PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - Borrowing a 300E 2.8 for the week

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- - Borrowing a 300E 2.8 for the week (http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=303574)

Ya. Thankfully it failed as I was putting into a parking spot, not on the highway!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-c.../P70253701.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1.../P70253200.jpg

I guess there is one silver lining to this cloud, it happened as I was driving not my friend's mom. :eek:

At least it's not overheating anymore :rolleyes:

I would have thought a failing ball joint would give more warning... pops and clunks, tons of steering play... the wheel feel didn't seem like things were about to go this badly.

-J

That is not a pretty sight. Having a failure like that on the open road would be very catastrophic.

One interesting tidbit: I'm now 2 for 2 on benzes stranding me, but 0 for 5 on VW/Audi products. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85 (Post 2773723)

One interesting tidbit: I'm now 2 for 2 on benzes stranding me, but 0 for 5 on VW/Audi products. ;)

You should play the lottery!

Let's recap:

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85 (Post 2770721)

The suspension is scary dead. I'm guessing there is NO rubber left in any of the rear bushings, the car floats all over the place on the highway. The steering doesn't self center very well either so I'm sure the front end needs some help too.
-Jason

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85 (Post 2771907)

Driving this car is like trying to twirl a hula hoop on a waterbed. The car flops all over the place, the steering has memory turning right... at least the shocks don't seem dead. The owner said he didn't like driving it because it was a "big floaty car" (A W124 is big???) I would love to see the look on his face after driving one with a working suspension :)

-J

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferdman (Post 2771957)

Jason, a true friend would strongly recommend that the owner replace all the rubber components in the suspension so his 1993 300E drives/handles the way it was designed. It currently is an accident waiting to happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferdman (Post 2771957)

I know that's kind of mean, but we could all learn something here. I know I did.

Yup, I shouldn't have ASSumed that things were ok. I should have jacked the car up and given it a close inspection. That bit of play in the steering sure turned out to be worse then the steering wheel made it seem! A good inspection is probably good advice whenever someone begins driving any new-to-them older car, more so when it's had only oil changes for the past 10 years.

It seems strange, but I have only ever heard of ball joints failing in parking lots and never on the road. A certain sports sedan I used to drive had tie rod failures - again, only ever in parking lots. I guess that cranking the wheel over to enter or leave a parking spot puts more stress on these parts than driving down the road?

Are the ball joints replaceable on this car, or do you need the entire lower control arm? I replaced the lower control arms on my '93 at about 130K miles - 3 or 4 years ago. But I wanted everything fresh, being more concerned with safety and having the car drive "right" than with the cost...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbzman (Post 2771193)

I'm pretty sure all W124s and for that matter almost all Mercedes products were R134A by 1993, except maybe the W201. They started the transition in 1992 such as on the W140.

Depends on the chassis.

400E's and 500E's got r134a in 1992.

All other W124's got r134a in 1993.

Jason, glad that you weren't injured as a result of the ball joint failure. Difficult to tell from your picture, but is the fender damaged or just the cladding knocked loose? Time to buy some new clips for the cladding from the local MB dealer.

[QUOTE=jcyuhn;2774055] A certain sports sedan I used to drive had tie rod failures - again, only ever in parking lots. I guess that cranking the wheel over to enter or leave a parking spot puts more stress on these parts than driving down the road?

QUOTE]

I just replaced my center link and steering damper. This looked like a tie rod or center link connection issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85 (Post 2770721)

A friend was nice enough to lend me his '93 300E 2.8 for the week in exchange for some work on the car. Overall it's in nice shape, Florida car so there's no rust, but the clear coat is cracking from the sun. Base model, doesn't even have headlight wipers. That 2.8 runs good through and has great power. It just had the transmission rebuilt so it shifts perfectly.

The suspension is scary dead. I'm guessing there is NO rubber left in any of the rear bushings, the car floats all over the place on the highway. The steering doesn't self center very well either so I'm sure the front end needs some help too.

Is this one of the models that was affected by the degrading wiring insulation?

Pics tomorrow :)

-Jason

Hope this list helps you..

This mount should be damaged on the right front.
Fastlane: Rubber mounting, strut to body
http://catalog.peachparts.com/item.wws?sku=1243201444

Bushing kit, front lower control arm, x2 per car
MB# 1243300675

Ball Joint, Lower Control Arm Front Suspension (2 Per Car)
MB# 124 333 03 27

Sway Bar Bushing, Front Outer (2 Per Car)
MB# 124 323 49 85

Sway Bar Bushing, Front Inner (2 Per Car)
MB# 124 323 56 85

************************

Tie rod, x2
MB# 2103502153

Strut rod, x2
MB# 2103503306

Camber strut, x2
MB# 2103503406

Thrust arm, x2
MB# 2103503806

additional parts required for superseded arms mounting, x6 of each
MB# 2103504506
MB# 2103520043

**************************

Repair kit, rear sub frame forward mounting
MB# 1243500441

Repair kit, rear sub frame back mounting
MB# 1243510242

Joint, x2
MB# 2203520227

Rubber mounting, x2
MB# 2023520165

***********************

Differential Mount, Sub-frame to differential housing. Front Section (2 Per Car)
MB# 124 351 13 42

Differential Mount, Sub-frame to differential housing. Rear Section (2 Per Car)
MB# 124 352 77 65

*****************************

Flex Disc, x2
MB# 1704100015

Rubber boot, drive-shaft bearing support
MB# 1244100781

.

I replaced the drag link this morning, each ball joint was dead and there was a ton of play at the wheels. Steering is vastly improved now :cool:

I also repaired the climate control sensor fan, which got the ACC working correctly. Annoyingly as I was driving today the cabin blower quit working. I guess you fix one thing and the next will break right away...

-J

Jason, check if there is a 30-amp strip fuse on the driver's side shock tower. It will be inside a small black plastic box. The strip fuse develops a hairline crack over time and needs to be replaced.