mis3

My mechanics said I should change the rear-right control arm bushing (2043520027, control arm to wheel carrier) He said it would take 2 hours to change one side.

I am wondering is these control arm bushings should be replaced in pair? He mentioned only rear-right.

Rudeney

Ont he front, I recommend changing all four control arms when needed. In the rear, it's not as critical.

mis3

Control arms or control arm bushings?

Yidney

Either one - the only reason to change a control arm is the bushing - or in the front, the ball joint or bushing. The arm itself will last forever.

mis3

This all started when I heard squeaky noise on my rear-right side when going over speed bumps.

My indie said I had to replace the sway bar end links (both sides), sway bar bushings (both sides) and rear-right control arm bushing. All rear components.

mis3

My indie charges 2 hours to change one control arm bushing. This is why I ask if both rear bushings should be replaced at the same time.

Yidney

I'm not totally sure we - or you and your indie - are all on the same page. You are talking about him changing a bushing - singular - in 2 hours and asking if they ought to be done in pairs.

On the front of the car the control arms have a large bushing on one end, and a ball joint on the other. Because ball joints tend to outlast bushings, you can buy just the bushing and replace just that if you want. But then you need a press to remove it and get the new one in. More labor. I would simply replace the whole thing. The front arms cost more than the rear arms because they are bigger, beefier chunks of metal.

In the rear, all but one arm has a bushing on both ends. And they are generally much tinier bushings than on the front. And the arms themselves are less substantial. Some are just folded sheet metal, not castings. They don't cost as much as front arms. So when you say he is replacing a bushing, is he really, or is he replacing the whole arm, with both bushings? When you ask about pairs, are you talking about both bushings on one arm, or the whole arm on both sides of the car? I would just replace the bad arm as a unit with both bushings, and agree with Rodney there is no need to do the other side of the car. With a high mileage car like yours it would be odd to pull an arm just to replace one bushing.

As far as two hours, that is probably the book rate. My son got stranded in Kansas in his Audi when the fuel pump died. Indie said book was four hours. He actually did it in 1.5 hours, but we had to pay the book. It won't take 2 hours to swap a rear control arm. Depending on the arm it might only be 15 minutes. The main lower arm would take a while since it holds both the shock and spring.

mis3

The indie said he would replace the 2 rear sway bar end links, 2 rear sway bar bushings and the rear-right control arm bushing. I usually buy the parts myself and pay the labor.

My question is since the wear and tear of both rear control arm bushings should be the same, should they be changed at the same time?

Yidney: You said there is a ball joint in the front control arm. How about the rear, any ball joint in the rear control arm?

Yidney

I think we are still not communicating. When I said "front" in my post above, I meant the front wheels. The front wheels have two control arms on each side. Those have a big bushing where they attach to the frame, and a ball joint where they attach to the wheel hub.

In the back, since the wheel only bounce up and down but don't turn, you don't need a bunch of ball joints.

If you are buying the parts, you should talk to your indie again. I had my rear control arms mixed up in my head, but just stuck my head under there. The rear lower control arm is the one that holds the spring and shock. Just stick your head behind your rear wheel and look at it. It has a big plastic cover on the bottom, but you can see the round bushings at the end. You should ask if he is replacing the inner or outer bushing so you know what to buy, and ask him why not both. He may have some weird way of doing it where he does not pull the whole arm off the car. Or maybe when he said bushing he meant both. But if you are going that far you might as well do both ends. But just ask him. If you only buy one, he may ask why you didn't buy both.

mis3

Than, Yidney for the clarifications.

I only knew about this control arm bushing after that visit to the indie. He gave me a quote and listed only 5 parts: 2 sway bar end links, 2 sway bar bushing and one control arm bushing. The indie actually charged me a full hour of labor while my car was only in the shop for maybe 35 minutes. Therefore, I have decided to wait for my friend, a MB technician, to replace these parts for me.

I went to MB dealership to get the parts. I did buy an extra control arm bushing just in case my friend wants to replace both sides (right and left rear wheels). I can always return the unused parts.

Now that I know there are a inner and outer bushings per wheel. I will ask my friend tomorrow. The one I bought is 2043520027, not sure if this is the inner or outer one. Do you happen to know the part number of the other bushing? If not too expensive, I may as well buy it.

