Any advice on replacing front sway bushings

[nick_nolastname]

My wife's car had some loud tire rumbling noise from the front.

I found that the drag link bearing at the idler/pitman arm was worn out. ( I cant remember which is the idler and which is the pitman.... its the one that is NOT connected to the steering box ) I replaced the drag link with a $100 one from ebay, and had the steering aligned at a tire store. That was surprisingly easy btw.

Had my wife run the car for me so I could watch it in the driveway tonight. When the car is rolling backwards and she hits the brakes hard to stop, then switches to drive to move forward and releases the brakes, the right front wheel moves rearward about 1/2 inch.

Going under the vehicle, I can grab the sway bar at the point where it attaches to the right front of the vehicle, on the side of it leading to right lower control arm, and actually move it a little bit. Im thinking the sway bar bushings are worn out. ( Car has 124K easy miles on it, its a daily driver for my wife )

Question:

How easy is it to remove the sway bar to replace the bushings? Can I just remove the thing and pull it out, or is it under a lot of tension at the control arms? I did one before on a Saturn last year and it was a real bugger, even with one of the control arms out.

If you've read this far you're probably wondering if I checked that the wheels dont wobble on the bearings. They dont. The bearings are OK.

Thanks in advance for anything helpful.

[OzC36]

The anti-roll bar (sway bar) will only provide torque to stop asymmetric loading of the front springs (that is, resist rolling). It should not affect in any way the fore and aft movement of the front wheel.

I would suggest that your rear bushings on the front lower control arms have deteriorated?

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=mhzbdhfkjc2suvi2u0ysusms&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195512@C36&year=1996&cid=27@Suspension%20System&gid=7532@Control%20Arm%20Bushing

Edit: Correct link shown below:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=l3f4rbesdw3vte342akooxjc&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195512@C36&year=1996&cid=27@Suspension%20System&gid=7533@Control%20Arm%20Bushing%20Kit

[nick_nolastname]

Thanks!

Found these at that site...

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=brtjjn450otqucasqllgb0nw&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195466@C280&year=1994&cid=27@Suspension System&gid=7533@Control Arm Bushing Kit

I suppose if you dont need a press to get these out I should be able to replace them.

Sad to say, our MB has proved to be so unreliable that I purchased a Pontiac Grand Am as a backup for it so whenever the Merc is not working ( about once every two months ) she can drive that. Gives me a lot more freedom to take on larger jobs. We also have free front end alignments at Tires Plus for 3 years, so thats covered too.

This sounds like something I could take on. There is a thread around here somewhere that describes how to unload the coil spring... I'l have to find that.

[strictlyspeakin]

The most frustrating part of doing a job yourself are those seldom times when you get to a point that you can't finish without help. I got there when trying to get the bushings out on my 94.

I know others have done these themselves. Mine is a worst case situation I'm sure. But having done this job, I'd consider buying a whole control arm with the bushings already in it, just so I wouldn't have to try and pry/press/plead them loose again.

Taking the control arm off isn't terrible bad. However my bushings wouldn't come out my matter what I tried. I guess my point is have a backup plan if you can't budge them loose. I had to call in a favor and use a friends shop.

I must say that someone here had a idea of torching them out. So keep that in mind. Good luck.

[OzC36]

Philipk has this on his site:

http://diyw211balljointchange.blogspot.com/

(It is an E Class...but all these models are much the same.)

[nick_nolastname]

Thanks again for the additional replies.

I found the problem. On the lower control arm on the right front wheel, the rear bushing is clearly damaged; it has a chunk of rubber sticking out. I'm sure its no coincidence that this is the one within a few inches of the exhaust pipes as they pass rearward.

Reminds me of a problem I had a few months ago when the shifter got sloppy... one of the tranny shifter linkage bushings is close to the exhaust and it cooked. That was an easy fix, just a couple dollars for a bushing and 10 minutes under the car. Took longer to figure out what the deal was than to fix it.

I hate this car. Really do. I've never come close to having so many problems with any vehicle I've ever owned. It would go up for sale today if the wife wasnt so fond of it. No offense to you MB fans out there. I'm not here by choice!

I''ll post again when I have additional info.

[OzC36]

If you are going to have a crash, you want to be in a Mercedes.

I have a sister and her grand-daughter who had a write -off crash in her W202 when hit by another car. They were uninjured except for some minor neck strain on my sister's part.

It makes you very forgiving of the many other foibles of the Mercedes genre!

[nick_nolastname]

I believe you about the safety aspect, though we havent tested it. Its solid, stable, and fast. They used a lot of raw materials to build it. I feel good having my family use a car like that for commuting. Thats why we bought it! I just wish it would work for us without requiring my perpetual invervention to keep it in running order. That MIGHT be forgivable. Maybe.

