I will know today if the brake pad stuff I applied last night works. I only did right side, as this has been making the noise most. Ironically, the left side has not done this until yesterday, and just yesterday, I ordered a ball joint from Phil to replace the one on the right that I finally felt must have been making the noise since April!. Then on the way home, the left side started making the same noise...I knew then the both new ball joints cant be bad, and it is just not the ball joints....this saved me from replacing a perfectly new ball joint only to find the noise still there!

I do think (hope!) the noise is from the pads, because the noise started when I did the ball joints. At that time, the pads were a few months old, and I had put the sticky stuff on. When I did ball joints, I rubbed that crap off the pads and when I re-assembled I just applied a little caliper grease thinking that this sticky stuff probably doesnt really do anything!

So that must be it...I will see on the way to work this morning.

Good luck and thanks,

mark

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1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)

Hi Mark,
I think we've all spent ages working thru the kilos of rubber bushing under a merc, trying to find the place that one last annoying thunk thump thunk really comes from.
I was just about to swap out the guide rod mounts when I noticed that it was the intermediate arm bush (you know, rubber at both ends, sits inside a steel tube on the other side of the car from the steering box..) that was the culprit.
What I learned is that you need 2 people (one to move, the other to watch) when looking at this stuff. I'd tried alone many times with no joy; did it with a freind and we quickly found the real problem. Hope u do 2
Giles

Sticky brake pad stuff didnt work..but noise goes away when I apply brakes. I will start a new thread on this.

BTW, Tarnbarn, what is the intermediate rod you describe...I dont think I have this on the 123?

Thanks,

Mark

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1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)

Hi Mark,
It's the bit marked 8 in the picture... comes free with a 123.
I'm crap at describing things with words.
Good luck with your clunk
Giles

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Thats the idler arm bushing. Doesnt fix this problem as I have replaced it.

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1981 300SD 512k OM603

That part usually causes squeaking when turning the wheel. I had already replaced that...plus my "clunk" is further forward at wheels.

Thanks,

Mark

__________________
1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)