XeRaTuL

I own a C230 Kompressor, and i tried to change the Sway Bar Bushings but I have some... problems...

First i tried to buy the Bushings with my Stealer... and he tried to sell me the full sway bar, because he said, there is no way to change the bushings on ur car... And i said "WTF"? then i search on the web and i Found a number part the 203 323 21 85, and Bought it, but when my stealer give to me the part he said " take it but is going to be useless because u need to bought all the sway bar like i told u". I dont care about it and go to my house put the car in the ramps and surprice XD. Now the pictures....

Here is the Bushing i Bought



Here is the old Bushing



Do u see they are complete diferent

and if u see the Bracket here



The New Bushing do not fit inside of it





I really thing this is not correct... then i made some research and found here a post to change the sway bar to a new one here...
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...sway-bars.html
if u see the 4th picture, u will see the bushing i bought installed how i think is wrong... correct me if I am.

Then i made another research and... i found these


These Bracket Fit perfectly with my Bushing.

Now The Questions...

Someone Know What is the part Number of the Bushing I'm Looking? (the one to fit correctly with my actual bracket)

I think that mercedes-benz update the bushings and change also the bracket this is correct?

If it is truth... this part number 2033231240 is the new one?

I should install the new bushing with the original bracket (something i think is wrong)

And the last... Buy the complete sway bar

Boom vang

Based on what I see (I went through the same thing last year) you have a stock c230 without the sport suspension. The new bushing that you bought is for the thicker sway bars 23mm ie the c32 AMG or what comes with the sport suspension and needs a different bracket. Bushings come pre-molded on the sway bar as it prevents squeaks. When I installed the bushing 203-323-25-85 for the AMG bar it sounded like a worn out bed at a ***** house, MB has some special goop that is a thick grey rubber grease the quiets the bar. Since then MB has been molding the bushing on the bar as it eliminates any possibilities of squeaking.

You CAN'T install the new bushing in the old bracket. The part number of brackets to fit the new bushing you have is 203 323 11 40 and 203 323 12 40 but your bar has to be a 23mm sport bar, you can't put these bushings on a stock bar as they will be to big. Also since the bracket is screwed in to the aluminum sub assembly more likely than not by taking them out and reinstalling you will end up stripping the threads in the sub assembly as they do not take kindly to the 2 types of metal (steel of the bolt and alum threads) and over time galvanic corrosion will eat away at the treads. Buy extra long bolts from MB with nuts and through-bolt them (locktite blue), this will make the mount stronger and eliminate any chance that over time they will pull out under hard cornering

I believe the bushing you are looking for to fit your old brackets is 203-323-27-40

If you are upgrading to a thicker bar you will have to change the links and drill out the mounting hole on the strut. I changed both and the difference from the skinny stock ones to the thicker AMG really transforms the car. Many on the the forum even went thicker but I am fine with the AMG which I got front and rear for $50

Why are you changing the bushings on your bar? They look ok

XeRaTuL

hehe i forget something, i first bought the part number 203-323-25-85 and i noticed that is for sport package, and then i bought the 203-323-21-85 the bushing without the sport package...



and the part u give to me is for a bracket no bushing

XeRaTuL

I Changing For these...



i really want to upgrade but... T_T i live in mexico and here the roads are awful, I think if i made the car lower and stiffer sooner or later i will broke something under the car XD, right know i changed all the front suspension (all worn out) and my car only have 90k Kilometers. XD is a 2005 C230Kompressor

jkowtko

I have the 2005 C230 Kompressor with sport suspension, this car has the larger (22mm) sway bar from the AMG series, and I cannot buy the bushings separately ... I have to buy the entire sway bar. However the sway bar is pretty reasonable at the local dealership ... $80.

Boom vang

actually you can, you need to buy brackets 203 323 11 40 and 203 323 12 40 and bushings 203-323-25-85 which are for the 23mm AMG bar, I just did that

2 x $11.25 + 2 x $6.94

a3 german

can anyone tell me the part number of the AMG sway bar?

I would like to upgrade my old one...I need to buy all these? :
brackets 203 323 11 40 and 203 323 12 40
bushings 203-323-25-85 (X2)
sway bar (... ... .. ..) ??

someone can help please?

phister

i went with a universal polyurethane bushing for my sways when I upgraded to the H&R. the problem with our oem ones is that they wear out quickly so I got the universal ones and they fit fine. they stick out the sides of the bracket some but they fit fine in the bracket. you just have to install the bushing on the sway and place the bracket over it and then i used a rubber mallet and hammered it and it fit flush with the frame when mounted.

I bought these polyurethane ones from summit racing for only 12 bucks

http://www.summitracing.com/search/p...y-bar-bushings

jkowtko

Can you reconfirm the part numbers for the brackets? I'm pulling up the non-sport bushings from those numbers. If you can post URL links to the part page that would be helpful.

Thanks. John

XeRaTuL

Can u reconfirm the part number to my old brackets?
Or what do u think about the other bushings I said before...
And why do you recommend a pair of brackets there is one left other right?

VVF

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pt...8-bl/overview/

Hey phister, with these universal bushings, do you have to remove the sway bar and slide them on from the side? Or are they cut so that you can just swap them without detaching the sway bar links?

phister

theyre cut so you can open them and slide them over the sway bar.

Boom vang

will do that tomorrow when I look at my receipt when I had to buy them last summer,

Boom vang

there is a left and right bracket hence the two part numbers

Javvy

I just did this hold on XeraTul dont order anything I might have the old bracket and a set of new bushing that I can just give it to you ...onces I have the pictures and all I will post my story....

javvy

XeRaTuL

Still Holding On XD

Javvy

ok XeRaTul...here is my story....

