1995 sl320 R129 New Owner- Front Suspension Knock...

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I know what you mean those braces do seem light, maybe they work under tension. :dk:

Anyway I'd leave them in, they must have been a benefit when designed. I found the centre vibration bobbins had failed, didn't cause any noticeable noise or vibration.
Replaced them anyway, for pennies.
 
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I think the book says use new bolts if they come undone...??

I wonder if there is a grip "thing" happening there that makes reusing them a bad idea or if they were not torqued up properly at some point in time...?

Fresh LCA's are always a good thing, I thought you were complaining about the expense expended with no result - but I guess it was just a comment.

MB put them there for a reason and far be it from anybody on here to contradict that, they spend billions a year on R&D and employ Dr's of Engineering to help make sure we have the best we can get for the money we spend. I am confident they do something important.

Is there a tear/damage in the body where they connect do you think....?
 
...I was minging about the cost of MB lower arms particularly when the Lemforder replacements (bushes etc) have MB part numbers stamped upon them and look to be identical...
I have some rubber washers (about 2 ish mm thick) that I shall place under the braces near the sill to see if that eliminates the knocking/movement ? Also the 2 small rubber bush spacers are not connected mechanically (not bolts/screws?) thus just sit underneath the braces, unless mine are not right?

Next job...drive the bloody thing !

I'll report back once I have fiddled with the braces and concur that there creation would have come as a consequence of some serious R&D and brain power !
 
During my process I did the braces also as I had a slight bend in one let's hope it is that
Do you drive it after each time you do a tweek
 
...yes I do.So will fiddle and then test drive...
 
...I was minging about the cost of MB lower arms particularly when the Lemforder replacements (bushes etc) have MB part numbers stamped upon them and look to be identical...
I have some rubber washers (about 2 ish mm thick) that I shall place under the braces near the sill to see if that eliminates the knocking/movement ? Also the 2 small rubber bush spacers are not connected mechanically (not bolts/screws?) thus just sit underneath the braces, unless mine are not right?

Next job...drive the bloody thing !

I'll report back once I have fiddled with the braces and concur that there creation would have come as a consequence of some serious R&D and brain power !

The vibration bobbins are supposed to be bolted to the brace and body.

Slight vibration heard when applying slow speed steering lock - Mercedes SL (R129) - Mercedes Gen-In
 
Brilliant, thanks Richard (helpful as ever) mine do not have any threaded bar hence the knocking noise ! I shall source more now...

What a helpful forum this is...enjoy your day.
 
While you're under there take a look @ 4 blind grommets, one in each footwell. Mine were perished and the source of a leak if driven in heavy rain.
 
...just driving it at all ...rain or dry would be a good thing!
 
..Richard you asked about differences after installing a new set of steering idler bushes ( £46 delivered from the sl shop and unavailable from my MB Dealer and incorrect sizes offered on eBay; ask me how I know!) ...tbh whilst the old ones were a little worn the difference is quite difficult to quantify other than the subjective satisfaction that one knows it has been done...what I can say is that replacement of...steering damper (old one was completely shot) arb bushes (shot),idler bushes and both lower control arms the front end is lovely and tight if not terribly direct; a corollary of the traditional MB steering vagueness I think?
However, if when driving along a straight road I go from lock to lock it changes direction quickly and with very little body roll...
 
...evening all,

So cross braces tightened up, rubber bushy things removed and all lovely and clunk free so had the tracking corrected on local Hunter machine requiring a surprising amount of tweaking following fitment of new lower control arms...all green now :)

Must drive it now...
 
...todays work completed; brake fluid change via the trusty ezzibleed and painted rear brake calipers...my local MB Dealer drops parts to my house (really) so on their way to me today are bottles of power steering fluid,hydrulic hood pump fluid and coolant...tomorrows garage jobs due to the incessant bloody rain!
 

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