Smarting from trailing arm replacemnt charge
 

I took the 82 240D formerly known as Pancakes to a local repair and alignment shop to cure the pulling. (not my normal indy, but this shop has an alignment rack and in the past has been good at that). As I suspected it showed a bent trailing arm. I took over the part and they installed it, taking 2 weeks which I thought a bit excessive. I went to pick up the car and as I headed home I noticed a tap tap tapping which it had not had before and it still was pulling to the right. I went back and he said it needed the tires rotated and it would drive straight. So I asked him to see what was tapping and rotate the tires so I could verify it was tracking. First visit cost about $400. I felt this was just a little high maybe $40 or so but paid without complaining.

So it took them another 2 weeks in spite of the fact that they seem to not be doing much business these days. So I picked it up today and he said it would be another $100. I said what for? He said to get rid of the tapping they had to switch the sway bar link and in doing so broke a bolt and had to drill and tap it. I said I'd been working on these old Mercedes for 30 years and in all that time had broken maybe 2 bolts. He said nevertheless they broke in spite of them being careful. He charged me $15 to rotate the tires.

I was not feeling good about this now. So I asked for a test drive to verify the repairs. He said no, pay me and you can test it all you want.

So I paid him and came home but I am still a little peeved.

Am I being unfair to him?

is it tracking properly now?

Seems ok.

I think he should of at least got in the car with you for a test drive first. Then again maybe he does not need repeat or word of mouth new business.

He was angry by then....me too.

Well working on these old Mercedes could get a preacher cussing but that's no reason to disrespect a paying customer. By the way how bad did they botch the drill and replace bolt routine?

im thinking you might be a little too hard on the guy being upset about broken bolts. Im not sure how you've gotten along so well only breaking so few in your career of working on them, but ive broken hundreds at this point I believe. :D

I say let it go. He did sit on it a long time on two occasions, which is annoying, but at the same time these cars are not cost effective to work on in a shop trying to get stuff done on a schedule, and an old car always has a cascade of other stuff that will break as soon as you touch it. After leaving a shop, I barely break bolts now, as I can leave them to soak forever.

As long as the problem has been properly fixed, then id say call it even and don't use him again. Chances are the sway bar link was broken when they did the control arm, and they hoped you wouldn't notice because by then they were sick and tired of struggling with the control arm, cursing you the knowledgeable customer, and your old car. :D

I think the main problem here was "local repair and alignment shop".

Most of ours around here of that sort are pretty shady operations. I tend to go to the special German shop or the dealer only. (and neither if I can help it)

I haven't had a chance to have a good look at it.

It wasn't broken just loose and rattling. When I first picked the car up there was a new rattle and it still pulled after paying a little too much and waiting a little too long....and me probably hungry and crabby.;)

I resisted telling him I wouldn't be back because my normal Indy has no rack and I am not sure of my options on alignments.

I consider our local german specialist a little shady and the dealer....well the dealer is a dealer.;)

There's an alignment place here that's great, let's you watch, get's the work done right when you have an appointment, fair prices on most things (used them for some press work once, thought that was kinda pricey, when NAPA used to do it for free but they don't anymore, so I guess that's why). Their alignment guys are great though, and will let you drive it as often as you like. Last time I went out, and came back and said the steering wheel was off now, and they happily fixed it

Better than the almost $2000 I paid a local shop to remove, reman, and replace the turbo on my SDL because I was too lazy to pull it myself :rolleyes:

-J

I would consider $400 to replace a rear trailing arm a bargain.

:eek::eek::eek:

Its not even that hard to replace a turbo....maybe a few hours work. :eek:

I'm not even willing to pay for basic but unpleasant tasks. Maybe I am just that cheap. :D

Ya I know, I've had mine off before. The bill ended up being almost twice what I was expecting :mad:

-J

So I drove the 240 over to the glass company today to get a new windshield and rear glass gasket and found the car to wander and it sounds like the rr shock is loose on one end.