This is for my 2002 C230 6MT.... My lower control arm bushing were shot, so I bought the lemfordere and replaced them when I was down there I also saw that the Sway bar bushings were shot, so called up the local dealer and ordered them, went down under the second time opened everything up and replaced them, I saw extensive rusting/corrosion on the sway bar, it was so bad that diameter of the bar has been compromised, so I put everything back together and here began my search of replacing the bar itself......looked at many options and finally settled on the oem one since it was just $97 on parts.com. Ordered the sways and then I get a call from the supplier stating that the part number for the sways has been updated and that there is a revised better sway bar, so I said good send it to me, he just said that for this new revised sway bar to work I need to buy a revised bracket which was like $8 or some thing... I was like Ok ship them to me as well.....I asked him if the OEM bushings that I purchased in my earlier attempt would work with this sway bar...he mumbled something like yes it will work or something....but since I already had the bushing I really didn't care and was not concerned of getting stuck during the install. So when I finally opened everything up a THIRD time and went in there , this time around I also replaced the end link with OEM lemfordere ones. The revised sways came in with the Bushings premoulded on the bar and it would not slide or anything, it was like fixed to the bar... I was like OK.....I tried the bracket to fit over it and then fit well......so Finally I got everything installed and I think the revised sways are slightly bigger than the ones that came out......everything in the front now is nice and tight with new lower control arms, new End links and new sway bar and bushing........
I still had the old setup with me brackets and the bushings....u are lucky that I hadn’t thrown them away, yesterday evening I went out and removed the brackets and the bushing cleaned them up and attached are some pictures, if you want them you can have them...just pay me for shipping like $5 or something.....

lemme know...














Javvy

jkowtko

Okay, I just bought the sway bar -- here it is ...










The bushings are molded onto the bar, and the rubber will flex so these should never squeak.

There is a thin black film wrap on the bushings ... I asked and the dealership told me they just leave that on when I install the unit. I guess it can't hurt ... is it there to lubricate or protect the rubber?

I plan to install it tomorrow. Looking forward to never hearing those speed bump squeaks again

Javvy

The bar are thicker then the old ones right.....I mean that's what I felt when I did mine and it came exactly like your ....juts pop them in and they should be fine....I still sprayed some lubricant on it just in case....

Let me know the difference in dia on the old and the new one please...

Javvy

jkowtko

Okay, new sway bar is in ... creaks gone. And, this may be in my mind, but it feels like stopping is firmer and some jitter I used to feel on occasion is gone.

My old sway bar was actually the same one, with the bolded in bushings. Same diameter -- 22mm (actually around 22.3, the coating must account for the .3)

To my knowledge and according to my service records I did not have the sway bar replaced, which means the car came new with the molded in bushings?

Below are pics of the old bushings. The black wrapper was left on the rubber but was mostly crumbled away. The old rubber had hardened in it's compressed state so was able to move around in the bracket -- the new rubber is a few mm larger than the bracket opening, now under compression.





Anyone want a perfectly good sway bar with old rubber bushings?

edsg2

I would appreciate the sway bar that you are giving away. I have a 03 c230 coupe that's creaking like crazy .

jkowtko

Sorry, I dropped it off at recycling yesterday ... the bushings are what creak, not the bar ... figured since you really can't buy bushings for it there is really no use for the bar itself.

Crna Mechka

jkowtko - Where did you buy the sway bar with pre-installed bushings, and how much did it run you? Don't tell me stealership please lol.

jkowtko

I got it from the local dealership ... $80, which is retail price.

You can find it online for maybe around $60 plus shipping. It's an awkwardly large part though so if you can find it locally I would recommend that.

Part #203-323-44-65.

It is the sway bar shared with the 2005 AMG C55, 22mm diameter ... the online parts stores seem to not understand this will also fit a 2005 C230 Sport Sedan, so you may need to find it listed under the C55 and not the C230. This confusion could be the case if not all model years of C230 had the sport suspension (which I believe they didn't) and therefore many of the C230s would use the standard sway bar. In any case, if you buy it from anyone other than a dealership, confirm with them that it is 22mm diameter and has the molded on bushings.

Installation is very simple, but you need:
* inverted torx socket set for the bracket bolts ($15 eBay -- see pic below) .. I forget which size it is (E12?).
* regular torx socket (again I forget which one ... T40? -- buy a set, you'll need it) to hold the bolt shaft on the links while you work the nut (pic below)
* 19mm wrench for the sway bar link nut ... a ratcheting box wrench will save you a lot of time here.
* 8mm socket for the engine cover bolts
* ramps to get some room to work under there

1) drive front of car on ramps
2) remove front engine cover, 6 x 8mm bolts
3) loosen and remove chassis brackets, 4 x torx bolts
4) Remove end links from sway bar by removing 19mm nut while holding bolt shaft still with the T30 socket. You need to slide the sway bar over an inch or two on each side to provide enough room to fit your ratchet handle in there
5) lift sway bar right out
6) pull brackets off of old bar, lube them up with silicone grease, and squeeze onto bushings on new bar
7) install is reverse of removal ... end links first, brackets second
8) torque settings: brackets 30 ft-lb, end link bolts 44 ft-lbs.

There should be some pictorials around ... sorry I didn't take any pics, I had only 45 minutes to do this in between errands.

a3 german

great info.. maybe I'll get one sway bar too in the next times..and with the part number is lot easier..


Edit: just one important question...would it fit a pre facelift car? like mine......