belarus27

is there any specific instructions on how to remove upper control arm from a knuckle?
i attempted a try to replace it today , but couldnt get the park with ball joint out , do i need a special tool to get it out? i thought i just need to remove the bolt and it would come off , did i miss something?
looking at my new control arm and i dont see how it would get stock so hard where even a hammer didnt help. im lost lol

edit: i think i need that bushing remover tool.

Plutoe

Yes--Look to MB WIS for correct application!!

insame1

So..... I take it you have never done this kind of work before? You do need a special tool or you can bang on it with a hammer. I would suggest finding someone who has done this type of work before to help you out. Also do some research before you take something like this on.

belarus27

yes you are right , ive never changed a control arm before ( but i have done some DIY's thanks to this forum , and they were a lot more complicated) , but it seemed way easy , so i decided to give it a try. After multiple researches and finding the right replacement parts. what i missed is that to remove ball joints i need a tool.
sad part is that if i had it it woulda took me 30-50min to do one side.
we all learn our mistakes lol
once i get the tool ill be golden.

belarus27

btw. any recommendations on what tool is the right one? or i heard autozone or oreilly has tools for rent...will stop by and ask them also.

any help is appreciated though.

im sure once you hear some clunking/squeeking noises , you gonna want to change all ball joints and bushings as well.
ofcoarse most not gonna play with it and take it to INDY or Dealer , but there are also DIY guys that would use some info and tips to get that job done.
thanks MB enthusiasts

beejAMG

been here long enough to know that theres no documented thread (DIY with pics) about this. might be a good place to start. up to you mate but i for one would be interested.

belarus27

lol i figured since there is nothing i could find on google about this.. w211 and older models only.
will buy that ball joint separator after work , and will give it another try possibly with pictures coming along. (If it goes smooth lol)

beejAMG

goodluck mate!

insame1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/2527393...&ul_noapp=true

this should work

belarus27

thank you ! But i will give this one a try , people left good reviews , and it should be in stock in my local Harbor freight store.

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html

belarus27

so it happened finally , got the tool from Harbor freight , and today after work decided to do it. I got a new upper control arm and a ball joint replaced , did a short drive , and noticed that the steering feel got a bit different feel to it , feeling a bit stiffer , ill see tomorrow on free way if any difference.
unfortunately it didnt solve my problem , i still have that clunking noise , i will order a set of bushings for lower control arm hope that helps , if not gonna get a new strut bar after.
im at almost a 100k miles and new suspension parts would have to be changed soon anyway , atleast its not a waist.

belarus27

appreciate everyones help , will update with the final solution

jahquan3

Good job so far. This will be a good resource for future reference.

belarus27

Did alignment today , it was really off where it supposed to be.so alignment is needed for sure after changing suspension components.
Btw... i noticed that the car feels more solid , not as it was ' soft' before. I actually enjoy more driving it now

Abrown3mtg

Nice work!

belarus27

Thanks man.
Had a lil vibration around 64-69mph , went to do wheel balance , and impressed , how smooth everything is.
No regrets of spent money nor time.

IgorE350

I learned over the years of doing stuff like that, that heat helps a lot!!! and wd40. Sometimes dont even need any tools

belarus27

Heat for what? To do the ball joints?

IgorE350

Anything you do. tools are good to have, but sometimes heating up nuts or bolts or anything that hard to unscrew or take out, i heat it up a little and it gets what i need done, not always but most of the time.

belarus27

Lol you right actually , i totally forgot about this technique

belarus27

aight so that clunking sound turned out to be a bad LEMFORDER sway bar link.
got my new OEM mercedes stabilizer links installed , and no more clunking. drove around the neighborhood and all is good... atleast for now.

some bright news in this gloomy weather