CLK Front Suspension Rebuild
01-02-2013, 03:02 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Eastern Washington State
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
2000 clk 320 cabriolet
CLK Front Suspension Rebuild
I started this separate thread because it seemed to be hard to collect all the necessary information from threads with only pieces of the puzzle. I don't know all the proper Benz Mechanic/Benz Manual terms, but I hope it helps anyway. Sorry, no pictures. In my world the word "digital" is only used when talking about fingers and toes. Yes, I'm a true Luddite.
This adventure relates to my car - a 2000 CLK 320 cabriolet. All of it may not be applicable to oher vehicles. However, there should be a number of intersecting portions of this procedure. "Actual milage may vary."
I've had a number of VW's and always had a copy of "How to Keep Your Volkswagon Alive; A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot." Two of the themes in that manual were: 1). Have a friend with you when doing this stuff (for companionship and to call 911, if necessary), and 2). Before beginning work, tie your long hair back so it won't get caught in the machinery. Both valid pieces of advice.
The other rule I most often follow is that everything I touch gets cleaned. No other mechanic to which you pay money ever cleans a damned thing. This is your opportunity to go above and beyond what the $120/hr guys ever do. I also hate to work on dirty, grimey vehicles. Use lots of brake cleaner and WD-40 (as a solvent) to get stuff as clean as possible. You'll fell better when it's all done.
I bought parts to do the front Lower Control Arm bushings and lower ball joints almost a year ago. Last weekend, I finally bit the bullit and put the car up on the lift. Yes, I could have simpliy used a good set of jackstands, but my thinking was "If you got it, use it."
Tools Needed:
Lift jack capable of vertically lifting 10" to 12". A floor jack is best.
1/2" and 3/8" metric socket set (short sockets) up to 22 mm with breaker bar.
Set of Box End/Open End Wrenches up to 22 mm
1/2" and 3/8" drive torque wrenches.
13 mm and 22 mm deep well sockets.
Allen wrench sockets (5 mm to 10 mm) 3/8" drive.
Torx sockets (T20 to T50). 3/8 or 1/2" drive.
2" x 6" x 12" piece of wood
4" x 4" cut to proper length (see Procedure).
2 lb hammer
Large Steel Drift/Punch
Large rubber mallet (optional)
Tie Rod "pickle fork" - I had to replace a tie rod end. They're cheap.
Propane Torch - for control arm bushing removal.
8" Crescent Wrench - for adjusting wheel bearings.
5 mm L-shaped Allen wrench for wheel bearing adjustment clamp.
Brake Parts Cleaner - for reassembly of brakes.
Assorted Phillips and Flat Screwdrivers - they always come in handy.
100 grit sandpaper
Parts Needed:
Lower Ball Joints (2 ea. Lemforder) approx. $75 through PartsGeek
Lower Control Arm Bushing kit (2 ea. Meyle) approx $130 for the pair through PartsGeek. I bought the kit for front and back bushings because the majority of the labor - the most "costly" aspect of the job - would be the same if I had only done the rears and the extra cost wasn't all that much.
Outer Tie Rod End (1 ea. Meyle) - $22 through local import parts store. When I got the bulk of the suspension removed, it allowed me to check the tie rods in an isolated position. The left outer tie rod end was sloppy, the other three were solid.
Wheel Bearing Grease (1 lb. can High Speed for Disk Brakes from local auto parts store). This is for repacking the wheel bearings upon reassembly. In my case I had done the brakes within the last 30,000 mile, so new bearings were,'t required. If warranted, plan on replacing the wheel bearings during this procedure. It's covered in the How To thread.
Procedure:
1). Remove Wheels - If you need help with this, just take it to the dealer. This is not a procedure for either those without a modicum of skills or heart.
2). Remove Brake Calipers - These bolts are on there pretty tight (85 ft lbs if properly installed) so have a breaker bar handy just in case the 1/2 inch rathet doesn't get it loosened. You may have to adjust the steering wheel (move the tie rod assembly) to better access the 19 mm caliper bolts. After they're loosened and the bolts removed, the caliper should be loose on the brake rotor. Lift the caliper off the rotor and tie it with bailing wire (or similar) as high as you can to the outside end of the upper A-arm. Don't force it, but get it up there as high as possible.
3). Remove Brake Rotor - Remove the 5mm Allen-head screw on the rotor face (next to one of the lug nut holes). There should only be approx. 8 ft. lbs on this screw. Pull the rotor off the hub.
4). Remove Wheel Hub - Use 5 mm L-shaped Allen wrench to loosen wheel hub/bearing clamp. Unscrew. Pull hub off the spindle being careful not to drop the outside bearing. The inside bearing is held in place by the bearing seal.
