

The LCA needs to be dropped from the frame to replace those bushings, and the steering knuckle pretty much has to be removed to R&R the lower ball joints. When I did mine last summer, the second side (after I figured out how to do it most efficiently) took me about 8 hours over the course of a few days. If you can safely do them with the steering knuckle still on the car, you can save major hours, but since I took the knuckles to someone to have the joints R&R, it wasn't an option for me. The spring and about a bazillion bolts just took time.

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'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

If you haven't done this before I would suggest getting a spring compresser for MB"s so you don't have to worry about the spring tension. The guide rod bushings are tough to get out but they go back fairly well. Replace the front subframe bushings that are on those while you have it all apart. Speaking of that you have to pull the spring so you can remove the perch so you can replace the front bushing in the LCA. Otherwise the perch will be in the way to remove the mounting bolt.

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If it ain't broke take it apart and find out why.

1983 300SD, 4 speed
1994 C280
1987 300TD wagon
1996 HD Road King

Ride in Peace Eric Peterson, Harley of Macon

I still think that $520 is a ridiculous amount of money to do the UCA's. I've done it once, and on the side that I didn't have to sawzall through the inner UCA bolt it took maybe 45 minutes. A professional mercedes mechanic should be able to best me by a factor of two. Including the time it takes to put on his white cotton gloves.

I'm still not sure about this axle support between the control arm and frame, what is the official name of the part? Is it the LCA bushings or something else?

Thanks for all the prompt responses.

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1985 300D Gretchen (Astral Silver) 220k
1983 240D 4-speed Evelyn (Orient Red) 203k


TANSTAAFL

I just got done doing this. You can do it all yourself. It is a full weekend allow for a day per side. In my case the ball joints had the additional touch of being welded in. I was able to press them in and out using the Advanced Auto 23 part press kit. However I didnt use the proper portions of the kit but was able to use the angle cut cylinder to press it out and the socket looking one to press it in.

The axle support he is referring to is the LCA bearing. You will need a Klann type spring compressor for this. Do NOT fool around with the ones you can get at AZ or AA.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

He is talking about all the bolts for the front end the two lower inner excentric bolts and two outer excentric bolts they are different sizes and the two for the yoke are regular bolts and then the two front control arm bolts are excentric bolts and are for the camber and caster adjustments, and they rarely come out very easily most have to be cut out with a torch.so thats the six bolts ,then you need two control kits one for each side and the the two bushing that go into the yoke that fastens too the frame. Beleive me I have done many, then you will have to press the lower ball joints out and back in both sides and while your at it you should replace upper control arms, and if you want to use the shock as a safety to hold the compressed spring I would not advise this you might get lucky a few times and on that third time it will come loose and take your head off, those are small bolts that hold the shock to the control arm don't take that chance, DON'T DO THAT. Jerry.... ASE Certified Master Mechanic, Don't take short cuts, sooner or later it will get you.............bad feeling to be running from a compressed spring comes out of there like a bomb. beleive me