E220 S211 Estate Front Torque Strut Removal.

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e220estate

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Sep 16, 2015
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106
Location
Wiltshire
Car
E220 Estate 2006 S211 T model
Ball joint at front hub knocking and play is evident, so it's time to replace the Torque Strut (sometimes referred to as the Lower Wishbone). Looks very simple according to my Haynes manual except one bit which says '...the bolt at the inner end must not be allowed to rotate at all as the nut is slackened, otherwise the locating lugs for the caster adjustment on the bush will be sheared :eek:'. I had a look at the AutoDoc UTube video and the guy doing it took no special precautions as he undid said nut and there was no mention of any relationship to caster when installing a replacement strut. Can anyone shed any light on this, please? Is this really an issue when it comes to a replacement? TIA
Brian
 
Ball joint at front hub knocking and play is evident, so it's time to replace the Torque Strut (sometimes referred to as the Lower Wishbone). Looks very simple according to my Haynes manual except one bit which says '...the bolt at the inner end must not be allowed to rotate at all as the nut is slackened, otherwise the locating lugs for the caster adjustment on the bush will be sheared :eek:'. I had a look at the AutoDoc UTube video and the guy doing it took no special precautions as he undid said nut and there was no mention of any relationship to caster when installing a replacement strut. Can anyone shed any light on this, please? Is this really an issue when it comes to a replacement? TIA
Brian
There are 4 small metal lugs that can be sheared off , but my understanding is that this can only happen if you actually have adjustable camber . My W211 which I did recently (and my CLK) don’t have adjustable camber bolts .
In my case the bolts are straight so can’t damage the lugs . The adjustable camber bolts are bent or have a different shape so that when they are turned the contact these lugs and move the camber .
Just take precautions by undoing the nut but don’t allow the bolt to turn .
Only fully tighten this bolt when the weight of the car is back on the suspension again .
 
It is potentially an issue if the special fluted bolts have been fitted. The fluted bolts have a line on the hex head, half the width of the head. If you aren’t sure, just be careful to only turn the nut when you are undoing. If you turn the bolt you will shear the bits off.
 
Thanks guys. So, if I understand correctly, I should be able to see these lugs/bits (before I start) IF my S211 is equipped with adjustable camber? (As an aside, why would MB fit adjustable camber on their cooking models - I mean, really, ....AMG line maybe?). Can you say where these lugs are - eg on the bush or the arm itself? No 'bits' means that I can just treat the fixing as a normal nut and through bolt just like AutoDoc did? And I don't have to worry about camber when I fit the new arm (that would be fun if you had to start twiddling with camber measurements while trying to torque-down a new arm on the drive! :eek:)?
As always, TIA
 
Stratman - many thanks for that link - a really clear explanation :thumb: - brilliant!
So I now understand:
- where the lugs are and if you are junking the wishbone/strut you don't have to worry about the lugs - they are an internal part of the strut bush and will be in the new replacement (whether you need to use them or not)
- fluted and straight bolts will both fit the replacement strut - therefore re-use the bolt I take out and position it correctly to use the lugs (fluted) or not (straight). This should leave the original camber unchanged and replicate the original set-up, it seems to me. Unfortunately, Haynes does not cover refitting the strut and the bolt differences and resulting bolt alignment need.
Many thanks for the enlightenment!
Brian
 
Stratman - many thanks for that link - a really clear explanation :thumb: - brilliant!
So I now understand:
- where the lugs are and if you are junking the wishbone/strut you don't have to worry about the lugs - they are an internal part of the strut bush and will be in the new replacement (whether you need to use them or not)
- fluted and straight bolts will both fit the replacement strut - therefore re-use the bolt I take out and position it correctly to use the lugs (fluted) or not (straight). This should leave the original camber unchanged and replicate the original set-up, it seems to me. Unfortunately, Haynes does not cover refitting the strut and the bolt differences and resulting bolt alignment need.
Many thanks for the enlightenment!
Brian
I reckon you will still need alignment after , because new bushes (fatter,less worn or cracked ) will alter the suspension geometry anyway .
 
Hmmmm...As the strut is original and has not been touched, the new one should have the same installed OE dimensions (centre to centre) so if it is replaced with the original fixings in the original place I would have thought that the camber would not alter. Especially if, when I take it off, the bolt is not fluted. Also I think I read that the adjustment max is 1/8 inch so is this likely to have much effect. I guess the answer is that if it doesn't pull and the tyre doesn't start wearing badly then all should be well.
 
Hmmmm...As the strut is original and has not been touched, the new one should have the same installed OE dimensions (centre to centre) so if it is replaced with the original fixings in the original place I would have thought that the camber would not alter. Especially if, when I take it off, the bolt is not fluted. Also I think I read that the adjustment max is 1/8 inch so is this likely to have much effect. I guess the answer is that if it doesn't pull and the tyre doesn't start wearing badly then all should be well.
I admire your optimism buddy and good luck . I’m voting that it will be some sort of miss alignment hell :)
 
I haven't looked yet but if the bolt is straight (therefore cannot engage with the bush lugs), not fluted then it can't adjust the camber in any case - ref your original reply. Am I missing something?
 
I haven't looked yet but if the bolt is straight (therefore cannot engage with the bush lugs), not fluted then it can't adjust the camber in any case - ref your original reply. Am I missing something?
No you aren’t missing anything , I just think correct alignment is hard to achieve when replacing worn parts with new parts .
Hopefully it will work out and you won’t need to spend another £40 on alignment
 
Good to hear - feel a little more confident now :). If camber adjustment is necessary it strikes me that the like of the high street fitter may screw things up if they don't appreciate how MB camber is properly adjusted. By that I mean that if camber is adjusted by turning the fluted bolt against the lugs, all the car weight has to be off the wheel in question and the pivot bolt slackened without shearing the lugs. Seems possibly like a tall order!
 
I don't think the camber is adjusted by turning the flutes against the lugs. I think it's one of three positions, you can install the fluted bolt either in the middle of the lugs, with the flutes over the inner lugs or over the outers and that's your lot. MB stopped fitting the fluted bolts at some stage, I'm guessing it wasn't worth the bother.
 
...a bit like the Sensotronic Brake System then :D.
Thanks all - now equipped with the smarts :thumb:
 
...a bit like the Sensotronic Brake System then :D.
Hardly compatible.

SBC when it worked was an excellent system but people objected to the cost of replacement and that it could, rarely, fail and leave you without brakes.
 
'nuff said - a great piece of technology then - or as one of the posts said about the fluted camber bolts " I'm guessing it wasn't worth the bother" ;)
 

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