5). Remove Brake Shield Plate - There is a sensor that pokes it head into the outside of the brake shield just above the wheel spindle. I don't know which sensor it is - maybe something to do with the ABS. It is held on by a bracket located behind the brake shield (not really easy to see or get to). Two Torx bolts hold the bracket from the top (T20 or T25). Loosen these bolts a few turns No need for removal - You just want to make sure the sensor can be pushed out of the brake shield. Remove the three 5 mm Allen screws from the front of the brake shield and remove the brake shield.
6). Detach Bottom of Shock Absorber - Wrench/socket size depends on your brand of shock. Remove the bolt. Move shock to the outside of the shock bracket.
7). Loosen the Big Bolts - Get the 22 mm socket with breaker bar and the T50 Torx bit. Break free the rearward Ball joint nut. A 1/2 turn is all you need. Put the Torkx bit at the proper end of the Lower Control Arm bolts holding the control arm to the frame (inside) and loosen the nuts on each of the two bolts to the same degree. When you have the car up on the jack, you don't want to be shoving things around trying to break these loose.
8). Jack the Car Up - This is the part that gets people nervous (myself included). Place the jack directly under the outside of the control arm and just inside the ball joint. Measure the distance between the bottom of the controll arm and the top of the jack. Cut the 4" x 4" about three inches less than that measurement. Place the 1" x 6" piece on top of the 4" x 4" and the bottom of the 4" x 4" on top of the jack. Raise the jack until it's solidly against the bottom of the control arm. Make sure the 4" x 4" is absolutely vertical from all directions. Slowly lift the car while maintaining verticality of the 4" x 4". You want to raise the car to the point where it would be as if it were sitting on its wheels, on the ground. This usually means it is slightly lifted off the lift or jack stand.
9). Remove Sway Bar Brackets - The sway bar is held by a bracket with two 13 mm nuts. The studs are pretty long and will likely require the deep well socket. Remove the nus and the bracket and let the sway bar hang there. It won't be under tension or in the way.
10). Remove the Ball Joints and Lower Control Arm - Remove the rearward 22 mm ball joint nut (horizontal lower arm of ball joint). Separate the vertical member (the one with the wheel spindle) from the ball joint. This will require the the Big Hammer. The pressure should be off the ball joint. Bang firmly on the end of the ball joint until it breaks free. Be careful to watch the jack position and again, maintain verticality with each hammer blow. After it's separated and the vertical member is hanging, move it out of the way so you can access the upper bolt on the ball joint. While holding the top of that bolt with the 5 mm Allen bit, use the 22 mm box end wrench to break the nut free. Remove the nut. With the Big Hammer, break the ball joint free from the vertical member. A couple of blow should do it. Lower the jack and outside of the control arm. Move out of the way of the potential for injury by a flying coil spring (move to the side). Slowly lower the jack while maintaining verticality to the point where the coil spring is loose and can be removed. Remove the spring. With the lower control arm hanging by its bolts, remove the bolts and control arm (22 mm socket and Torx T50 bit).
11). Remove Tie Rod Ends - At this point and without the encumbrance of other elements of the suspension, attached to the vertical member, but are isolated. Check both sides for any looseness be shoving the vertical member in and out towards the center of the car. Any slop or wiggle is a reason to change them out. You can separate tie rod ends either before or after removing the ball joints. If you know they need replacement, remove them with the suspension still intact (ball joints and control arm installed) using the following procedure. After ball joint and control arm removal, you can still remove the tie rod end using a tie rod pickle fork and the Big Hammer. In either case, jam the pickle fork between the tie rod joint and give a few sharp blows, then a few blows on the bolt from below. It should pop out leaving the tie rod and vertical member separated. Count the number of threads exposed on the tie rod so you can get it reasonably close upon reassembly. Remove the end by loosening the locknut while using a wrench to hold the end at the joint. Make sure you know whether the locknut is a right-handed or left-handed thread. On the left side, it's left-handed (I didn't check the right side). When it's broken free, twist the end off of the rod.
12). Remove Lower Control Arm Bushings - Now the real fun begins. These are pressed in and a ***** to get out. Because of the direction for removal from the control arm and the location of the flanges on one end of the bushing, you can't count on being able to press them out. That leaves one opotion - burn them out. This one of those parts of the procedure where I say, "Use all means necessary to get the job done." Hammer, drift/punch. Lots of flame and black smoke and banging. Using words not meant for church or other mortally righteous company. They'll eventually come out. The other option is to pay an alignment shop to get them out (they do this sort of stuff on a regular basis). To get all four bushings out (front and back on both sides) it took me and my friend about four hours. Be careful. Good luck.
13). Replace Control Arm Bushings - This is the easy part. Take them to the local machine shop or alignment shop and have them pressed in. There is no rotational orientation. On the front, two-part bushings there is no directional orientation (they come in from both sides). On the rear, however, the black metal cap must be on the outside and the smooth sleeve towads the inside (towards the front bushings). Again, leave this to the professionals.
