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Since rebuilding my axle with 2 new boots/grease/clamps, I'm getting some vibration, though it only seems noticeable under hard acceleration. I didn't do this job myself as it was a bit beyond my ability/tools etc. A friend that owns a shop did it for me and something appears to have not worked out. Car feels fine under normal driving at slow and highway speeds but the vibration under acceleration is pretty annoying. Any ideas as to what might have gone wrong? At this point I assume I'll need a new axle.
So is is new axle or he rebuild your old?
There is not much that can create vibration after boot and grease replacement, unless old joint was already grind by dirt and now you notice it?
This was a rebuild with new grease and boots for both joints on the driver side only axle on a 2007 e550 4Matic. The axle came apart without being removed from the front differential. He did take a few shots on the axle with hammer and pry bar to try to remove the whole axle but when it didn't easily pop out, we just took it apart at the joint so as not to damage it. After pulling it all apart and removing the old boots and grease, it was hammered back into place on the car with new boots/grease/clamps.
The one thing I thought might be an issue, is that when reinstalling the axle bolt, it wasn't torqued to any spec, but rather just put back on with an impact. The ball joint bolt was also put back together with an impact gun and no torque wrench. Could over torquing either of these cause this kind of problem?
It's only happening under hard acceleration from low speed. I floored it tonight at about 50mph and didn't notice the vibration, but flooring it from 20-30mph it's very obvious. It was completely smooth at any speed before this repair. :|
Hammering the axle directly is never good workmanship, but than again, unless your mechanic did not put all parts back, there is not much you can mess with the joints that would cost vibration.
Either way, I would lift the car and turn the axle to observe for wobbling.
I picked up a used axle via eBay. I believe it's from a 2005 e500 and it's going into a 2007 E550 but they assure me it's the same part and it does in fact appear to be identical.
I'm wondering if anyone happens to have the torque specs for the axle bolt as well as the ball joint? When we did the boot replacement, both of those bolts were installed with an impact until tight. :/
Edit: Nevermind, I found the torque specs in the comments on the Pelican tech article.
"axel collar bolt 90nm; ball joint 55nm; lower control arm 110nm; lower shock strut 162nm; upper 25nm; stabilizer bar 95nm."
Last edited by rtbrjason; Jan 12, 2017 at 12:38 PM.
Since seeing many videos on this, posts and obviously this thread I have a question. My front driver side inner boot is split. Since I see many times when people pull the axle that inner joint separates, couldn't I just pull so it does, remove that boot and install the new one without completely taking everything apart?
Not sure if that is recommended way, but I did pull inner joint from its housing and replaced the boot this way.
A bit of gimmick to install new clamp on reassemble, but it did work for me.
Thanks, Yea I am sure that would not be the best way technically but it seems it may reduce the time to do this since I really would not need to detach the axle from the hub at the wheel I assume, maybe incorrectly, that I could disconnect what I need to and pull the axle and brake disk away, remove the old boot, install the new one, fill with grease and put it together again. Seems like it would be less work but I could very well be wrong.
I picked up a used axle via eBay. I believe it's from a 2005 e500 and it's going into a 2007 E550 but they assure me it's the same part and it does in fact appear to be identical.
I'm wondering if anyone happens to have the torque specs for the axle bolt as well as the ball joint? When we did the boot replacement, both of those bolts were installed with an impact until tight. :/
Edit: Nevermind, I found the torque specs in the comments on the Pelican tech article.
"axel collar bolt 90nm; ball joint 55nm; lower control arm 110nm; lower shock strut 162nm; upper 25nm; stabilizer bar 95nm."
Quick Question - I recently completed a front Strut replacement on my 2007 E350 Sport (W211 Chassis). I discovered a torn inner CV Boot during the process and decided to replace the driver's side half axle. I've been looking for the torque specs on the axle bolt. I see above a 90NM spec. Can someone validate that this is correct? Is there a link that someone has to the overall vehicle torque specs document that they can share?
PS - I just found this forum while googling for the above information and am happy that it exists! Looking forward to sharing information with you all moving forward.
IMO, never hammer any part of shaft, to avoid that, take inner joint apart even you only need work on outer joint boot. Release clip on inner end of the shaft, use a puller pull out tripod and then you may put two boots along the shaft, time consuming but easier, most important, you will not lose shaft balance and never feel vibration.
What I overlook in original installation, the inner boot sleeve was "mushroom" on the back of the flange.
After some driving I noticed that it is coming out of CV joint and spill some grease around.
Spend over 1 hr with long pry bars to bend the sleeve into mushroom.
Don't know how MB does that, but the inner CV joint has no access from the sides and you can only work on it from the side hole.
Bottom line, I did replace boots on W210 in about 45 minutes per axle, this one with the cheap aftermarket boots and then redoing the job with MB boots cost me well over 10HR. Mostly becouse of access.
Hey Kajtek1!
