making a W124 feel "tight" again

[SilverSaloon]

Hi

My green 1994 W124 has suffered over the past couple of years due to me having other things to focus my time/efforts on.

However it now feels truly like an old banger. Whereas my wife's identical car feels much better and solid feeling. Its a shame but I have also even thought about breaking the car for parts and going with a new one. However I'm attached to the car now, and all my labour is free. It would probably be scrapped if anyone else owned it due to the amount of work needed.

I've done:

- replaced the 3 diff mounts
- replaced suspension spheres and renewed fluid
- secured exhaust better and now fully clears body (was banging before)
- rear hub carrier bushes

I plan to:

- replace rear subframe front mounts
- replace all 4 front ARB bushes
- replace gearbox mount
- replace rear coil springs
- replace steering shock absorber


I've checked and consider these "ok":

- rear ARB mounts look OK and bolts looks scarily rusty so dont want to sheer them off trying to replace for no reason
- rear-rear subframe mounts - look ok and also look rusty!
- all arms on all hubs, no play
- front balljoints (were replaced with genuine MB parts about 3 years ago) so probably okay
- front springs are genuine so keen to keep these, although replaced these on other W124 with pattern springs with good results - the old ones had sagged.
- rear propshaft donut looks OK. I've got a Q-DRIVE replacement - not sure whether to fit it or not....?

anything else I could/should do that might make it feel a bit nicer to drive again?

In addition i plan to replace all the fluids in the car including power steering fluid.

thanks!

Derek

 

[coupe addict]

Front ARB bushes can give big improvement for little cost/effort.

 

[RKC-benz]

I would love you to practice on yours and then run through mine one weekend...
;^)

Mine currently rides well but I'm sure it could be tightened up; it might also remove the slight clunkiness in the gear change and make sure everything else lasts a bit longer too.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Consider front shock & engine mounts.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Forget to mention, worth adjusting the steering box too.

 

[davidjpowell]

S210 owner here. I replaced (or rather the garage) the rear front subframe bushes and it's made a world of difference. Before I had to feed in the power to avoid a bang. Now it's as smooth as silk. Adjusting the steering box is one I wonder about as the steering feels very vague despite new track rod ends (and subsequent tracking).

 

[balge]

As to Q-Drive...I had a LCA fitted for an MoT a year or so back, turned out to be Q-Drive, failed within a fortnight and was replaced - not with another Q-Drive one.

Did the front ARBs on mine but it didn't make much difference, however I am dubious about the condition of the roll-bar itself, needs checking properly.

I would be tempted to do the rear ARB, rather have the mounts shear off in the garage than on the road...if they went you would have the perfect opportunity to do the rear sub-frame too...

Steering idler bush did mine a huge improvement (MoT advisory, I hadn't noticed any real problem)

^^ Engine mounts would be well worth it imho unless you know they 've been done this decade or so?

 

[kth286]

S210 owner here. I replaced (or rather the garage) the rear front subframe bushes and it's made a world of difference. Before I had to feed in the power to avoid a bang. Now it's as smooth as silk. Adjusting the steering box is one I wonder about as the steering feels very vague despite new track rod ends (and subsequent tracking).

It's a rack on 210 vehicles not steering box ?

 

[janner]

Swap out the front roll bar for a sportline one if it doesn't already have one?

 

[grober]

A new steering shocker will make the car feel much more planted. Cheapest and easiest fix ever.

 

[Smiley]

I have the same car now on 285,000 miles.
It was also beginning to feel like an old banger, replaced front springs (Sachs from ECP), lower ball joints (gen MB) and ARBs (ECP), subframe bushes(ECP) plus prop joint (ECP)and it has transformed the car. The front springs were broken and the ball joints were original so I think these were the main items to make a difference - this was done within the last 10,000 miles. Now drives straight, steering accurate and super smooth (it had gradually become notchy but so slowly that I had not realised), no rattles, smooth super ride hardly any different to when it was 3 years old.

 

[SilverSaloon]

thanks everyone. Looks like a reasonable big list of parts and a bill to match.

However the car deserves it. I was very close to scrapping it, and I'm sure any other person probably would, but i've had the car for 7 years now and its at around 280,000 and i'm very attached to it. The rust is going to be the big thing - there is/was serious rust:

- passenger side under suspension hydraulic fluid tank - this is now all welded up - basically from the rear of the headlight to just before the glowplug relay was completely rotted away!!!!
- driver side under air filer box - same rust but not half as bad.
- jacking points need new metal welded in
- small hole just behind rear spring. Luckily i could just about get in there to cut out the rot, treat and weld in a new patch.
- body wise there is no rust apart from the usual spot in the front wings which will both need replacing.