14). Replacement/ Reinstallation: When installing the parts mentioned below, use blue thread locker on the following: Control arm nuts, ball joint nuts, sway bar bracket nuts, tie rod nut (where it attaches to the vertical member), brake shield bolts.
a). Control Arms (First 1/2) - Replace bolts through your shiny, new bushings and make them snug, but not torqued down (you still want to be able to move the arm up and down without twisting the rubber bushings).
b). Replace Ball Joint (first 1/2) - Put vertical stem of the ball joint into the vertical member and tighten the new nut. The only torque value I was able to find was to tighten to 22 ft lbs then add 120 degrees of rotation. If someone has a better torque value, please post it.
c). Jack up Control Arm - Again, this is a part of the procedure where being careful is important. Place the coil spring in the proper orientation as it relates to the shape of the "donut" in the control arm. If the upper pad has stayed in place, good. If not, move it to where it lines up perfectly with the end of the spring both on the top and on the control arm. This is also a good place to change out pads to a different thickness if warranted. Jack up the suspension at the outer end of the control arm to the point where the car is just barely off of the jack stand. When placing the wood post assembly, leave enough room to be able to rotate and adjust the position of the ball joint. You want to tighten the suspension members as if the car were to the point where it is just barely off of the jack standas if it were sitting on its wheels. This is important as you do not want the bushings tightened such that they are under tension while the car's weight is loaded on the suspension.
d). Replace Ball Joint (second 1/2) - Position the lower end of the ball joint into its position on the vertical member. Align both posts on the ball joint and torque down the new 22 mm nut to 22 ft lbs + 120 degrees rotation.
e). Control Arm (Second 1/2) - Tighten the control arm bolts using the 22 mm socket on the nut and the Torx T50 socket on the head of the bolt. You may find that you'll need the depp well socket on the rear bolt due to interference from the exhaust down tube. Torque values I found ranged from 81 ft. lbs to 89 ft.lbs. I just set the torque wrench to 90 and called it good.
e). Re-install Sway Bar Bracket - Tighten new sway bar nuts to about 20 ft. lbs. I had the wrong torque values and broke a bolt. Luckily it was the right bolt and I was able to drill out the stud and replace it with a bolt.
f). Re-install Shock Absorber Bolt - Position the shock to where the bolt just slips into the through the bracket. I didn't have a torque value so I just made it good and tight.
g). Lower the Jack - This is where you can take a nice deep breath and finally go to the cooler and find a frosty adult beverage. The scary part is now over.
h). Tie Rod Ends - If you are replacing tie rod ends, this is a good place to install them. Screw the end onto the tie rod to the point where the number of exposed threads matches the number that you previously noted before you removed it (them). I could not find torque values for either the locknut or the post as it is placed in the vertical member. I made the locknut tight, but not impossible for the alignment guys and torqued the post to 60 ft. lbs.
i). Re-install Brake Shield - Start by pushing the sensor through the brake shield and tightening the bracket behind the shield (no torque values available). Re-install the three 5 mm Allen screws on the face. Torque to 8 ft. lbs
j). Re-install/Replace Wheel Bearings - Regardless of whether they are new bearings or you're using the old ones, re pack them. Force out as much of the old grease as possible and grease the spindle and hub accordingly. There are complete write-ups on this elsewhere in the forum. Do not adjust them until you have the brake rotor in place.
k). Re-install the Brake Rotor - Torque the 5 mm Allen head holding bolt to 8 ft. lbs. Take some 100 grit sandpaper and scuff up the rotor. If you removed the brake pads, scuff them up as well.
l). Adjust Bearing Torque - Again, this is covered elsewhere. Replace grease cup.
m). Re-install Brake Caliper - Caliper bolts are 19 mm and are torqued to 85 ft. lbs. Now it's time to clean the brake parts with Brake Parts Cleaner. Place a garbage can beneath the brake rotor and start hosing it down being carefull not to get any in your eyes. Don't wipe it, just let it drip off into the garbage can. Now, don't touch the rotor with your grimy paws again (yes, they'll be grimy).
n). Re-install Wheels - My stock alloys required 70 ft. lbs.
o). Get a proper front-end alignment.
If you have gotten to this point you will likely feel pretty good about the job you just completed. I know Danny and I did. Relish it. Enjoy it. Share it with all your non-mechanical friends who always seem to have the bucks and a "take it to the stealership" mentality. This is not rocket science - there are no trajectory calculations or hydrazine involved. You can do it.
This adventure relates to my car - a 2000 CLK 320 cabriolet. All of it may not be applicable to oher vehicles. However, there should be a number of intersecting portions of this procedure. "Actual milage may vary."
