Front End Squeak 99 E320
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Chicago northwest burbs
1996 e-320
I am hearing a lot of tail chasing, like a dog . I did that as well when trying to find front end rattles with my 96 E-320, before I found this (and other) forum(s). Every time I hit a bump in the road, I had a rattle which sounded unsafe. The used car dealership I bought the car from had sprayed something on all of the rubber parts to swell them up prior to selling the car. As I drove it over a week of ownership, the parts dried out and the rattle(s) became obvious. A dirty trick. A local shop that I respect looked the car over but missed the obvious bushings you mention here. They instead directed me to ball joints ( and wanted to use OEM parts at a insane price). I refused and started replacing many suspension parts, and finally got to the cheapest parts. The links you are looking at replacing. They solved the rattle immediately.
I say all of this to say
You might try what the crooked dealer did. Spray some gook in there and expand the rubber parts to see if the squeak(rattle in my circumstance) subsides. Do this with one part at a time, as to locate the part in need of replacement. It may or may not help in locating the problem prior to dumping good money after bad into your ride.
In retrospect on my own ride, it was good to spend some time under the car looking the front end over. The lower control arm bushings had some play, and I replaced them. Also I replaced lower ball joints. Then went to into replacing other simple rubber parts, and now the front end is in top notch shape, for those 120mph short blasts. (gotta kick it up on that abandoned road once in awhile, to feel alive and get the rush)
Aardvark.
I say all of this to say
You might try what the crooked dealer did. Spray some gook in there and expand the rubber parts to see if the squeak(rattle in my circumstance) subsides. Do this with one part at a time, as to locate the part in need of replacement. It may or may not help in locating the problem prior to dumping good money after bad into your ride.
In retrospect on my own ride, it was good to spend some time under the car looking the front end over. The lower control arm bushings had some play, and I replaced them. Also I replaced lower ball joints. Then went to into replacing other simple rubber parts, and now the front end is in top notch shape, for those 120mph short blasts. (gotta kick it up on that abandoned road once in awhile, to feel alive and get the rush)
Aardvark.
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Chicago northwest burbs
1996 e-320
Forgot to add..
I got even with the unscrupulous dealer (even though I stretched the truth a little).
I went back and thanked him for the purchase of the car, and told him I loved the ride, but I did find a few rattles and for $50 in bushing parts, fixed it and the problem was resolved.
He looked miffed, since he had sprayed down multiple things to get the car sold, and sold it to me cheap. I would have loved to find out how much his mechanic told him the repairs were going to cost on my Benz. He lost his ***(ets).
Sometimes you get the bear. Sometimes the bear gets you!
Even a blind squirrel gets an acorn on occasion.
I got the bear, and the acorn.
Aardvark
I got even with the unscrupulous dealer (even though I stretched the truth a little).
I went back and thanked him for the purchase of the car, and told him I loved the ride, but I did find a few rattles and for $50 in bushing parts, fixed it and the problem was resolved.
He looked miffed, since he had sprayed down multiple things to get the car sold, and sold it to me cheap. I would have loved to find out how much his mechanic told him the repairs were going to cost on my Benz. He lost his ***(ets).
Sometimes you get the bear. Sometimes the bear gets you!
Even a blind squirrel gets an acorn on occasion.
I got the bear, and the acorn.
Aardvark
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,072
Likes: 5
From: Pittsburgh,PA, Cambridge, Ontario, CN
2003 S210 3.8L Brabus wagon
Thanks for the info on front non split bushings. Mine came split but then again the front bar is a Brabus unit and was put on in Germany. My apologies about the mislead.
