I had complained to my dealer for a year, and about 25k, since I bought my car, that there was excess slop in the steering. I figured something needed to be adjusted. In that time, I have been living with wandering and vagur feel, particularly onthe highway. This led me to upgrade to 17" wheels last fall, thinking I just had a typical, old-style Mercedes suspension and ride. Well, I wish I had pressed them harder on this a year ago, because they FINALLY replaced the steering rack.

HOLY TOLEDO!

My car has been transformed. It feels like a BMW 3-series. I could notice a huge difference iin steering feel as well as assist, right out of the drive bay. On the highway now, ittracks perfectly and doesn't require 20* of input just to stay in the lane. It's hard to tell you to change yours out if you are getting up in mileage, as mine was done under Starmark (else I wouldn't have pressed them). This, in combo with new sway bar bushings, makes it feel like what I would consider new. All this, after the service people kept telling me the *rack doesn't wear out in these cars."

Just curious what year and mileage?

Also are you referring to the tie rods and center link?

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-Paul-
'01 E430, Sport 72,000 mi
'98 C280, 126,500 mi

Well, it's referred to as the "steering box," and it's essentially that - housing for the steering gearset. That, and control arm bushings were replaced. My '97 car has 87k, but it's been wallowy since I bought it at 61k.

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

Mine had slop like that but it was the inner joints on the center link. The gear box is/was fine.

Mike

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

Interesting, but my sheet (and tech) definitely show the gear assy, listed as "steering box/steering rack." Maybe that includes the peripheral parts.

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

Would one of those steering boxes that do not wear out fit on an older model? like an 85 190E? with some modifications naturally I'm assuming?

I was considering putting in a different steering system in my car since the early ones wear out and are a pain to repair, or replace.

I guess my next question is, what would be a good donor car for a steering system like this, perhaps I can locate one on a junkyard and start from there.

Any ideas advice will be greatly appreciated.

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

xp190

Have you found a new girlfriend yet ?

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2007 C 230 Sport.

Didn't the W202 have a recirculating box just like the W124 and W201's. And they do wear out and need adjustment periodically until you just have to live with it or replace $$.

It's a rack, not recirculating ball, and I had thought like you until they told me that.

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

I am 100% certain that W202's have recirculating ball.

The W210 chassis was the first Mercedes to get rack and pinion.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Thats what I thought too, the clue is in the "wandering" you were experiencing, never heard of a rack and pinion system "wandering".
The "rack" they are talking about I guess would be the tie rods to idler arm to center drag link to pitman arm to tie rod system. The idler arm wears out and is a beast to replace because of the torque level. If they changed all that and the Rball then yeah you got yourself a new steering system

In other words, the recirculating ball steering system is the one in earlier models, and wears out with time causing loose steering wheels, and wondering cars on the road. The rack and pinion system does not have this problem and is in other words flawless, (maybe bigger turning radius) would this be correct?

I see some problems with making a switch from one to the other, but it is all ideas floating in the air right now, I'd have to get some depth into this before any conclusions can be made, but, for a car that you plan on keeping for a good few years, it sounds like a resonable upgrade, is it possible, I guess I'll keep on looking.

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

Definitely not a rack and pinion. I changed my own center link/drag link (the whole assy). The steering box was just that, a box. Not a rack and pinion. I have experience changing those as well. As far as does it have circulating balls etc, I have no idea.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

The steering box is what we are calling a recirculating ball. If you took one apart you'll see where the name comes from

Ha!! Well, then apparently I knew more than the damn service people at the dealer. I was really surprised when they corrected me and said it was a rack. Enitirely possible they would assume it's the same as the 210, but one would think they are properly educated. Then again, with staff turnover, there probably aren't any service advisors in there now who were working with MBs in recirc-ball days.

Anywho, it does indeed feel like a whole new steering setup. I posted mainly as food for thought, since it's not a super-common "repair" (enhancement?)

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL