Folks,
I plan to replace some front suspension parts on my 85 380SE soon. I have ordered lower ball joints, left and right side tie rod assembly, and center tie rod assembly. I was wondering if these are sealed and unserviceable since I can't find a place to add grease. Your help is appreciated.
djb2000
You forgot the upper control arm... most common wear item... grab the rubber part of ball joint... rock car up and down with your chest and you will feel the clunk.
All MB ball joints are sealed. No need to grease them.
Do the track rod ("brake thrust rod") mounts at the at the same time; they're pretty much part of the suspension too. Might not hurt to do the engine mounts and steering shock at the same time, too.
Tiger, Richard, After reading your messages, i figure i'm going to do more than i bargained for! You are, of course, correct. The break bar bushings and upper ball joints, and stablizer shock need replacing too. It's a good thing this stuff is available on ebay at reasonable prices, otherwise it would be cost prohibitive. I received my MB official owners manual and repair manual yesterday, and the parts catalog too. It cost $80 for it all but has already come in handy. I 'm beginning to get the feeling i will never be finished tinkering with this car, although, so far it has been entertaining if not a little expensive.
djb2000
Richard Sext>>You forgot the upper control arm... most common wear item... grab the rubber
Lower ball joint is a real pain... but rarely ever go bad... very unlike american cars. You need to accumulate like 250,000+ miles for you to have this problem.
Upper control arm ball joint goes at about 150,000 miles. Cause clunking when going over bumps or potholes or railroad tracks.
Thrust arm bushings definitely goes at every 100,000 miles... This will cause thud thud thud noise when turning or hitting bumps.
Steering is easy to check... have someone hold one wheel still... the other person rock the other wheel and see which component is bad. In steering for this age, the idle control arm bushing is usuallly the one that goes bad and gives whole steering loose. Will hear and feel through steering wheel clunking when going over bump or turning.
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