I've had a number of VW's and always had a copy of "How to Keep Your Volkswagon Alive; A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot." Two of the themes in that manual were: 1). Have a friend with you when doing this stuff (for companionship and to call 911, if necessary), and 2). Before beginning work, tie your long hair back so it won't get caught in the machinery. Both valid pieces of advice.
The other rule I most often follow is that everything I touch gets cleaned. No other mechanic to which you pay money ever cleans a damned thing. This is your opportunity to go above and beyond what the $120/hr guys ever do. I also hate to work on dirty, grimey vehicles. Use lots of brake cleaner and WD-40 (as a solvent) to get stuff as clean as possible. You'll fell better when it's all done.
I bought parts to do the front Lower Control Arm bushings and lower ball joints almost a year ago. Last weekend, I finally bit the bullit and put the car up on the lift. Yes, I could have simpliy used a good set of jackstands, but my thinking was "If you got it, use it."
Tools Needed:
Lift jack capable of vertically lifting 10" to 12". A floor jack is best.
1/2" and 3/8" metric socket set (short sockets) up to 22 mm with breaker bar.
Set of Box End/Open End Wrenches up to 22 mm
1/2" and 3/8" drive torque wrenches.
13 mm and 22 mm deep well sockets.
Allen wrench sockets (5 mm to 10 mm) 3/8" drive.
Torx sockets (T20 to T50). 3/8 or 1/2" drive.
2" x 6" x 12" piece of wood
4" x 4" cut to proper length (see Procedure).
2 lb hammer
Large Steel Drift/Punch
Large rubber mallet (optional)
Tie Rod "pickle fork" - I had to replace a tie rod end. They're cheap.
Propane Torch - for control arm bushing removal.
8" Crescent Wrench - for adjusting wheel bearings.
5 mm L-shaped Allen wrench for wheel bearing adjustment clamp.
Brake Parts Cleaner - for reassembly of brakes.
Assorted Phillips and Flat Screwdrivers - they always come in handy.
100 grit sandpaper
Parts Needed:
Lower Ball Joints (2 ea. Lemforder) approx. $75 through PartsGeek
Lower Control Arm Bushing kit (2 ea. Meyle) approx $130 for the pair through PartsGeek. I bought the kit for front and back bushings because the majority of the labor - the most "costly" aspect of the job - would be the same if I had only done the rears and the extra cost wasn't all that much.
Outer Tie Rod End (1 ea. Meyle) - $22 through local import parts store. When I got the bulk of the suspension removed, it allowed me to check the tie rods in an isolated position. The left outer tie rod end was sloppy, the other three were solid.
Wheel Bearing Grease (1 lb. can High Speed for Disk Brakes from local auto parts store). This is for repacking the wheel bearings upon reassembly. In my case I had done the brakes within the last 30,000 mile, so new bearings were,'t required. If warranted, plan on replacing the wheel bearings during this procedure. It's covered in the How To thread.
Procedure:
1). Remove Wheels - If you need help with this, just take it to the dealer. This is not a procedure for either those without a modicum of skills or heart.
2). Remove Brake Calipers - These bolts are on there pretty tight (85 ft lbs if properly installed) so have a breaker bar handy just in case the 1/2 inch rathet doesn't get it loosened. You may have to adjust the steering wheel (move the tie rod assembly) to better access the 19 mm caliper bolts. After they're loosened and the bolts removed, the caliper should be loose on the brake rotor. Lift the caliper off the rotor and tie it with bailing wire (or similar) as high as you can to the outside end of the upper A-arm. Don't force it, but get it up there as high as possible.
3). Remove Brake Rotor - Remove the 5mm Allen-head screw on the rotor face (next to one of the lug nut holes). There should only be approx. 8 ft. lbs on this screw. Pull the rotor off the hub.
4). Remove Wheel Hub - Use 5 mm L-shaped Allen wrench to loosen wheel hub/bearing clamp. Unscrew. Pull hub off the spindle being careful not to drop the outside bearing. The inside bearing is held in place by the bearing seal.
5). Remove Brake Shield Plate - There is a sensor that pokes it head into the outside of the brake shield just above the wheel spindle. I don't know which sensor it is - maybe something to do with the ABS. It is held on by a bracket located behind the brake shield (not really easy to see or get to). Two Torx bolts hold the bracket from the top (T20 or T25). Loosen these bolts a few turns No need for removal - You just want to make sure the sensor can be pushed out of the brake shield. Remove the three 5 mm Allen screws from the front of the brake shield and remove the brake shield.
6). Detach Bottom of Shock Absorber - Wrench/socket size depends on your brand of shock. Remove the bolt. Move shock to the outside of the shock bracket.
7). Loosen the Big Bolts - Get the 22 mm socket with breaker bar and the T50 Torx bit. Break free the rearward Ball joint nut. A 1/2 turn is all you need. Put the Torkx bit at the proper end of the Lower Control Arm bolts holding the control arm to the frame (inside) and loosen the nuts on each of the two bolts to the same degree. When you have the car up on the jack, you don't want to be shoving things around trying to break these loose.
