Are there any problems or tricks when replacing front sway bushings?

[alpine951]

I haven't driven my wifes car for a while and she recently complained about some front end noise and generally sloppiness of the handling. Its a 98 C230 with 110k miles on it. I know it needed shocks because there were some leaks on the shocks and the front end would bounce a few times when I push down on the front end instead of settlind down right away. I did the shocks last week and need to do a wheel bearing this weekend also. The sway bar bushings are squeeking when i push on the front end and I can hear the squeek when going slow over some bumps. Will I need to lube the new ones with some dishsoap to get them slid on the bar? Looks like the bar will come out easily since the front suspension is pretty clean and uncluttered. Not like the rear bar. The auto parts place that has the front bushings doesn't stock the rears and neither does any online place. Why are the rears dealer only? Got a new steering damper that I will throw on this weekend also as the old one has some play in it.

[OzC36]

Plenty of bushings here:

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/group.aspx?sid=lpzgy4eyg53k2e55wgfuxjbf&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1316343@C230&year=1998&cid=27@Suspension%20System

[alpine951]

I allready checked Autohaus. They only have the fronts. read the decription of your search results. It says fronts.

[benzonline]

I never experienced such a garbage suspension like the W202s.

[Proven Guilty]

Originally posted by benzonline
I never experienced such a garbage suspension like the W202s.

explain how the design is garbage?

[OzC36]

alpine951,

My apologies, I think I was confused by the Autohaus terminology of "rear" bushings when they were actually refering to the aft bushing in the front suspension.

The following link on eBay has new control arms for the rear suspension for only US$85 per side. Perhaps the low cost of the full replacement arms makes it uneconomical to supply bushing kits?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-control-arm-kit-rear-W129-W124-W202-W208-W210_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33580QQihZ011QQite mZ320143389390QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[alpine951]

Ended up not too tuff of a job except when you put the bar back on backwards. Hey look Mercedes even marks the bar with the word top and arrow so you know which way it is supposed to go back on. Stupid SOB I am. Oh well. I took ot off again and flipped it back on the right way. New bushings, steering damper and a wheel bearing.