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Just wanting to confirm if there is a press in part for the front lower control arm? From parts websites specifically for the C63 it doesn't show a part.
Looked up the LCA PN and found it was common to the CLK63 - On it's diagram it shows a bushing available?
Has anyone changed these before and if so, I assume they are interchangeable since its the same PN?
So the bushing is cast in there? you couldn't press it out? My ball joints are fine and rather not replace the whole arm if I can avoid it.
I know theres no part 'officially' available by the looks of it, but I don't see why if its the same part no. and on another car it DOES have a bushing replacement that it couldn't be used.
so what K-mac calls front adjustable camber and caster bushing is the lower control arm bushing?
So I think that the wear on the tires for the C63, may not necessarily be "incurable", related to the factory alignment, meaning if you want to keep the tires a long/normal interval, you have to change the front/rear toe and potentially give up stability at speed.
I think that the factory alignment puts a lot of pressure on the lower control arm bushing. This bushing may give and under load, the toes may be even more extreme and therefore eat the tires.
A more rigid bushing installed there, may have as a side effect, the front tires lasting longer.
My car has a weird tire wear.
The day I bought the car I kinda knew already that it will just eat tires, by annihilating the inner tire corner. So a bit later I am looking at the fronts, yes the inner corner is almost done for.
But the rear tires, which are supposed to be worse, are not doing this, they're wearing evenly and the inner corner is just fine.
So maybe there is hope after all...
Not directly related, I pulled the toe information out of the WIS, for all the W204 C63, including black series facelift and so on.
The way Mercedes presents the angles and the way your common alignment shop does is very different, so I'm working on converting these.
But I can say that the toe are quite different, pfl, fl, black series without rear seats and black series with rear seats.
I may just post the values, let's see if someone here can just explain how they convert.
2012 C63;1971 280SE 3.5(Sold);2023 EQS 450 SUV 4 Matic (Wife's)
K-MAC has adjustable camber and caster bushings for the front and they replace the bushings in either or both front control arms lower and upper. They also have firmer bushings that will deflect less under cornering loads. K-MAC also offers a strut top hat replacement that allows for camber and caster adjustment from that location. These are available in street or race variations.
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
Here are the bushings they offer. I'm getting this full set. The front control arm items seem to include both. Monoball bushings are essentially spherical bearings, not rubber bushing like OEM (I think).
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Front lower bushings (all – set of 4) – Precisely Camber and Caster adjustable
They’re 2 axis/mono ball design without the OEM air voids and double the load bearing area. Result besides adjustment (+ 1.2 degrees) is increased track width (plus 50mm) and improved brake and steering response. #502216K
Rear Camber (and extra Toe to compensate) adjuster. Replaces lower arm inner bushes. Single wrench adjustable – easy access to fine tune for maximum rear end traction (up to 3 degrees Pos or Neg and up to 50mm extra track width) #502226K
Rear link arms (6) – set of 12 bushings designed to eliminate rear end twitch/flex. Dramatic improvement in handling response especially when applying power when cornering. Unlike short life Delrin bushings that soon pound out. Over 50 years in bush design we have incorporated all the features – large diameter Nickel chromed inner steel bushes. High durometer elastomer bushings which are bonded to the outer shell. #502628K
I thought we were talking control arms.
Actually I paid 113.99 each for mine.
P/n 204 330 43 11 & 204 330 44 11
We are. The front LCA is a cross strut (part #11 below).
The parts you posted are the "upper" control arms (#9 below) and it's shared across many platforms. There's also a lot of aftermarket available for that one.
The front cross strut (LCA) is still an AMG OEM only available part and it's quite expensive. ~500US ea IIRC.
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
New option for front control arm bushings. Beautiful.
Got the idea from Kyle @ FCPEuro who had Syncro Design Works make him a set for their C300 AER car. Full monoball spherical on the inboard side. I just got the front thrust arms (upper control arms) done for now, but will likely do the lower control arms as well because the KMAC bushings there are slipping under load. Hope to get these in over the weekend then test at a 3-day VIR event next weekend.
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
Originally Posted by Jasonoff
The lowers are the expensive arms with no aftermarket replacements available. So if they do have this option at some point...
Yes, they have that option already. I just chose to do the thrust arms now because I believe that doing the lowers will significantly affect streetability, and these should have a bigger effect on track anyway.
These aren’t an arm replacement. They are OEM arms with upgraded bearings pressed in. If you send them your arm(s), the total cost of the modification will be less than buying a new arm(s).
Yes, they have that option already. I just chose to do the thrust arms now because I believe that doing the lowers will significantly affect streetability, and these should have a bigger effect on track anyway.
These aren’t an arm replacement. They are OEM arms with upgraded bearings pressed in.
I'm having a bentdik brain moment. It looked like the ball joint was replaced as well which is the common issue on the front LCA.
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
Originally Posted by Jasonoff
I'm having a bentdik brain moment. It looked like the ball joint was replaced as well which is the common issue on the front LCA.
The OP had a bad bushing and the ball joint was fine.
This is a bushing replacement. With a bearing.
The OE front ball joint is fine. There’s nothing you can do to optimize it AFAIK. I’d venture to guess that it’s the bushing going bad that’s causing ball joint problems.
2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
Originally Posted by Jasonoff
You can damage the ball and or fill the cup with metal shavings doing that.
Thought about trying to fit grease past the boot seal. Best option would be a way to change the joint though.
Even if you could change the joint you can’t get a bigger more durable one in there so there’s no point. It’s already as good as it’s going to get. I find it hard to believe that it’s a weak point. Many many cars have upwards-facing ball joints on the control arm without issue. Maybe press one in with a grease fitting already. Putting in grease around or through the boot is almost completely useless. The grease is needed underneath.
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