Yidney

I don't know the part number, but the costs should be roughly the same as the other one. Just tell the dealer that you already bought that part number, and you need the other end.

NewShockerGuy

I can only speak to my senario.

I replaced the driver side lower control arm because the ball joint was bad an the bushing was ok... the passenger side upper control arm looked fine but the ball joint was on it's way out. I replaced only those two items (entire control arm with bushing and new ball joints).

The other control arms looked fine so they were not replaced. The car will need aligned anyways so to me if they are not bad why replace them... yes if they looked like they were on the way out then I would have changed them but you are talking another 200+ dollars.

Some people might say replace all of it and I would agree if other components are going bad. If the bushings and ball joints look fine then no need to replace them.


Note I replaced the entire arm because I don't have a press nor do I have mercedes special ball joint seperator. A press would be $100 at least for an ok one (takes up space in my garage, and mercedes tool is $40.) With the amount of time or use that these two tools would get to me it's easier to replace the entire control arm knowing I get a new bushing/ball joint. I do rent tools from advance auto but they don't have the special mercedes ball joint seperator, they have the larger style one)

-Nigel

Kustom1911

mis3,

I just replaced both rear supporting joints in my wife's 2004 CLK500 this past weekend, the part # was A2203520227. I think your part # has replaced my older part #.

The supporting joint (bushing,bearing) is on the outer end of the lower control arm, but it is pressed in the rear axle carrier (rear spindle). The lower control arm only has the inner bushing pressed in it, part # A2023520165, which lasts a lot longer then the supporting joint. it is easy to tell when the supporting joint starts to go bad when you see a rusty discoloration on the bottom of the rear brake dust shields.

i built a custom press for these a few years ago, and with it, I took about 2.5 hours to replace both sides, on a lift.

TechSuperstar

Just a follow-up on the front ones.. If your car has gotten some good mileage (60k-100k) and you get your first bushing/ball joint issue personally I'd recommend doing the whole thing (2 upper, 2 lower). There's nothing that will **** you off more than only doing one, paying $150 for an alignment, then having another go in a month or two and having to pay for another alignment.

mis3

These are the parts that I bought from the dealership, still waiting for the Mb technician for installation:
1. 2 x rear sway bay bushings
2. 2 x rear sway bar end links
3. 2 x rear control arm inner bushings (small metal cylinder, rubber inside)
4. 2 x rear control arm outer bushings (rubber)
He will check and I will return the unused parts.

By mistake, the parts guy ordered the front sway bar bushings as well. Considering the price, I am thinking to replace them. I read here that it's easy to replace the rear sway bar bushings, how about the front?

Rudeney

Front sway bar bushings are super easy - lift the car, remove two bolts holding the bracket, and swap. the bushing. Swap sides and repeat.

mis3

Thanks. I will ask the technician to replace them then.

I hope there is a way to check if the rear control arm bushings are ok. I was told it would take 1-2 hours to remove each side.

Rudeney

It's more difficult to check the rear bushings - there are more of them and they are smaller. I'd say of you are over 75K miles, then go ahead and replace them

mis3

I will go to replace the rear sway bar end-links and all these bushings (front and rear sway bar bushings, rear control arm inner and outer bushings).

Do I have to do an alignment afterward?

Rudeney

No, anti-sway bars are in no way related to alignment.

mis3

I remember now. Alignment is required after tie rod replacement, not sway bar or control arm bushings.

mis3

Quick question: Should grease be applied in the new bushings?

Yidney

Regarding an alignment, if you replace the front control arms bushing I'd get one even if you technically don't need one. As for grease, grease on any bushings besides sway bar bushings (not end links) won't do anything. There is nothing to grease that moves. I don't think I'd bother on new sway bar bushings. But if you do, don't use a petroleum based grease. It eats rubber.

mis3

I plan to change the inner and outer bushings of the rear control arm.

ambit

I replaced the 4 front control arms without disconnecting the tie rod ends, still needed an alignment afterward.
Also did the strut bearing cap, sway bar bushing and sway bar links but that shouldn't have mattered.