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Yes my car currently is pulling to the right side, its the front sway bar bushings I believe. I removed the sway bar and links and there was absolutely no way to slide off the bushings. I had to cut, scrape and file down the old bushing to come off. After all that, it still wasn't perfect. After this was done, I realized the bushings don't fit properly into the bracket. Do I need to replace the brackets too, to fit the new febi bushing in?
At some point MB made the front bushings part of the bar - fused to the bar. They are not a separate part. Those new bushings are not a correct fit - obviously. Some have used the wrong bushings as a "good enough" solution, but that is not my style. In your situation I'd just buy a new bar with bushings - they are not that expensive.
But I'm still curious why you think sway bar bushings will cause your car to pull. As well as what you meant by warped. In all the suggestions I've ever seen for fixing a car pulling, I don't think I've even seen sway bar bushings suggested as a cause.
I'm starting to think its not the bushings, because its still driving the same. A while back I had the bar off and the bushings never went back on the same way. They changed shape and were dried out from over the years. I've had an alignment on the car twice and they cant figure out why it steers to the right.
How are the alignment numbers? These cars usually have too much negative camber. I had the dealer put camber bolts on and now my car no longer pulls right.
I would have to look them up, don't have the paper on me. Back to the sway bar problem, it looks like if I purchase a new sway bar you still need to buy the bushings separate. Should I just purchase Mercedes bushing and put on the old bar.
I would have to look them up, don't have the paper on me. Back to the sway bar problem, it looks like if I purchase a new sway bar you still need to buy the bushings separate. Should I just purchase Mercedes bushing and put on the old bar.
Where are you getting this info from? If online, it's not totally reliable because of the change that was made. If you go to a dealer and have them look up the part by your VIN, you will get a bar with attached bushings. Think about it - MB did not make a sway bar that the bushings needed to be hacked and filed off so they could be replaced. They are not meant to be replaced.
I was looking at the diagram from various parts place. I usually purchase from https://www.genuinemercedesparts.com/. On the schematic it shows separate parts numbers for the sway bar and bushings.
I was looking at the diagram from various parts place. I usually purchase from https://www.genuinemercedesparts.com/. On the schematic it shows separate parts numbers for the sway bar and bushings.
The diagram is not reflecting the change. If it's a parts place where they ask you to supply your VIN to ensure the proper part, they would probably contact you and say you cannot buy just the bushings.
I assume you bought those incorrect bushings in the pics from a similar online site. They said they were for your car but they are not. Although I've never seen any in person, I assume the older design looked like that. So if you order the separate bushings in the diagrams online, you will have two identical incorrect sets, but one will have an MB logo.
I removed the "built-on" bushings from my car and replaced them with the old-style removable bushings. My old ones were totally warped and word where they mate with the bracket. This built-on style was a dumb idea! And yes, my new bushings fit poorly just like Nick's. I figured I'd fix this by ordering the old style brackets, but I never did. I bolted everything down with the existing brackets and there is no noise and they are secure.
I removed the "built-on" bushings from my car and replaced them with the old-style removable bushings. My old ones were totally warped and word where they mate with the bracket. This built-on style was a dumb idea! And yes, my new bushings fit poorly just like Nick's. I figured I'd fix this by ordering the old style brackets, but I never did. I bolted everything down with the existing brackets and there is no noise and they are secure.
Could you provide part number you used and how much did you pay? I have a lot of that noise. I might need some lube but given the same of the car it might be due for them.
The busing is part number A2033232085. However, you need to measure your torsion bar diameter (use a metric sized open-end wrench). That is for the 20mm diameter. For the other sizes, just replace the "20" in the 8th and 9th position of the part number with diameter (20mm, 21mm or 22mm).
For the old-style bracket, the part number is A2033231140 (left) and A2033231240 (right).
The busing is part number A2033232085. However, you need to measure your torsion bar diameter (use a metric sized open-end wrench). That is for the 20mm diameter. For the other sizes, just replace the "20" in the 8th and 9th position of the part number with diameter (20mm, 21mm or 22mm).
For the old-style bracket, the part number is A2033231140 (left) and A2033231240 (right).
Do I have old style? How would I know? Why aren't the same? Where exactly do I measure torsion bar?
Sorry, I have never done it but that noise bugs me. I really want to fix it.
The sway bar (torsion bar) is a round steel rod of pretty much uniform thickness. So just remove the plastic belly pan and measure it on either side of the bushings. You can use a wrench as Rodney suggested, or use calipers since most people don't have 20+mm wrenches. As for whether you have the old style, I'm not sure what year it switched. But the old style have a seam in them. Or you can just remove the clamps and see if they are fused to the bar. If they are part of the bar, you have the new style.
Do I have old style? How would I know? Why aren't the same? Where exactly do I measure torsion bar?
Sorry, I have never done it but that noise bugs me. I really want to fix it.
But unless they are cracked, just try lubing them as in my method at the top of the thread.
I will try lube first because this makes a lot of sense. Can I use MB branded lube for brake pad job? I believe it is high temp silicone.
I don't have 20mm wrench nor caliper.
Really, just good old lithium grease is fine for lubrication here, but the brake pad lube would work, too. My problem with the new style was that the pressure of sway bar against the fixed (glued) bushings deformed them, and lube didn't help much - it lasted a week or two. I just don't understand the fixed bushing. In this setup, the sway bar is not allowed to "sway" - the lateral force has to be held by the bushing.
Really, just good old lithium grease is fine for lubrication here, but the brake pad lube would work, too. My problem with the new style was that the pressure of sway bar against the fixed (glued) bushings deformed them, and lube didn't help much - it lasted a week or two. I just don't understand the fixed bushing. In this setup, the sway bar is not allowed to "sway" - the lateral force has to be held by the bushing.
Odd. Mine are not deformed at all yet. The brackets fit better than OJ's gloves. How much lateral movement is there really? I'm guessing if you could snap your fingers and have a new bar with the fixed bushings on there you'd notice slightly firmer handling just because the bar is held more firmly. That may be the reason it was done - who knows. What do C63s etc have? Fixed or replaceable?
Also Yidney, you were asking about my alignment numbers. I found the two alignments I had done recently.
As usual, your front camber is out of spec. I am not sure how much is too much as far as it making it pull. All I know is my car pulled no matter what and the world's worst MB dealer kept saying it was the tires - through three sets. So I took it to a much more competent dealer who reinstalled incorrectly installed camber bolts and my car has not pulled since. I'd have to look at my specs to see where they were before. But that fix was just about three years ago, and also just happens to be the last time I've paid a nickel to anybody to work on my car.
Also Yidney, you were asking about my alignment numbers. I found the two alignments I had done recently.
Although the "actual" (this is after the alignment) numbers for the rear are within the range for either alignment jobs;
1. the ranges for the rear is different on the print outs
2. the model year used are different (2003-09 and 2004-09)
3. one vehicle version is listed as USA and the other Europe
None of this may matter, but it would make me wonder about the work being done.
05-11-2016, 10:53 AM