Thanks for the write up. I did a similar installation as you without removing the inner CV axle but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to secure the inner boot with the built in clamp (I hate this design). What do you mean by "mushroom" and what were you doing with the pry bar? Were you warping the aluminum clamp?
I just spend 20 minutes on google - trying to find good picture of inner W211 boot, to no result, so here is as close as I could find picture how the end of boot aluminium ring needs to be bend over inner CV housing. Don't forget to put oring inside.
It's been almost 3 years since I made the topic and I will highlight my learning curve that leads to conclusion that it is better to remove whole axle and then worry about making the end.
So you press in the outer edge of the aluminum ring to prevent the boot from sliding off?
ah ok that sounds like a PITA to do with the inner CV axle in. I'm thinking about just taking the original ring off and putting in a worm gear hose clamp.
i've been through the same. The sleeve is intended to remain on the hub. The only part that is supposed to be replaced is the boot. when you get a repair part (same as OEM) with the boot already clamped to the sleeve, you'll (probably) need another 3" (75mm) CV boot clamp. remove the existing new clamp and use only the boot from the repair part in the original pressed-on sleeve.
i think the inner boot from the factory (OEM part (same part numbers) has the sleeve. i think MBZ dealer techs may press it on using mercedes tool 203-589-03-63-00-MBZ, which is a chain clamp.
you can "press fit" a new sleeve onto the inner hub by removing the original, and using a 3" / 75mm exhaust pipe clamp.
put the rubber seal ring inside the new sleeve, put the exhaust clamp around the new sleeve where the edge is flared... tighten hard, rotate 120, tighten hard. rotate 120. tighten hard, rotate 120.
this will work well, especially if you clean the mating surfaces with brake cleaner and use an epoxy seal.when assembling the sleeve onto the hub. when you clamp the flared edge to "mushroom" it inwards around the hib profile, it will have any slight imperfect shaping filled with the hardening sealer. job done.
however: ;leave the old sleeve on the hub. remove the new clamp from the new boot where it grabs the new sleeve. discard the new sleeve. use the boot on the old sleeve. put a new clamp on the new boot on the old sleeve. definitely this is the better way.
Last edited by ken h; Jan 20, 2019 at 08:25 PM.
Reason: necessary changes
i've been through the same. The sleeve is intended to remain on the hub. The only part that is supposed to be replaced is the boot. when you get a repair part (same as OEM) with the boot already clamped to the sleeve, you'll (probably) need another 3" (75mm) CV boot clamp. remove the existing new clamp and use only the boot from the repair part in the original pressed-on sleeve.
i think the inner boot from the factory (OEM part (same part numbers) has the sleeve. i think MBZ dealer techs may press it on using mercedes tool 203-589-03-63-00-MBZ, which is a chain clamp.
you can "press fit" a new sleeve onto the inner hub by removing the original, and using a 3" / 75mm exhaust pipe clamp.
put the rubber seal ring inside the new sleeve, put the exhaust clamp around the new sleeve where the edge is flared... tighten hard, rotate 120, tighten hard. rotate 120. tighten hard, rotate 120.
this will work well, especially if you clean the mating surfaces with brake cleaner and use an epoxy seal.when assembling the sleeve onto the hub. when you clamp the flared edge to "mushroom" it inwards around the hib profile, it will have any slight imperfect shaping filled with the hardening sealer. job done.
however: ;leave the old sleeve on the hub. remove the new clamp from the new boot where it grabs the new sleeve. discard the new sleeve. use the boot on the old sleeve. put a new clamp on the new boot on the old sleeve. definitely this is the better way.
Guys, I know this is an older thread, but I just popped my outer joint apart and noticed only 4 bearings in there out of the 6 slots in the race. Is this normal? This is a joint that the boot was fully intact (it actually popped apart when I was doing the struts and pulling down on the lower control arm) so I know it didnt lose any bearings.
I tossed it back together as it came apart and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, but it just seemed off that there were 4 bearings in a row and then 2 empty spots.
Is this the axle bolt torque spec you where referring too? If so 1st stage would be the spec with the wheel in the air and second stage is with the wheel on?
Did this job last weekend with a help of two of my friends. Quite a big job. It's very important to take the whole axle out as mushrooming the boot sleeve onto the joint hub properly - while the cv hub is in differential - would be next to impossible in my opinion.
We used the 3" muffler clamp technique, but fitting the clamp wasn't a walk in a park either. We actually had to modify the clamp a bit to fit it around the hub. So I'd suggest to be ready to do that, or buy different type of 3" clamps to find what suits you best, if possible.
For fitting the new aluminum sleeve we used a hammer and a chisel to get the initial fitting, after that we used hammer and a straight scraper pick so we got a round shape to seal the sleeve properly.
I was wondering before the job that do I need to remove brakes, rotors and front air strut, but that wasn't the case. Didn't need to touch those at all.
Edit: front passenger side inner boot was the boot in question
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