I've given the car a good look over and there doesnt appear to me any other serious rot apart from the above, so i decided to fix it. I've also started undercoating the car from the rear forwards. There is minor surface corrosion on the rear floor pan which i need to rub down, treat and spray.

i'll go with the parts advised above.

thanks to all.

 

[SilverSaloon]

ordered the following:

- new front ARB bushes
- new front ARB bracket
- front propshaft coupler
- new engine mounts
- rear 'front' subframe bushes
- front shock absorber top mounts
- gearbox mount
- steering damper
- plan to change ATF + filter
- plan to change power steering fluid + filter

The front propshaft coupler is in very bad condition and has a huge amount of slack between the gearbox and the propshaft. The rear coupler appears fine.

Hopefully with all that fitted, the car will be on the mend. Will report back once all fitted up.

 

[swannymere]

ordered the following:

- new front ARB bushes
- new front ARB bracket
- front propshaft coupler
- new engine mounts
- rear 'front' subframe bushes
- front shock absorber top mounts
- gearbox mount
- steering damper
- plan to change ATF + filter
- plan to change power steering fluid + filter

Any chance of the part numbers? And photos of the work?

 

[tjamesbo]

I am in the process of a similar resto to yours on my 220TE but progress is painfully slow and am experiencing problems even with items that should be straightforward see my post on Rear Brakes my new cat is fouling and then theres the welding, as a list at the start it seemed easy but in the middle its hard work and as its in the garage not going anywhere its the least priority when jobs need doing on the others I'm currently looking after 6 cars and its too much 3 of mine and my daughters , my sons , and mums Hopefully 1 is going soon leaving 5
Anyway good post looking forward to hearing of your progress
Boyd

 

[SilverSaloon]

Any chance of the part numbers? And photos of the work?

i'll take some photos of the stuff that isnt already on t'internet.

The part numbers I cant provide - all pattern parts i'm afraid, but best brands i can get; meyle, febi and lemforber. The Q-drive propshaft coupling is the only iffy part but i've already got it so its going on. its 100% better than the knackered part thats already on there....

 

[SilverSaloon]

New subframe mounts fitted. These were branded 'Eicher' which is GFS car part's own brand. The kit came with bolts etc too.

I took the opportunity to completely grind down the area here to bare metal, treat the rust with jenolite and galvanise the metal. I then painted and undercoated the area. I'll do the rest of the wheel arch soon to match. I also sprayed a good amount of waxoil into the box section, which is easier to spray in from the bolt hole instead of trying to get the grommet off the back and refit it.

 

[SilverSaloon]

Fitted the 'Q Drive' propshaft coupling (front). This cheaper pattern '202 part numbered' part looked a lot less "beefy" than the genuine MB 124 part that came off but fitted and hopefully should be okay. It has certainly fixed the issue i had with excessive play as you pushed the accelerator, there was a gap between the gearbox turning and the propshaft turning as it broutght up the slack.

You can see how bad the old propshaft donut was (the bolt hole had about 1cm of play in them):

the rear one looks and tests out fine so i'll keep that.

It was just a case of using a 17mm spanner, a 15mm socket and an 8mm hex key. I jacked up the front of the car onto stands to gain enough access to get underneath, had to remove the gearbox brace plate to gain acess along with the plastic undershields. I also jacked up the drivers side rear wheel so i could turn that with my foot with the car in Neutral to turn the prop to get access to each of the bolts. I used the handbrake to lock it in place to undo really tough bolts.

 

[SilverSaloon]

Whilst the large heavy metal sump guard was off I took the opportunity to take a look at the underside of the engine to try and sort out why I was leaking a lot of oil at pressure.

I found a bolt that was not tight at all - so oil had been seeping out of here under pressure. I'm not sure if that is the last of my oil leaks but it will sure make a big difference. I took the bolt out, cleaned it up along with its washer and refitted with a good tightness.

 

[SilverSaloon]

The Q-drive propshaft coupling is the only iffy part but i've already got it so its going on. its 100% better than the knackered part thats already on there....

... and guess why i'm waiting stranded in a multistory car park as i speak for a recovery guy.

it appears (without being able to see due to undertray) that this Q-drive coupling has broken and therefore no drive to the rear wheels.

bugger.