My car ('86 190d 2.5 5spd manual) started making a continuous high-pitched squealing noise the other day while driving down the highway. I took it to my shop today, and though they didn't pinpoint the source of the noise, they told me all of the bushings on my rear suspension were shot, I need new trailing arms, the car is likely unsafe to drive and it would probably be a bigger investment than the car is worth for them to do the work.

What will it take for me to replace the bushings and trailing arms to save my car (whose engine runs like a top and is getting 41 mpg and that recently got new lower ball joints, new oem shocks/struts and towers, new drive belt, tensioner and pulley)?

Anybody got any advice? Had any experience doing this type of work yourself?

Shot bushings I can understand. It happens more often with the front, but old rubber is old rubber. Bad trailing arms? I haven't heard of that except in cases of severe corrosion or collision damage. What did they say was wrong with yours?

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

squealing like the tires rubbing? Don't get how the trailing arms would have anything to with a noise like that. I agree, the only way you'd have to replace those is if they are rotted. Rear subframe bushing kit is about a hundred bucks, lots of DIY info on here.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Does the w201 even have trailing arms? I thought it had the 5-link setup found on the w124?

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1991 W124 250D - 130k Miles

No. And, yes.

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-Steven

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1959 190b, totalled
1968 220D, sold
1969 230/8, sold
1980 240D manual, gave away at 300k (stupid me)
1985 190D 2.2 manual, gave away to a youngster
1989 300CE, sold when I retired - major regrets

I bet they don't want to work on it and so preach doom so you will get a nice cavalier so they can feel comfortable working on it.

I'd get a second opinion from someone who has actually worked on a benz before.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Never say you are going to get rid of that car!!! unless you want to sell it to me I would definitely say its worth saving thats a rare GEM that i have wanted for years!!! I agree its prob just bushings. Is it a constant noise? cause that could be other things.

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1987 300D 180k
1985 300SD 330k Helga
1992 300D Lola 269k- Sold
1986 325 coupe Bessie >300k Original engine(ODO Broke) sold
2006 2500HD Druamax Linda- Tows boat and looks pretty in garage thats about it

The shop is a fairly reputable MB shop, so I don't doubt they are correct. They think the noise, which doesn't change with engine rpm or when I hit the brakes, but gets louder as the vehicle speeds up, is the drive shaft center support. It was making noise for two days straight, but stopped when I slammed on the brakes for a hard stop earlier today.

The shop said the thrust arms are the worst offendors, and I don't doubt there is some corrosion as the jack points are rusted out like on many of the w201s you see on the road. I saw this kit on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230356059840&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_5004wt_1014

How hard would it be to rebuild the whole rear suspension--these things just bolt on, right?

Make me an offer I can't refuse and it is yours!
I keep telling my wife it is a rare gem, but she prefers cars with A/C, radios and working windows...

not too hard .... if you know what you are doing ..... is this a real 5 speed( meaning 5 forward gears + reverse) just curious.

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1987 300D 180k
1985 300SD 330k Helga
1992 300D Lola 269k- Sold
1986 325 coupe Bessie >300k Original engine(ODO Broke) sold
2006 2500HD Druamax Linda- Tows boat and looks pretty in garage thats about it

Oops. I had assumed that the W201 had the same basic suspension design as the W123. Now that I have the book out, I see that I was mistaken.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

A lot of us have spent more on our cars than they are "worth." It's really up to you whether or not it's worth it. If you're planning to sell the car in a couple years and don't want to put more into it than you'll get for it, it probably wouldn't be worth it. But if you really like the car, it's worth spending money on it to keep it on the road, assuming it ends up safe and enjoyable (the alternative would be buying another car, which you may not like as much or may be more expensive than the suspension work. I can't tell you about the rear suspension on the 201, but I'm guessing the center driveshaft bearing is doable ... I did it on my 123 and it was pretty straightforward. I'm not sure about the 201 but the 124 has a rear subframe that you could replace, but I get the feeling it's far from an easy job. But I guess if you have the tools and a good sense of what you're doing, there's nothing that says you can't do it.

But I wouldn't worry too much about the shop saying it isn't worth it ... that's kind of a standard procedure for a lot of shops, to tell people when a repair exceeds the value of the car. It's up to you, though, to decide if the paper value of the car is relevant to you.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

To me the key is that they said it would be more than the car is worth to have them do the repairs. If that is the standard most of us applied, many of our cars would have been consigned to the scrap heap long ago. What do they charge - $100 an hour? Doesn't take too many hours labor to exceed the value of a 20+ year old car at that rate. A couple of mechanics working on it for a couple of days and the bill is more than the value of the car.

That is why this site exists. So we can share DIY info on how to do these jobs for the cost of parts and time. Unless the mounting points are rotted out to where it takes major surgery (cutting and welding in new mounts) to replace the worn suspension parts, then you should be able to do the work yourself. Get a detailed estimate from them and take their parts list to the local wrecking yard. Spend a Saturday getting as many good serviceable parts from their list as possible. Purchase anything you can't find in decent used condition online, and then spend a weekend doing the work yourself. Ask here for advice on any problems you run into that you can't solve alone.

VIOLA'! For a couple hundred bucks and a two or three days work you've saved the car you love from an early grave! And the satisfaction you get from doing that is PRICELESS!

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1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

oh wow none of that works? What have you done to the poor thing!!!!

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1987 300D 180k
1985 300SD 330k Helga
1992 300D Lola 269k- Sold
1986 325 coupe Bessie >300k Original engine(ODO Broke) sold
2006 2500HD Druamax Linda- Tows boat and looks pretty in garage thats about it

Technically these cars are "worth" much more than a new car....in the fact that they can be kept on the road reliably and for an overall much lower cost than a new or newer car....compare the costs between your car and a 2009 of pretty much anything, and it becomes clear how much the car is really "worth". I've spent well over blue book rated value on my cars....but, I have no car payment, and can go months at a time paying only for fuel and insurance (which is super cheap, since its old).....try that with a new car. Between payments and insurance and fuel....a new car costs a fortune.

If the suspension is so bad that it is scary to drive, I'd get the bushing kit and go at it....if it drives ok, I'd leave it alone. My 300SD has a pretty worn suspension, but it tracks straight and drives fine....so I'm not complaining.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)