What IS unforgiveable however is the blatent, full on dishonesty of our local Mercedes dealership, Mercedes Benz of Orlando. I shudder to think what the uninformed pay when they agree to whatever these people say. I dont want to get into a discussion about them, but that is a "con" in the pros/cons columns of this brand. Suffice to say they started with the assumption I know nothing about cars, then proceeded to lie to me about all sorts of un-needed repairs they wanted me to pay for. (Nothing to do with the issue I created this thread for btw) Dont want to get into it as I said but it was amazing the lies they told me. Lies that are on a easily-seen-through, amatuer level of lying when you've worked on the car enough to know some things aboug it. It was absolutely amazing. If you're in Central Florida, avoid that place like the plague.

All in all, the frustrations of being a MB owner, for me at least, have far exceeded any owner satisfaction and, God willing, I will be leaving your hospitable online community here sooner rather than later. Nothing at all to do with the posters, who have been quite friendly and helpful. :) Eventually my wife will lose interest in this car and I will join the ex-Mercedes owners club for life.

Back on topic after ranting.... sorry about that.

I'm going to look to see if I can get that bushing by itself. The site that was pointed to earlier only has a kit that has the uppers as well. If not, no biggie, as theyre only asking $50 bucks for it.

[OzC36]

Recheck the link at my posting above. The bushing is listed as $21.20 each.

Edit. Correct link now added to my post above...thanks nick_nolastname

[nick_nolastname]

Do you mean 2203520227 "Control Arm Bushing; Rear Outer Left/Right at Rear Bearing Knuckle"?

That sounds like its for the back of the car. Maybe its just the wording.

This one: 1703300075 "Control Arm Bushing Kit; Front Lower Inner Left/Right " sounds right, but you have to buy the other pieces as well.

Props to you for pointing out in a previous post exactly which bushing would be worn out before I found it! You were right!

[OzC36]

nick_nolastname'

Yes, you are correct...my mistake, sorry!

Correct link for front control arm bushing should be:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=l3f4rbesdw3vte342akooxjc&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195512@C36&year=1996&cid=27@Suspension%20System&gid=7533@Control%20Arm%20Bushing%20Kit

[audiophile]

I hate this car. Really do. I've never come close to having so many problems with any vehicle I've ever owned.
of course your going to have problems!! how old is the car. comon' i dont care what kinda car someone has, if its that old and has that many miles, something will wear out eventually!

[nick_nolastname]

What I meant by that was, compared to all the other cars I've ever owned, some having reached the same age/milage and well over it, none ever came close to having so many malfunctions and failures. I dont expect a car not to have malfunctions.

Since you brought it up, we bought this car in 2000 with 50K miles on it. It now has about 125K miles on it. In that time, the following things have happened. THESE ARE ONLY THE ONES I CAN REMEMBER AT THE MOMENT!

Shifter bushing failed two times.

AC compressor failed, had to be replaced.

Wiring harness shorted under hood, requiring $4000.00 in repairs to damaged wiring, CAN modules, throttle body, and smog pump.

Gas line ruptured, spraying fuel everywhere under the car.

Both O2 sensors replaced.

MAF sensor failed.

Vacuum distribution block cracked, had to replace.

Vacuum solenoids for climate control failed in-dash

Many burnt out lights in dashboard.

Radio volume control failed.

Power antenna failed, found cracked solders on drive module and reflowed them.

Wipers failed, found cracked solders on relay module and reflowed them.

Wipers failed, wiper linkage came apart and chewed itself up.

Cracked radiator overflow tank

Broken pulley tensioner.

Water pump failed.

Thermostat failed.

Temp sensor failed for coolant temp guage.

Draglink bearing failed, replaced drag link.

Bad bushing in right front suspension.

Front shocks creaking badly, replaced shocks.

Headliner falling down.

Sunroof is leaking.

Right front bearing developed lots of play, I tightned the castle nut down a bit and let it ride.

Steering has loud squeak if telescoped all the way down, have to move it partway up.

EVAP purge valve stuck open.

I'm not including what you would call normal maintenance such as batteries, brakes, fluids, filters, etc.

What do you think mate? Sound about right for a car this vintage? Screw that. I have a '96 Saturn right now with 180K miles I've owned since new and I've had just a few problems with it, compared to this POS. Never again.... never. The vast majority of these repairs were done by me personally or we wouldnt be able to afford this car.

Going to get that bushing today btw. Repair starts next week.

Thanks for all the comments, I do appreciate them.

[nick_nolastname]

Well.... I must be getting old or something but I decided to farm out this job to a shop. There is a place here in Orlando called Envers that is ironically almost directly across the street from Mercedes Benz of Orlando. He's going to replace the lower control arm bushings on both sides of the car for about $650.00. We dropped it off today. He called me and said the left side one was shot to hell as well so we are doing them both.