sailorben

Hi guys, struggling to find a UK source for these, without using the dealer's inflated prices. However Ive just found out there's a place in my city who do prop shafts, custom and otherwise, and looking online they do have a part number for my piece, so I'm going to check that out tomorrow, see if it's reputable or matches with any of the decent manufacturer p/n. There's also a german supplier of original MB parts. Looks to be £75+bolts, nuts, delivery and import costs.

I've got to ring the dealer tomorrow for a parking sensor, so I'll check them out on a price too while I'm at it.





This is the front one. Getting a bar on it and giving it some load, I don't see any significant movement in and around the bolts, no cracks showing through. As you can see however there is a bit of light surface cracking. I don't think this worries me too much. However the rear bush has the surface cracking, but about ten times worse and all over. It also has a couple small cracks showing around the bolts when I give it some load with a bar. So this one needs to be changed. I will probably change both just for good measure however.

My last CLK270 was a manual, this 220 is an auto, so I'm not too familiar with how they're supposed to be. But I assumed that this was normal, with the car sat in neutral I can feel the car, not clunk, thud or jolt, but I can feel it turn and catch lightly into both reverse and drive from neutral. Not sure whether this is normal though... I thought it was, as it isn't a thud or something I'd have questioned whether it were normal or not. I just wonder if you're not supposed to feel anything at all on selection..?


Looking at the rear transmission mount while under there, that looks all good.

Also how do these engine mounts look? Engine seems to roll smoothly. I can also rock it side-side smoothly.



Ben

Khan 55

Ben, yours still look good. My front has visible cracks but one mechanic here reckons they good to go for another 50k km or so. My rear isnt too bad but I have a sound at low speeds which I now am sure its the centre carrier bearing gone. Did you check play on that mount of yours? As for engine mounts, let someone rev the engine a bit or tap the throttle couple times and check for hectic engine movements. It shouldnt be moving about like a child's toy or something but very slight play some would not even allow. If you sitting in the car whilst it idles and you can feel vibrations then you should replace them.
Just a side note, they are propshaft couplers or flex disc, not bushes.
Whilst you at it maybe do a rear diff oil flush and check to see if the seals are okay.
I bought my front disc from the agents as I didnt know whether to get the Meyle brand or not which I could have obtained 2 for the price of 1 oem. None the less they both looked more or less the same to me except the bolts.

Rudeney

Surface cracks like that aren't an issue. Look for cracks between the bolts, like this:

sailorben

Okay thanks guys. I've not had any of the cracking between bolts, just on the rear one, they may have been one or two that followed the circumference of the bolts. Albeit no rust,so potentially these are again just surface cracking...

Also read that the fronts are more likely to go before the rears, so I think the surface cracks on the rear which really looks bad must be down to the exposure, where the front is protected by all the undertrays. Maybe I'll leave it till easter/ the summer and have a recheck then, when it's more pleasant to sort out the work.

At present I've got the bumper to be pulling off to switch out a parking sensor :p
On the w211 they can be changed just by pulling off the trim strip!