8). Jack the Car Up - This is the part that gets people nervous (myself included). Place the jack directly under the outside of the control arm and just inside the ball joint. Measure the distance between the bottom of the controll arm and the top of the jack. Cut the 4" x 4" about three inches less than that measurement. Place the 1" x 6" piece on top of the 4" x 4" and the bottom of the 4" x 4" on top of the jack. Raise the jack until it's solidly against the bottom of the control arm. Make sure the 4" x 4" is absolutely vertical from all directions. Slowly lift the car while maintaining verticality of the 4" x 4". You want to raise the car to the point where it would be as if it were sitting on its wheels, on the ground. This usually means it is slightly lifted off the lift or jack stand.
9). Remove Sway Bar Brackets - The sway bar is held by a bracket with two 13 mm nuts. The studs are pretty long and will likely require the deep well socket. Remove the nus and the bracket and let the sway bar hang there. It won't be under tension or in the way.
10). Remove the Ball Joints and Lower Control Arm - Remove the rearward 22 mm ball joint nut (horizontal lower arm of ball joint). Separate the vertical member (the one with the wheel spindle) from the ball joint. This will require the the Big Hammer. The pressure should be off the ball joint. Bang firmly on the end of the ball joint until it breaks free. Be careful to watch the jack position and again, maintain verticality with each hammer blow. After it's separated and the vertical member is hanging, move it out of the way so you can access the upper bolt on the ball joint. While holding the top of that bolt with the 5 mm Allen bit, use the 22 mm box end wrench to break the nut free. Remove the nut. With the Big Hammer, break the ball joint free from the vertical member. A couple of blow should do it. Lower the jack and outside of the control arm. Move out of the way of the potential for injury by a flying coil spring (move to the side). Slowly lower the jack while maintaining verticality to the point where the coil spring is loose and can be removed. Remove the spring. With the lower control arm hanging by its bolts, remove the bolts and control arm (22 mm socket and Torx T50 bit).
11). Remove Tie Rod Ends - At this point and without the encumbrance of other elements of the suspension, attached to the vertical member, but are isolated. Check both sides for any looseness be shoving the vertical member in and out towards the center of the car. Any slop or wiggle is a reason to change them out. You can separate tie rod ends either before or after removing the ball joints. If you know they need replacement, remove them with the suspension still intact (ball joints and control arm installed) using the following procedure. After ball joint and control arm removal, you can still remove the tie rod end using a tie rod pickle fork and the Big Hammer. In either case, jam the pickle fork between the tie rod joint and give a few sharp blows, then a few blows on the bolt from below. It should pop out leaving the tie rod and vertical member separated. Count the number of threads exposed on the tie rod so you can get it reasonably close upon reassembly. Remove the end by loosening the locknut while using a wrench to hold the end at the joint. Make sure you know whether the locknut is a right-handed or left-handed thread. On the left side, it's left-handed (I didn't check the right side). When it's broken free, twist the end off of the rod.
12). Remove Lower Control Arm Bushings - Now the real fun begins. These are pressed in and a ***** to get out. Because of the direction for removal from the control arm and the location of the flanges on one end of the bushing, you can't count on being able to press them out. That leaves one opotion - burn them out. This one of those parts of the procedure where I say, "Use all means necessary to get the job done." Hammer, drift/punch. Lots of flame and black smoke and banging. Using words not meant for church or other mortally righteous company. They'll eventually come out. The other option is to pay an alignment shop to get them out (they do this sort of stuff on a regular basis). To get all four bushings out (front and back on both sides) it took me and my friend about four hours. Be careful. Good luck.
13). Replace Control Arm Bushings - This is the easy part. Take them to the local machine shop or alignment shop and have them pressed in. There is no rotational orientation. On the front, two-part bushings there is no directional orientation (they come in from both sides). On the rear, however, the black metal cap must be on the outside and the smooth sleeve towads the inside (towards the front bushings). Again, leave this to the professionals.
