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I second the vote on this tool. Sometimes you have to go quite far & the joint will let go more with a loud bang than a pop. Scares the bejeezes out of me.
So I have a very steep driveway, the suspension usually goes from compressed to fully extended a lot and consequently, bushings rip. It's time to replace the arms/bushings.
Anybody have a link to the strut bearings & sway bar bushings procedure that is as good as this write-up? Since I'm in there anyway. (and time to replace the rotors too)
Thanks in advance,
Clyde M.
Regarding the sway bar bushings, you need to figure out if you have the replaceable kind or the ones that are part of the bar. If the former, the method to replace them is self-evident. Remove clamps and put new bushings on. As easy as any repair can get. Are your strut bearings bad? I don't know that I'd do those if they are still good.
Anybody have a link to the strut bearings & sway bar bushings procedure that is as good as this write-up? Since I'm in there anyway. (and time to replace the rotors too)
Thanks in advance,
Clyde M.
I do not enjoy compressing the front springs on the W209. My old CL203 was 10x easier.
The sway bar bushing are super easy, like 30 mins total.
Put car on ramps. Remove belly pan.
Loosen 2x inverted torx bolts over each bushing. Swing sway bar down and swap them out.
I just did my right side today, and I have a question for you since you reported that the car did not drive straight after you were done. You mentioned fluted bolts. By fluted, do you mean the bolts had two grooves along their length, and the two grooves were not quite opposite each other on the bolt shaft? And were the bolts on the other arms just smooth bolts? And was your "oops" picture one of the fluted bolts or smooth bolts? Because I think if that oops pic was a fluted bolt, you may have installed it wrong. You used sharpie marks to pay attention to having the bolt head in the same location, but the much more important part of the fluted bolts is how they go in the arm. Once they are in the arm right, the head will automatically be in the right location, so if that opps was a fluted bolt rotated a few degrees, then it is not where it is supposed to be. Anyway, I won't explain more in case I'm wrong about what you meant by fluted.
Fluted bolts on the control arms are used to adjust camber. If you use those, then you need an alignment (using a shop that knows how to use these special bolts!) But, new control arms should negate the need for a camber adjustment, so you need to go back to standard bolts.
Yeah, I know what they are for. But why do you need a special alignment shop once installed? There's no adjustment to them. They are a very crude technology. They just yank your arm in about 1/4". Also, why would new arms fix negative camber? Seem like it would make it worse if anything because fresh bushings will push the bottom of your knuckle out some.
I just did my right side today, and I have a question for you since you reported that the car did not drive straight after you were done. You mentioned fluted bolts. By fluted, do you mean the bolts had two grooves along their length, and the two grooves were not quite opposite each other on the bolt shaft? .....
Uhh I'm trying to remember, it was over a year ago
Yes there was 2 grooves down the side of the bolt shaft. It put it all back together with the suspension under load, aligned with the ink marks.
I ended up taking the car to MB for a 4 wheel alignment anyway. They used the OEM bolts to set it straight. I recall them mentioning if they can't adjust it enough with the existing bolts that there is a 'bolt kit' they would use @ $30/side.
I think just the toe needed to be set. The camber that these bolts control was fine.
I've done 4 other cars front suspension since then and I can get alignment almost perfect by sight now
The more I think about it I guess new bushings would pull the bottom in a bit, but unless the bushings were really bad the difference would be small compared to how much the camber bolts move the arm in. My car has had them since just after I bought it at 25K miles. I'll post some pics after I do the left side tomorrow.
The fluted bolts don't offer just a single position camber adjustment. They offer a range of adjustment as you rotate them. That's why you need an alignment - you set the car in the rig, then rotate the bolts until camber meets the desired angle.
Looking at the manual it looks like only two position. 4mm apart?? And yes they cannot rotate when inserted. The flutes job is to stop rotation....ridges slide into those flutes.
If the bolt has two flutes on opposite sides, then it can only be used in one of two positions. There is another style with a single flute that works like a cam. As you rotate the bolt, it moves the control arm mount in and out. That's the style my local shop uses to fine-tune the alignment. But, with new control arms, unless there is some frame damage, camber adjustment should not be needed.
If the bolt has two flutes on opposite sides, then it can only be used in one of two positions. There is another style with a single flute that works like a cam. As you rotate the bolt, it moves the control arm mount in and out. That's the style my local shop uses to fine-tune the alignment. But, with new control arms, unless there is some frame damage, camber adjustment should not be needed.
I cannot picture how this would work given where the metal nibs are.
Ironically, I did not realize the OEM bolts were made like that. The bolt I am familiar with is this below. I'm not sure this is for the W203/209, but it's the cam lob bolt that is granularly adjustable.
Happy New Year. I subscribe to this tread for the sake of replacing all(4)front control/thrust arms and sway bar end links. I purchased all the parts from importpartsdepot on eBay. There pricing beats partsgeek by substantial margin.
The job was completed today by an indy shop, 4 Guys Auto center in tampa fl. My hats of to the owners and team at this shop. The respect, courtesy, quality work and transparency from this shop, are steps above many in the area.
Anyways, i noticed ESP malfunction warning on my way home. I will have to wait till monday to have issue resolved.
I am hoping that members here can shed some variation of light on this issue. This will assist and aide me in having this resolved.
You have never had to turn your steering wheel from lock to lock 3 times so the abs and esp error would go away?
Nope. I recall reading about that procedure in a number of threads, but can't recall now what supposedly triggers the need to do it. If it is just disconnecting the battery, then it must be one of those weird mysteries why only some people have to do it.
I am no sure what triggers the need for the reset, but it's not always needed after the battery is disconnected. My C240 seems to never need it, the CLK was about 50/50 and the SL is, so far, 100% needing the steering calibration reset with a battery disconnect.
Probably your "step above " guys either forgot to put a speed sensor back on or broke the wire to one.
I took heed to your suggestion. The vehicle was returned to shop for an inspection. Neither sensors/wires were disconnected.
However, warning "ESP Unavailable See Manual" is still on.
Battery was not disconnected to during the replacement of the front control arms.
However; when driving, the steering wheel has to be in slight tilt/turn position when going straight.
Would resetting the steering angle sensor correct both ESP Warning and the Steering wheel position? Or do i need an alignment?
You need two things. You need to get the car scanned by somebody with MB's Star system so you don't have to guess why your ESP is on. Second you need an alignment. New bushing can change things quite a bit. Steering wheel position is a physical thing and not controlled a sensor.
But to edit this - try the steering reset procedure and see if that works for the ESP. It may.
07-06-2016, 08:18 PM
Scares the bejeezes out of me.
