W210 steering Knuckle replacment ?
 

Does any body have a thread of experience in replacing a steering knuckle on a W210.

I have the streering knuckle but not sure if I need coild spring compressor to take the old one off and install the new one. Is there any tricks I need to know to undertake this task. Thanks Kevin Australia

Answer
 

Support the lower control arm with a floor jack, vehicle weight will keep the spring in place.



.

I did a knuckle on a 1998 W202
 

1) Why are you replacing the knuckle? it's usually a part that needs replacing due to accident damage.

2) Have a Haynes Manual - or a dedicated workshop manual.

3) You'll need a ball-joint breaker - it's a small expansion clamp that you turn with a socket. There were some large crescent wrench sizes you needed, maybe even some large sockets also, I'm talking 18mm,19mm maybe even 21 or 22mm, I don't recall exactly.

4) You also need to replace the wheel bearing, which uses some specific tools. I remember getting brass punches and bearing packer, these special round discs to knock the bearing race in, Mercedes-Benz bearing grease and bearings.

5) I supported the car on stands, so you need flat top stands and a (two) good garage jack - I lifted the car by the lower control arm and a piece of wood over the garage jack lifting point to protect from scratching - so I could get a jack stand under the sill rubber jack point. I needed to use two garage jacks in order to lift both sides of the car simultaneously.

6) I posted some pics somewhere either on this forum or the Mercedes-Benz Club of America | ( where I post under Scott Singer ) forum of the jack method and locations for lifting, so tomorrow I will try to find them.

7) The shock and spring are not removed, but a jack under the control arm is necessary for support and a few cm's of movement for aligning.

8) Some brake wiring is removed and their associated mountings need to be removed from the knuckle to be installed onto the new knuckle.

I'll try to think of more hints and try to find any old post on the procedure.

some more stuff
 

Here is an old post discussing steering knuckle and ball joints tie-rod etc.

It may help you in preparing for the job

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/155448-202-lower-ball-joint-replacement.html

For 210 you do not; the shock absorber will hold the lower control arm.
3 ball joint connections at tie rod end, upper and lower control arms.

Thank you guys for the tips I will get this done this weekend.
Just one question in respect of the wheel bearing removal. Is the wheel bearing on the front wheels a single SKF wide roller bearing or is it in two pieces as in the 124 series where you had to use the guage to adjust the correct tollerances required by MB?

Answer
 

Each front wheel has two bearings, inner and outer + inner grease seal.
Here is a thread with bearing DIY data.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/148772-wheel-bearing.html#post1125744