14). Replacement/ Reinstallation: When installing the parts mentioned below, use blue thread locker on the following: Control arm nuts, ball joint nuts, sway bar bracket nuts, tie rod nut (where it attaches to the vertical member), brake shield bolts.
a). Control Arms (First 1/2) - Replace bolts through your shiny, new bushings and make them snug, but not torqued down (you still want to be able to move the arm up and down without twisting the rubber bushings).
b). Replace Ball Joint (first 1/2) - Put vertical stem of the ball joint into the vertical member and tighten the new nut. The only torque value I was able to find was to tighten to 22 ft lbs then add 120 degrees of rotation. If someone has a better torque value, please post it.
c). Jack up Control Arm - Again, this is a part of the procedure where being careful is important. Place the coil spring in the proper orientation as it relates to the shape of the "donut" in the control arm. If the upper pad has stayed in place, good. If not, move it to where it lines up perfectly with the end of the spring both on the top and on the control arm. This is also a good place to change out pads to a different thickness if warranted. Jack up the suspension at the outer end of the control arm to the point where the car is just barely off of the jack stand. When placing the wood post assembly, leave enough room to be able to rotate and adjust the position of the ball joint. You want to tighten the suspension members as if the car were to the point where it is just barely off of the jack standas if it were sitting on its wheels. This is important as you do not want the bushings tightened such that they are under tension while the car's weight is loaded on the suspension.
d). Replace Ball Joint (second 1/2) - Position the lower end of the ball joint into its position on the vertical member. Align both posts on the ball joint and torque down the new 22 mm nut to 22 ft lbs + 120 degrees rotation.
e). Control Arm (Second 1/2) - Tighten the control arm bolts using the 22 mm socket on the nut and the Torx T50 socket on the head of the bolt. You may find that you'll need the depp well socket on the rear bolt due to interference from the exhaust down tube. Torque values I found ranged from 81 ft. lbs to 89 ft.lbs. I just set the torque wrench to 90 and called it good.
e). Re-install Sway Bar Bracket - Tighten new sway bar nuts to about 20 ft. lbs. I had the wrong torque values and broke a bolt. Luckily it was the right bolt and I was able to drill out the stud and replace it with a bolt.
f). Re-install Shock Absorber Bolt - Position the shock to where the bolt just slips into the through the bracket. I didn't have a torque value so I just made it good and tight.
g). Lower the Jack - This is where you can take a nice deep breath and finally go to the cooler and find a frosty adult beverage. The scary part is now over.
h). Tie Rod Ends - If you are replacing tie rod ends, this is a good place to install them. Screw the end onto the tie rod to the point where the number of exposed threads matches the number that you previously noted before you removed it (them). I could not find torque values for either the locknut or the post as it is placed in the vertical member. I made the locknut tight, but not impossible for the alignment guys and torqued the post to 60 ft. lbs.
i). Re-install Brake Shield - Start by pushing the sensor through the brake shield and tightening the bracket behind the shield (no torque values available). Re-install the three 5 mm Allen screws on the face. Torque to 8 ft. lbs
j). Re-install/Replace Wheel Bearings - Regardless of whether they are new bearings or you're using the old ones, re pack them. Force out as much of the old grease as possible and grease the spindle and hub accordingly. There are complete write-ups on this elsewhere in the forum. Do not adjust them until you have the brake rotor in place.
k). Re-install the Brake Rotor - Torque the 5 mm Allen head holding bolt to 8 ft. lbs. Take some 100 grit sandpaper and scuff up the rotor. If you removed the brake pads, scuff them up as well.
l). Adjust Bearing Torque - Again, this is covered elsewhere. Replace grease cup.
m). Re-install Brake Caliper - Caliper bolts are 19 mm and are torqued to 85 ft. lbs. Now it's time to clean the brake parts with Brake Parts Cleaner. Place a garbage can beneath the brake rotor and start hosing it down being carefull not to get any in your eyes. Don't wipe it, just let it drip off into the garbage can. Now, don't touch the rotor with your grimy paws again (yes, they'll be grimy).
n). Re-install Wheels - My stock alloys required 70 ft. lbs.
o). Get a proper front-end alignment.
If you have gotten to this point you will likely feel pretty good about the job you just completed. I know Danny and I did. Relish it. Enjoy it. Share it with all your non-mechanical friends who always seem to have the bucks and a "take it to the stealership" mentality. This is not rocket science - there are no trajectory calculations or hydrazine involved. You can do it.
Last edited by gorgerider; 01-03-2013 at 11:54 AM.
01-03-2013, 01:31 AM
#2
Senior Member
I will definitely be referring to this in the next couple weeks. Thanks for taking the time to write it up. I found a DIY for LCA Bushings and it recommended you bang out the center of the bushing and then cut the outer metal sleeve of the bushing with a recirculating saw. You can just cut the outer metal sleeve and stop right before you get to the actual control arm and then the outer sleeve will pop right out. I am replacing pretty much everything under the front end. Its been long awaited. Did you see great improvements after alignment and completion of the work!?
01-03-2013, 11:40 AM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Eastern Washington State
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
2000 clk 320 cabriolet
Actually OGCLK, your thread is the one that convinced me to write this up. We were both doing similar work and looking for the same information - all in the near darkness as far as technical information was concerned.
The other tip on removal of the LCA bushings is exactly what I had to do. It's just that to remove the center of the bushing I had to burn the crap out of it for half an hour before it'd let loose. That even took a few beat up knuckles because of errant hammer blows. Then I could get to the outer sleeve with the Tool of Mass Destruction (the big Sawzall).
