Jun 17, 2015, 07:49 PM
Last edit by: IB Advertising
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E500 popping sound in front end...suspension related.
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: OKC, Ok
06 w211 cdi, 05 slk350, R1200GS
If you're a DIY type, I would suggest you drill & tap the ball joints & install grease zirks. It seems the OE Manufacturers now build these with failure in mind. Cars & trucks from a few years back all came with greasable ball joints & tie-rod ends, . . .with timely lubrication they lasted thousands of miles. Then some hot-shot engineer got the idea of eliminating the grease zirks & called the "new" ball jt/tie-rod "life-time". (yah, . . .well, who's life-time are they talking about??)
He probably got an extra $100 in his pay check that month for saving the company $.05 per unit for millions of "new, Life time" parts.
Anyhow, . . . it's a fairly simple concept, . . .when a moving part isn't lubricated, . . .it wears out!
PS: I installed grease zirks in my 06 CDI & haven't had any problems.
Dis-claimer: if you don't have the mechanical expertise to do this, . . .DON'T!!
He probably got an extra $100 in his pay check that month for saving the company $.05 per unit for millions of "new, Life time" parts.
Anyhow, . . . it's a fairly simple concept, . . .when a moving part isn't lubricated, . . .it wears out!
PS: I installed grease zirks in my 06 CDI & haven't had any problems.
Dis-claimer: if you don't have the mechanical expertise to do this, . . .DON'T!!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
If you're a DIY type, I would suggest you drill & tap the ball joints & install grease zirks. It seems the OE Manufacturers now build these with failure in mind. Cars & trucks from a few years back all came with greasable ball joints & tie-rod ends, . . .with timely lubrication they lasted thousands of miles. Then some hot-shot engineer got the idea of eliminating the grease zirks & called the "new" ball jt/tie-rod "life-time". (yah, . . .well, who's life-time are they talking about??)
He probably got an extra $100 in his pay check that month for saving the company $.05 per unit for millions of "new, Life time" parts.
Anyhow, . . . it's a fairly simple concept, . . .when a moving part isn't lubricated, . . .it wears out!
PS: I installed grease zirks in my 06 CDI & haven't had any problems.
Dis-claimer: if you don't have the mechanical expertise to do this, . . .DON'T!!
He probably got an extra $100 in his pay check that month for saving the company $.05 per unit for millions of "new, Life time" parts.
Anyhow, . . . it's a fairly simple concept, . . .when a moving part isn't lubricated, . . .it wears out!
PS: I installed grease zirks in my 06 CDI & haven't had any problems.
Dis-claimer: if you don't have the mechanical expertise to do this, . . .DON'T!!
What I have difficulty with is why my corvette joints run 100,000+ miles with and my E500 went out around the 70,000 mark.
Underdesigned for the application?
