Changing ball joints W124

[Parky1]

Seen a lot of posts relating to this subject and I have seen comments like, you need Mercedes specific spring compressors and mecredes specific press tool.

So here is the way I did it with the use of my dads expertise and experience. This will come in useful for people like me (I don't like parting with cash if I don't need to.. tight lol)

So.. first step is the obvious, undo the 2 nuts holding the anti roll bar on and take off the bracket (also slide off the rubber bush to prevent damging it). Use the jack to support the wishbone (jack it up so it is parallel to the floor) until you undo the nut and bolt at the ball joint end, once they are off tap the wishbone with a hammer to separate the joint and lower the jack (just enough to get ball joint free). Then undo the other 2 nuts and bolts holding the other end of wish bone on (use a punch to mark the washers and bracket so when you put them back on you can line them up to the same place). Slowly lower the jack down and remove, let the wishbone swing down to the floor and the bolts should then slide out, at this point the spring will be out as will the wishbone be off the car.

Now the crude bit. Cut off the rubber with a Stanley knife and use a hack saw to cut the bit of metal casing protruding out of the wish bone at the top side (once the ball joint starts moving you know you are all the way through, stop and move round a bit). Once that is off, start on the back, same again cut through the ball joint casing as close to the wishbone as possible without cutting into it. Once you get so far round you should be able to knock it off by getting a chisel behind it and hitting it with a hammer.

You should now be able to see the ball on both sides but it will still be larger than the 2 openings you have created. I used a scaffolding pole (just cut about 3inch off the end) sat it on a concrete bock (so I don't damage the floor) and put the ball joint over it (top facing down). Hit it with a lump hammer and eventually it should break through the casing and come free.

You should be left with just the outer casing inside the wishbone. Unclip one side of the hacksaw and feed the blade through the hole. Cut straight through twice about a centimetre apart but take care not to cut through the wishbone. The cuts will relieve the pressure, use a chisel or a punch and tap it out with a hammer (it will come out with a couple of light taps) then do the same with the bigger piece.

Now take the scaffolding tube used earlier and cut a piece off about an inch thick. Open the jaws of a bench vice put the scaffolding tube to one end, the bottom of the ball joint will butt up to this and then your wishbone is next (make sure it is the right way round as you will be upset if you had to go through it again for the same side lol).

Now you need to find something for the other end. It needs to be long enough so the ball joint doesn't hit the vice on the other end and wide enough to clear the ball joint. I used a 52mm socket but realise some people may not have sockets that size and the scaffolding pole isn't wide enough.

All you do then is make sure everything is square and tighten up the vice until it is fully home. A scrap piece of metal tube will come in handy to extend the vice handle too as its pretty tight lol

And that's it.. return the wishbone back to the car reversing the process you did to take it off.

Hope this is helpful to some of you..

Luke

 

[grober]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Perhaps at this point it should be pointed out that some W124 models =the 320 and Sportline models ---have a slightly different design of lower front suspension Control arm where the ball joints are welded in place and are angled slightly differently. In those cases- replacement of the entire arm is the only option.
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/wheels-tyres-brakes-suspension/86995-w124-suspension-rebuild-2.html

 

[Mike Walker]

As the new owner of a W124 this is interesting stuff. Thanks to both.

 

[Parky1]

My dad had one the same as the one on the right. Cost him about 120 a side to replace the arms. Ouch! Lol

 

[bolide]

The method you describe of removing the springs is dangerous and I wouldn't recommend it

Contrary to all information you see on the web, in my experience the only W124s that have fixed balljoints are the 300-24 valve and 320 models. All the rest, including Sports Chassis & Sportline variants, are replaceable

Nick Froome

 

[tommyboy40]

If the spring slips it would take your head off

 

[Parky1]

A good mechanic makes the most if what he has to hand. It worked and saved me a fortune in tools and/or labour and since I did the work in my garage at home.. health and safety rules are none existent. Win win.

obviously it would be better if you had the tools but hundreds of pounds for something ill probably use once? I prefer my way

 

[tommyboy40]

I totally get what you are saying but proper spring compressors are affordable Amazon.co.uk: mercedes spring compressor

most H&S is bull, I know as i run an AV company and have to have hundreds of pages of nonsense but Mercedes springs scare me a bit compared to other models

 

[Parky1]

I can see why you all think it is dangerous but when the spring is seated correctly under pressure it cant go anywhere.. the only time it can go anywhere is when the ball joint end of the wishbone is close to the ground by which time there will be no resistance left in the spring.

It wedges into the top as well.. I took the wishbone off and then had to give the spring a tug to free it from its seating at the top.

 

[Parky1]

The info I wanted to get across the most was how I removed and re fitted the ball joint itself as people have their own ways of removing the wish bone but most are adamant you need a specialist press to do the job.

Just trying to help (better not tell you how I did the rear wheel bearings on my Ford Capri lol)

 

[chopper_harris]

Forgive me for hijacking this thread

I am currently rebuilding the front suspension on my 1995 E Cab with factory Sportline spec, and I can confirm that it has the older type front wishbone with removable ball joint.

May I pose a further question - when I removed the front springs I found the remains of a piece of alloy, rather like a flattened cigar tube, under the end of the lowest coil where it abuts the wishbone.

The part fiche states this is unique to UK and Nordics ? Can anyone advise on what purpose the alloy shim serves, why only UK and Nordics, and do I really need to replace it when I rebuild the front end ?

Regards

Chopps

 

[a111r]

^^ It's a sacrificial anode, then.

 

[grober]

^^ It's a sacrificial anode, then.

Made of zinc I think --- may slow the spring corrosion process slightly but doesn't prevent it in my experience