Completion of work has come before alignment. It goes on the alignment rack this afternoon. I did take a test drive and found that it covers the bumps better than it ever had since I've owned it (I bought it with 113K and it now has 150K on it). The vibration I was experencing at a range of speeds was severely reduced or eliminated. The clunking from the left wheel well had disappeared. The steering seemed about as tight and "Benz-esque" as I could imagine it being - firm, solid, Teutonic. However, it did have a slight tug to the right due to a new tie rod end being put back to the same place on the tie rod as the sloppy old one. That should be remedied this afternoon. There are 37K on the tires. I will also have them re-balanced this afternoon and checked for anything that may contribute any of the remaining slight vibration.
I have ordered new engine mounts ($80 ea. from PartsGeek - stealership wanted $160 ea.). I know they're original to the car and need to be replaced anyway, but I'm also wondering whether they have been contributing to the vibration at the steering wheel. We'll see after their installation. Hopefully it won't take me a year to get that little job done.
Good luck on your project. I'm sure it'll be worth it.
The other tip on removal of the LCA bushings is exactly what I had to do. It's just that to remove the center of the bushing I had to burn the crap out of it for half an hour before it'd let loose. That even took a few beat up knuckles because of errant hammer blows. Then I could get to the outer sleeve with the Tool of Mass Destruction (the big Sawzall).
Completion of work has come before alignment. It goes on the alignment rack this afternoon. I did take a test drive and found that it covers the bumps better than it ever had since I've owned it (I bought it with 113K and it now has 150K on it). The vibration I was experencing at a range of speeds was severely reduced or eliminated. The clunking from the left wheel well had disappeared. The steering seemed about as tight and "Benz-esque" as I could imagine it being - firm, solid, Teutonic. However, it did have a slight tug to the right due to a new tie rod end being put back to the same place on the tie rod as the sloppy old one. That should be remedied this afternoon. There are 37K on the tires. I will also have them re-balanced this afternoon and checked for anything that may contribute any of the remaining slight vibration.
I have ordered new engine mounts ($80 ea. from PartsGeek - stealership wanted $160 ea.). I know they're original to the car and need to be replaced anyway, but I'm also wondering whether they have been contributing to the vibration at the steering wheel. We'll see after their installation. Hopefully it won't take me a year to get that little job done.
Good luck on your project. I'm sure it'll be worth it.
02-12-2013, 11:48 AM
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Eastern Washington State
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
2000 clk 320 cabriolet
It's about time I provided an update on the efforts mentioned above. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner.
After I replaced the LCA's there was a marked increase in the solidity of the front end. The steering wheel vibration was almost down to nothing - but not quite all the way. I then went and replaced the engine mounts That was the final key to Ol' Snort feeling like a new car.
One thing not mentioned above: Before I changed out the LCA's, there was a marked "clunk" when I would go over sharp bumps (bridge seams, etc.) and a serious crunching sound when I turned sharply at slow speed. In examining the bracket on the frame where the LCA bolts attach I noticed the hole in the bracket was completely worn and out of shape. The car was beating the hell out of itself by the LCA bolt flopping around. This was the most rearward attachment point on the rear of the A-arm on the driver's side. The only solution I could see was to weld the the oval-shaped hole and reshape it to its original configuration. Happily my arc welding skils were up to the task. The sheet metal called for a 3/16" 6010 rod at low amperage on my 40-year old Lincoln buzz box. Reshaping was done with patience and a chain saw file. With the bolt hole repaired the A-arm was once again solidly attached.
Replacing the engine mounts was the final step in getting front-end solidity. Engine mount replacement followed another thread in this forum. The driver's side was tougher than the passenger side and it would have helped to have tiny little hands, but I was able to worm the old ones out and replace with the new parts. The engine was lifted much the same as the A-arms - floor jack and a 4"x4" up to the rear of the oil pan.
A note on the wheel alignment: My local alignment shop is 100 miles from any Benz dealer and is also a tire shop (Les Schwab Tires). I took the car to their most experienced technician and he did what his procedure called for. Surprisingly, his measurements called for no adjustments. I thought, "Wow, ****-house lucky in putting things back together." I then went across the parking lot to have the tires rotated. They wouldn't even take the first tire off the car due to extreme wear on the insides of the fronts. Again, surprised as I always take care to address tire performance and condition on all my other rigs. Also, there was no noticible pulling before the front end work. The result was that I had to buy a new set of tires with instructions to have them checked in 3,000 miles to see if I needed a Benz dealer to do the alignment. After thinking about it for a day or two, I decided to go ahead and make an appointment at the Benz alignment shop. I'm glad I did - especially with new tires on Ol' Snort. Their procedure called for much tighter tolerances and the cost was only about $20 more than the local shop (minus the 200-mile round trip).
