If I don't have a shop press and I don't want to spend the money on the special MB tool, is there another way to press the bushings into the lower control arms?

Thanks,

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

I used a vice. A large clamp would work too.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I used a piece of 5/8" allthread and with a stack of washers. I suppose a big enough bolt would work too.

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"spreading a trail of obnoxious where ever we go"
1981 300sd w/ 341,500 miles

http://www.wecrash.com/pics/ddda_banner.gif

clean the inside with very fine sandpaper (i used 1200 wet sand grit) and spray out with brake cleaner.

definitely us a vice. and use soft soap to lubricate the bushing rubber as well as on the inside too.

the one i dindt figure out was what to use to do an outer crimp of the inner sleeves. i ended up using a plumb bob. didnt turn out so great, but doesnt fall out either

To flair the tube I made a tool out of a lug nut from my truck and a long bolt. It worked great. I had to buy a pack of $17 pack of 5 bolts to get the one I needed, so I would be willing to sell some of these tools, say $6 shipped.

My first attempt at flaring the tube involved a 1/2" socket extension and my vice to squeeze it, however the back side of the tube got pressed away from being perfectly flush with the bushing while I was flaring it, so when I tried to put the bushing in place the mount on the body of the car damaged the aluminum tube and I had to buy another one (from Germany )

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

To flare the Aluminum tube I used 2 sockets that had tapers to flare the tube end and a large C clamp to apply the pressure. I read another member used a large tapered punch to do the flaring.
I also had to file it flush after the flaring was done.
The factory manual tells you to use no oil to lube the bushings and to use a vice to press the bushings in. To lube I have read of soapy water or KY jelly.
To press the bushing in I used the threaded rod and large washers that I already had those things from another project just as PatricdeBoer did.
I am about 1/2 way through my bushing replacement job.
Unexpected trouble removing front Lower Control Arm Bushings.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=228951

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

It also helps if you put the new bushings in the freezer for a few hours to shrink them a bit. You might heat the bushing end of the control arm a bit with a torch before you press the bushings in too. You'd be surprised how much it helps- sometimes it's enough that they will slip in by hand.

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'83 300D Turrrbo 295K miles

A vise will suffice but make sure you LUBE THE BUSHINGS up or you could destroy them putting them in. Soapy water or orange hand cleaner works( the non toxic kind)

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

5/16" all-thread with nuts and a stack of washers
cheap Harbor Freight 3/4" dr. sockets
...........and the best lubricant......KY Jelly (won't harm the rubber and water-soluble which keeps the bushing in place after installation)

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

The later W126 may be different, was there an aluminum tube in the center of the bushing? Did it have a bell shaped flair on one end? I don’t think the LCA/bushing would fit back into the mount on the body if you needed to flair the tube and didn’t.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

we are talking about the front lower control arms

It's different for the W126 I guess.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

The 123 parts are different so require a different way to assemble.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

see this write up - especially post # 10:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=179284&highlight=tool

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~shell
As of 2/2010:
2001 CLK55 0o\=*=/o0
13.6 @ 106mph
10K mi
1984 300SD
260K mi and going and going...
97 S600
46K miles
1991 Sentra SE-R (extremely dorked with)
www.se-r.net

That is a diffrent bushing than the W123 uses.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine