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Where is this link located ? See below, LEFT WHEEL as reference. OEM one.
What do these Sway Bar ( Anti-Roll bar ) links LEFT and RIGHT do ? It is part of the Sway-Bar to perform its duty as explained better by Jason of EE
Video is for drivers who are not petrol head Petrol head, please skip it.
What makes me review it so fast and not after say 5,000KM or more ?
Well, I want to show you guys what I do not like about it and what I like about it, and then make your own informed decision when and if you want these.
FAQ
01. Does it make the car handle better in a fast lane change situation ( zig zag ) ? Being the ball joints are stiffer than OEM ....
NO, since the presssure or weight transfer or load transfer from one side to the other side is communicated by total of 4 ball joints and using the same stifness sway bar ( OEM ), I would say there is no added "sportiness".
02. Does it cost more than MB OEM pair of links ?
I dont know, I bought the SuperPro also for experimental sake.
03. Do I think the ball joints on these pair of links will last longer than OEM ones ?
Perhaps, but no guarantee. Well I am hoping
04. What do I like about the SuperPro links and its ball joints ?
First I would like to explain that the ball joint which is mounted on the front suspension strut, works much harder than the one mounted to the sway bar end.
Why so ?
The front strut caster is near 7 degrees : 6 degrees 57 minutes +-30 minutes to be exact as reccomended by MB.
When the front strut compress and de-compress ( rebound ), it is not only up and down motion to the links, but it has kinds twisting/spinning motion on the ball joint at the front strut end.
NOTE : I call the front shock absorber as a STRUT, because it is a McPhearson Strut design, spring + shock absorber in one body.
So, the ball joint on the front strut total clockwise & anti-clockwise movement .. which is also a wear and tear event, is higher than the ball joint at the sway bar end.
This is why the OEM link on my car ( 23,000 KM ), the top ball joint at the strut was taking a heavy beating during the 20 laps on the race track ( fun drive ).
As to why only the left wheel ball joint at the strut suffer a torn boot and the right wheel did not, it is because of the load is higher on the left wheel on that track with 9 right turn and only 2 left turn.
Full story is here ; https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...helin-ps4.html
Back to : What do I like about the SuperPro links and its ball joints ?
I believe that buyer can buy the ball joints only as it is used by SuperPro on probably all its products. MB uses 12mm version. Top ball joint will be RIGHT TURN one.
Yes lower ball joint is a LEFT TURN one. Its the thread turning orientation when screwed into the blue aluminum rod.
So with probable twice the service life for lower ball joint at sway bar end compared to top ball joint at the strut, in theory user can save money in the long run.
The blue rod wont be damaged in anyway, so that is one time buy when even you need to buy the lower ball joint for sway bar end.
Cost savings perspective, SuperPro sway bar end links for W212 makes sense.
05. What I do not like about the SuperPro links ?
05A. The rubber boot is not very durable I would say.
Close up of rubber boot
OEM ball joint rubber boot. Much thicker , more robust and I think it is a single casting mold, unlike SuperPro where you can see the casting joint, like a two piece mold. I dont know much about rubber casting and its mold though.
Because the rubber boot SuperPro uses probably has lower duro ( hardness ), it need those steel retainer clips (2) to keep boot tight to prevent grease escape, while MB OEM one does not need retainer clip.
By the specification of the rubber and its design for leak-free-grease compression can be achieved. This alone is a show who has superior engineering, rubber wise and dimensional accuracy of the rubber.
05B. Half baked engineering on the design of the nut/hex size #16 of the ball joint.
When installing the ball joint at front strut, due to wheel well limited size when we work as though as changing a tire view, its difficult to place the 16mm wrench accurately if only by feel.
Since the position is high this ball joint for strut, if we work from under the car its not possible , we best work as though as changing a tire view.
If only SuperPro designer has decent common sense, he will make the 16mm hex a bit thicker by 3mm to allow common thickness 16 mm wrench to be inserted by feel and not have to fight for space with the rubber boot, wrench can't fight space with washer ... LOL
Its not a joy to have to peek into the wheel well and turn one head maximum to the right, to place a 16mm wrench to not interfere with the rubber boot , just because some engineer tring to save a few grams of steel.
05C. Due to the top ball joint at the front strut has to kinda spin left and right much as explained earlier in #4, it will best to blue thread locker this nut and its bolt, or else it will come loose fast. I have not used the blue loctite yet, but I apply lots of torque to tighten this hex nut.
I wont say a lot as in REALLY A LOT, there is no way to do very strong torque due to short wrench 16mm can't give leverage and I do not use pipe extension. Tightening steel bolt into an aluminum material/rod can not be too much torque.
When the above mentioned is loose just a tiny bit, it makes loud metallic noise at low car speed ( low engine noise ) at humps or any sudden imperfection of the asphalt/road.
Pushing the front suspension hard enough to create rocking motion, will also create the metallic noise.
05D. 50NM is not enough !!
Attached is the SuperPro ball joint installation manual.
It requested 50 NM torque for size 12mm ball joint, which I am using.
Its nut uses the friction design, like what MB called as version A. Read well on version A self locking nut 101.
It is true that "Bolts and nuts with locking splines (A)
When tightened, the teeth on the bolts and nuts with locking splines (A) are destroyed by pressure or shearing loads.
So what you can do is swap side of the washer because the "destroyed surface" is the washer . In theory you got only 4 chances of re-working this ball joint, 2 side per washer or get new washer.
Why would I say 50 Nm is not enough ? It comes loose easy, that is why. Always loose on the front strut end of the ball joint.
So I was curious, MB on its OEM ball joint also uses 19mm nut, but without locking splines, only simple integrated flat washer on the nut itself.
How much torque does MB requested for the same ball joint end 19mm nut ? 98 Nm, yes, it is 200% .
I guess not many W212 are the customer of SuperPro or most mechanic who installed them simply tightened well beyond 50Nm because they are lazy to use a torque tool.
50 Nm is a piece of cake, its so "soft" so to speak..
At 65 Nm, it still got loosen ... LOL.
Bear in mind, one need a crow foot wrench or special ring insert type wrench head type to torque the 19mm at the sway bar link end.
Ring Insert for torque wrench using 14 x 18mm insert https://www.tools-giant.com/item.php...224019&lang=zh
I am going to buy this 19mm one next week, if it fits my Jonnesway 14x18mm insert type torque wrench. I don't know if 14x18mm type is as standard among different manufacturers as 3/8", 1/2" , 3/4" and 1" drive we know as industry standard.
Crow Foot 2 pinch points only, is not good for high torque.
So, I have explained exhaustively on my opinion of Super Pro ball joints. You guys make up your own mind.
FAQ - Continue
06. Will I buy again these links for W212 ?
Most likely no, because I don't want to waste time setting its angle. Its a bi-etch to get it right 100% and including total length down to 1mm accuracy to match OEM ones.
23,000KM life with 20 laps of track use for the OEM ones is decent for me. I can live with that.
09-20-2020, 07:12 AM
Petrol head, please skip it.