No wonder he didn't want me to test drive it.

Broke a bolt and had to tap the sway bar links. I smell a scam. Those are replace only.

They're a threaded bolt which has a ball for a head so if you break it off you'd have to drill it out and tap it clean.;)

Does the top of the rear shock have to be taken loose to replace the trailing arm?

yeah, the bolt flange wont pass through the hole in the control arm. Shocks have to be removed or unbolted. Though it could probably just undo the top and drop the whole assembly, then remove at their leisure from the arm itself, id probably remove the whole shock to avoid damaging it

There are always two sides to a story.

Charging a total of $400 to r&r a rear lower control arm including an alignment, shop supplies and tax is very reasonable. In this case the customer self diagnosed the issue and supplied the parts. So the shop lost out on parts profit and had to deal with a 30 year old car to boot.

It's a thirty year old car, is it reasonable to expect that by replacing a bent suspension part with a good used one and nothing else is going to eliminate all the wandering issues? On a high mileage old car like this, the front AND rear suspension likely has multiple issues causing the wandering. Not to mention, the condition of the tires is suspect due to abnormal wear cause by worn and damaged suspension parts.

The shop demanded payment first because that's the way business is done, asking for a test drive before making payment is unfair to the shop and is a real slippery slope.

If the op had taken the car to the shop with a specific complaint of wandering and pulling to one side and they then performed the full list of recommended repairs then there would be legitimate gripe. Something caused the control arm to bend, probably an impact with a curb. Likely there is other damage that the op isn't able to diagnose himself.

You disagree? What a surprise. I specifically asked them to look at the front end for worn parts. they said it is fine. Damage that I cannot diagnose? Right. That is why I took it to them.

The steering box needs adjusting though and it sure sounds and feels like the rr shock is not attached on one end.

These are quality of service issues which I would not have had if I had taken it to my regular Indy for the repair work. I tried to save myself some shuffling of cars by having them do the repair work in addition to the alignment. I won't make that mistake again.

I have removed hundreds of trailing arms... I do not think the shock needs to be removed to get them out...

I swapped one in an afternoon due to a wheel bearing noise... never touched the shock upper mount...

Thanks John!

That engine is running excellent! Powerful and smooth!

I aims to please!

Jay took great care of that car, and I had ZERO doubts the motor would be perfect.

does the shock lower mount pass through the trailing arm hole if you twist it?

I talked to my favorite machinist about this shop and he said the owner has a drinking problem. He said that when his father ran the shop they did quality work and if there happened to be something wrong they fixed it. Looks like I'll have to find another alignment shop.

(My favorite machinist said he just had some trouble with the alignment/repair shop himself and will likely not be doing work with them in the future).

sounds like a death rattle in the works for that shop as far as reliable return customers.

You know its bad when other businesses in the same general field start taking their business elsewhere as well.

Fortunately for the alignment shop, there is no shortage of one time customers out there, assuming he has a favorable location

I always examine and test drive before paying - now. A local shop screwed rear main, clutch, trans, transfer case seals on the Cummins. Fortunately the owner has integrity if not competent employees.

I also make it clear that I "think" the problem is xxx but they are to make their own diagnosis and call me if they find something different.

Easy to say now. The lessons to arrive at that strategy were painful.

Another tangent is NEVER give a contractor or anyone in a construction related business an advance. Those that can't afford supplies are the most likely to underperforming on the work.

ever since you said this i have been interested to see if i could do the same on my 123s. recently i was yet again doing rear shocks on the wifes car, and there is no way this is possible on either the wifes 85 wagon (standard shock conversion), or my 83 240. the base of the shock absolutely cannot pass through the control arm. certainly not while bolted up top.

this has me thinking that maybe there are different types of control arms for the 123, maybe one with a bigger hole?
chances are walgumuth has the same as i do, where to remove the control arm, you absolutely do have to un bolt the top of the shock, or remove it all together first.

what years did you do? im curious what other difference there might be