Finally, feeling pretty proud of the work I was able to do, I made a few calls to a couple of Benz dealerships to find out how much I had saved in doing the work myself. I felt even better when I was told that it would have cost me $3,000 if they did the work. $1,000 of that was for the engine mounts alone! I asked the Service manager what the shop time book said it was supposed to take for the engine mounts. He told me, "3.0 hours." When I told him I had done it in two hours and fifteen minutes he offered me a job. Not bad for a backyard knucklebuster. I was even happier after that. End result was a savings of about $2,500 bucks.
So, if you still think it may be too tough a job to tackle yourself, weigh it against the $2,600 bucks you'd be saving (after $400 in parts). Getting grubby for eight or ten hours starts to seem like a pretty good trade-off.
After I replaced the LCA's there was a marked increase in the solidity of the front end. The steering wheel vibration was almost down to nothing - but not quite all the way. I then went and replaced the engine mounts That was the final key to Ol' Snort feeling like a new car.
One thing not mentioned above: Before I changed out the LCA's, there was a marked "clunk" when I would go over sharp bumps (bridge seams, etc.) and a serious crunching sound when I turned sharply at slow speed. In examining the bracket on the frame where the LCA bolts attach I noticed the hole in the bracket was completely worn and out of shape. The car was beating the hell out of itself by the LCA bolt flopping around. This was the most rearward attachment point on the rear of the A-arm on the driver's side. The only solution I could see was to weld the the oval-shaped hole and reshape it to its original configuration. Happily my arc welding skils were up to the task. The sheet metal called for a 3/16" 6010 rod at low amperage on my 40-year old Lincoln buzz box. Reshaping was done with patience and a chain saw file. With the bolt hole repaired the A-arm was once again solidly attached.
Replacing the engine mounts was the final step in getting front-end solidity. Engine mount replacement followed another thread in this forum. The driver's side was tougher than the passenger side and it would have helped to have tiny little hands, but I was able to worm the old ones out and replace with the new parts. The engine was lifted much the same as the A-arms - floor jack and a 4"x4" up to the rear of the oil pan.
A note on the wheel alignment: My local alignment shop is 100 miles from any Benz dealer and is also a tire shop (Les Schwab Tires). I took the car to their most experienced technician and he did what his procedure called for. Surprisingly, his measurements called for no adjustments. I thought, "Wow, ****-house lucky in putting things back together." I then went across the parking lot to have the tires rotated. They wouldn't even take the first tire off the car due to extreme wear on the insides of the fronts. Again, surprised as I always take care to address tire performance and condition on all my other rigs. Also, there was no noticible pulling before the front end work. The result was that I had to buy a new set of tires with instructions to have them checked in 3,000 miles to see if I needed a Benz dealer to do the alignment. After thinking about it for a day or two, I decided to go ahead and make an appointment at the Benz alignment shop. I'm glad I did - especially with new tires on Ol' Snort. Their procedure called for much tighter tolerances and the cost was only about $20 more than the local shop (minus the 200-mile round trip).
Finally, feeling pretty proud of the work I was able to do, I made a few calls to a couple of Benz dealerships to find out how much I had saved in doing the work myself. I felt even better when I was told that it would have cost me $3,000 if they did the work. $1,000 of that was for the engine mounts alone! I asked the Service manager what the shop time book said it was supposed to take for the engine mounts. He told me, "3.0 hours." When I told him I had done it in two hours and fifteen minutes he offered me a job. Not bad for a backyard knucklebuster. I was even happier after that. End result was a savings of about $2,500 bucks.
So, if you still think it may be too tough a job to tackle yourself, weigh it against the $2,600 bucks you'd be saving (after $400 in parts). Getting grubby for eight or ten hours starts to seem like a pretty good trade-off.
The following users liked this post:
Mcmemo (03-05-2016)
12-18-2022, 07:00 PM
#7
Junior Member
I just replaced both rear struts using the method described by George993 and it worked perfectly. 2007 SL550 here so a few things: no electrical connection at the top of the strut (I understood from the description that there was), so this made that part easier with just two bolts to remove. The rest was straightforward for a northeast car since it had been visibly garaged most its life. The quick connect came undone easily, as did all the bolts. I did run into the exhaust getting in the way when removing that bolt. On the driver's side it was enough for me to push it upwards with a bit of body strength to get enough space to clear it. On the passenger side I had to jack the exhaust upwards enough to get clearance. Clamping the exhaust downwards would not work on my car, and I didn't want to play with disconnecting the exhaust. Also reversing this bolt (putting it in the other side and nut on the opposite side) on re-installment on this car doesn't work since the bolt is too long and would be restricted by the arm loosened at the hub in this procedure. All in all very straightforward, surely more than the Arnott way.
