VVF

Come on John
He says dealer wanted 190 for each end link, how much do you think they will ask for the sway bar? $300 maybe?

hanknum

If you changed out the sway bar bushings and it got worse, then the noise is likely associated with that part of the suspension. Sounds like you got the wrong size bushings. You can put the old ones back in and see if the noise is less...like before. Or, better yet, just disconnect the swaybar and go over some bumps and see if you still have the noise...if not, then you know what part of the suspension you need to look at.

jkowtko

I have a couple of posts in this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post5616937

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post5618957

A lot of confusion around the sway bars ... evidently lots of changeups over time.

If you want a second dealership opinion, try calling the parts counter at Autobahn Motors in Belmont Shores, CA 94002 http://www.autobahnmotors.com/index.htm

crembz

Yeah dealers here in AUS are criminals. Here are some prices I've had off them in the past:

Steering rack bushings $70 each
Water pump $950
Supercharger clutch $5600
Intercooler pump $900
End links $190
TCC solenoid $430

I'd be shocked if a new sway bar came in less than $800

crembz

Thanks mate, the suspension guys said the bushes they took off were not molded. The bracket looks like an "outie". They're putting it on a jig today and checking it out again. They agreed and said it sounds like the sway bar but seemed confused since the bushes are new and lined up correctly with plenty of lube. Getting the rack bushes done today also.

jkowtko

LOL!

Sorry, I didn't see you were in Australia. It's a crime how much some countries/regions are overcharged for car parts.

For the sway bar specifically I was initially surprised at the low price (I believe it's $80 retail here) ... but then realized that since you can't buy the bushings separately and are stuck with a complete bar just to fix two $10 rubber parts, they much have priced it lower to compensate.

Too bad you can't call a US dealership and have them ship it over there ...

If it's really that large of a price gap, let me know what you need next time, I'll bake them into some chocolate chip cookies and send you over a care package

crembz

Don't get me started on the price of tyres! Lol. Thanks for the offer mate ... Your gonna need a production line for all the cookies you're gonna be baking

Anyways the guys recon the new sway bar bushings are causing the noise. They're gonna fit some original mb bushings instead of the bilstein bushings they fitted. On the up side the steering rack mounts have improved the steering feel over bumps. The bar is 23mm with removable bushings. Hopefully that solves the popping noise once and for all. Got the behr and water pump going in this week and hopefully that closes out the restoration and my wallet can relax for a little andi can start enjoying the car more consistently. On the down side I scraped one of my wheels on the way home ... Seriously considering going back to the stock 17s.

VVF

Any updates, crembz? I guess the noise is gone now?

crembz

Hey mate, yeah the bushes were replaced with mb bushes and all the creaking is gone. Still have the loose steering column rattle though, I think I'll get onto that and replace the coupler straight after the quaife goes in
Also need to replace the brake pads with something that doesn't sound like a dying pig in low speed braking!

neurodave

My noise is mainly from the front. From the back I get a rattle, which I'm sure is the sway bar shaking around. I will get to that in the coming days.

But in the front, it sounds like my car has something loose. I can't even drive into a shopping plaza or parking lot that has a slight bump without slowing down, otherwise it sounds like my car is gonna fall apart. It sounds like a big part (maybe shocks?) are lose and banging up and down on the chassis. Not only that, the car is bouncy and unstable hitting even a CRACK on the road. Yes, a small crack.

Anyone have a good idea what I should look at? I'm sure the car needs some new suspension, but I'm trying to tackle this noise first, and come summer I will do a complete swap.

jkowtko

The first thing I would check is strut mounts.

Open the hood and look at the two mount points on the sides of the engine bay where the top of each struct sticks through. Fastened to the top of each strut post is a small straight (1" x 4") metal bracket that should be floating above the chassis metal maybe 1/4". The nut itself it probably covered by a black plastic cap.

Bounce the car up and down. You should see the bracket flex only every so slightly up and down relative to the body of the car. It should flex less than a millimeter. If you see it moving a lot, then the top rubber mount is likely torn.

