got back from the shop.
 

had them balance and rotate my tires. and it balanced out fine, they said when they torqued down my right front wheel (the one that is vibrating) he said the whole wheel moved back and forth horizontally.

what suspension component will i need to replace to fix this problem? thanks for any suggestions.

ned

oh and its for a W126 300sd (1984)

Do you mean play is in the axial direction? It could be a loose bearing, ball joint, or tie rod.

I'm surprised they didn't write down what the problem was on the work order, or offer to fix it.

well if u look at the wheel straight on it will move on the X-axis. (X, Y and Z) back and forth.

i thought the ball joints keep it from tilting in and out (negative and positive camber wise) but the fact is i don't know a lot about these suspensions.

what does a tie rod do? and it is a DIY job? also do i need to change them in pairs? or just the sides thats bad? thanks again

You need to first inspect each suspension component individually until you find which part is loose. It would help to jack that side up, remove the wheel, and safely inspect the components by jostling them. A well-placed crowbar can help.

Any job can be a DIY job. It depends on what tools you have and how comfortable you are at tackling certain tasks.

Suspension components don't necessarily need to be changed in pairs. Just replace what's worn out.

If the wheel is "loose" directly in and out, it's the wheel bearings (excessive clearance).

Best thing to do is jack up that corner on a flat concrete floor and wriggle the wheel.

Grasp at 3 and 9 o'clock and pull/push straight out. If the wheel moves directly in and out, it's the wheel bearings. If it moves in and out, but more at top or bottom, it's the ball joints. Movement will be visible. You may also want to put a finger on the ball joint to check for movement also, it can be fairly small.

Next, pull with right and push with left hand, then reverse. Movement here is a steering linkage problem. Watch the tie rod ends and drag link ball joints -- movement indicates a need to replace. Very unlikely to be the steering box if only one side moves.

Put a prybar under the tire and apply upward force (gently). Distinct movement of more than a couple mm indicates a worn-out lower ball joint. Upper can be bad too, watch for it.

If it's only the one wheel, I'd lay a bet on the wheel bearing. Probably can tighten it up, but if it's been that way any length of time, I'd replace it, they don't like running with excess play.

Peter

check you lower thrust rod bushings on the body.

george

thanks guys. after a 400 mile trip today one of my rear shocks popped out and i lost the bolts. i had to drive 200 miles under 65 mph because whenever i hit a bump the mounting plate of my shocks would hit the ground. does anyone know what kind of bolt (2) goes there?

also looks like one of the bolts broke off. so the thread is still in there but no way to put a wrench through it. am i screwed?

If you have back and forth movement on the entire wheel assembly on the 126 the part that is usually worn is called the brake strut bushing. It runs from the undernath the shock on the lower control arm back.Take a look.
Paul