It that is the culprit, then you are looking at having to remove the struts assembly in order to get to the strut mount (it is part of the strut assembly complete with compressed spring). And in order to take out the strut, you have to remove the ball joint of the upper control arm from the steering knuckle. So if your car has not had front suspension work done lately (or since 2001), then you should consider replacing at this time:

* struts
* top strut mounts
* upper control arms

Additionally, to remove the bushing side of the upper control arm you have to remove the sway bar bushing brackets, so also consider replacing at this time:

* sway bar bushings.

The following additional items may also need to be replaced, but they can all be replaced independently without requiring removal of any of the above or each other:

* lower control arms
* sway bar links
* sway bar bushings.

If you do the bounce test and that top bracket does not appear to flex excessively but you still feel poor control and/or get lots of noise, then your struts just might be shot. Unfortunately that's about the same list as above for the top strut mounts ... I would suggest replacing the strut mounts whenever you replace the struts, since you have to disassemble so much to get to either part.

There is one other possibility that I've heard of, which is a broken spring. You should be able to check the spring by visual inspection if you jack up the car and remove the tire. The entire spring is in plain sight.

Let us know what you find!

Thanks. John

Cruel-Merc

Hey folks, there is this knocking sound coming from the front passenger side feels like some metal rubbing on each other when turning full right lock, at first it was the struts nut loose so the spring was snapping from its upper mount plate but we fixed it and its fine now but the sound is still coming im wondering if its the sway bar now need to be replaced , does it create that noise?!

Glyn M Ruck

The first things to look at are the castor/thrust arm bushings for cracks & damage. Common issue. Then check the sway bar drop arms.

Cruel-Merc

Well glad you mentioned it, i went under the car a hour ago and i recall the thrust arm bushings had cracks in them on both front sides but more noticeable on the passenger side, all this time i thought the problem was in the strut area but that doesnt seem to be it.Ill change em bushings tomorrow.

Glyn M Ruck

Benz had a bulletin out on this issue. Bushes were improved. Changed very early under warranty on my old C240 & never another issue.

Cruel-Merc

Nice, well mine is on 110k miles atm and i never changed any suspention parts yet except for struts.Heres 2 pics i took under my car





Left thrust arm bushing.





Right thrust arm bushing

Glyn M Ruck

Those are the camber arm bushes. Look at the castor arm bushes.

Cruel-Merc

oh my bad then, well i recall those one had some oil on em well at least on the passenger side..similar to the first pic you posted but with less oil plus it had cracks in em too , all 4 arms (Camber/Castor) in the car.Do you have any idea how much per piece?

Glyn M Ruck

The castor bushes are silicone fluid filled & leak when they crack.

They used to be about US$20 each.

Here is the bulletin. Ignore VIN numbers. It was a general problem.

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...h-bulletin.pdf

Cruel-Merc

ok cool, ill get em changed by tomorrow hopefully, thank you glyn,appreciate it.

neurodave

So it finally got nice enough and I went out and popped the hood open and checked the mounts. I bounced the car up and down on both sides of the front and I heard a "squishy" sound when it would bounce back. Like either fluid was being squirted, or air was pushing out. There was no movement in the mounts themselves. Does that mean my shocks are shot? It sure feels like it, it bounces like a stripper twerking!

jkowtko

If the top mount rubber isn't flexing excessively and the car bounces a few times, then it sounds like the struts. You could look for a second opinion, but if your car has 100k miles on it and the shocks/struts have never been changed, then it is likely they are shot.

I would replace the fronts and rears all together. I suggest you also consider replacing the top strut mounts -- an extra cost, but you don't want to have to go back in there in a few years to replace them.

Engapol

Not necessarily, I changed my bushings believing they were causing the creaking/squeaking in the front and the new OEM ones only made it worse. They were a good fit and the techs at the dealer said they didn't use any lube so I was bit puzzled, the only other thing I touched during replacement of the bushings were the sway bar links and I went and replaced those, noise went away.

Cruel-Merc

Hey folks, are the front camber adjustable?!

jkowtko

Yes. You use fluted bolts that allow the mount points of the upper and lower control arm bushings to be moved a few mm in each direction. See this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-question.html