BIG_G_1979
Active Member
Hi guys need advice on fitting top arms on my W211 I've never done this before and would like to know if shock etc needs to come out and please advise of any pitfalls to the job in hand many thanks
need advice on fitting top arms on w211
- Thread starter BIG_G_1979
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Is it due to the ball joint failing? There available seperate to the arm and are an easy repair, nothing needs to be removed.
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BIG_G_1979
Active Member
Hi yes it's failing ball joints but I was able to get 2 mercedes top arm assemblies for £100 bnib so opted for them as cheaper than Merc ball joints alone, is fitted the arm assemblies difficult to Fit?
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BIG_G_1979
Active Member
Anyone any pointers on changing top control arms?
Before jacking the car mark the inclination of the current top arm against the inner chassis leg.
Struts need to come out, I think I disconnected the ARB via one of the drop links to help get more articulation on the lower arm. Obviously the old top ball joint will need to be split.
On my E320cdi I6, WIS says remove the fuse box from the engine bay (!) to access the nuts. A 16mm long combination wrench is sufficient to just reach them, offside more difficult than nearside but the V6 may be different.
Mercedes say you should use new nuts and bolts (for arm and strut mounts) and for the sake of a few pounds I would change them. The nuts are the type that deform on tightening. You will likely need a help on reassembly.
The short cut of not removing the fuse box means that in reality you will be torquing the bolt rather than the nut from within the arch. I worked in the arch, holding the new arm at the correct angle to avoid pre-loading the bush. I fed through the new bolts to engage in the new nuts that I'd taped to the long wrench. This is where the third hand came in! Once the bolt is engaged in the nut it is relatively straight forward.
My car had the older, one piece arm The ball joints were relatively loose but there was no discernible wear in the bushes. I was chasing down a knocking noise which eventually turned out to be the dampers.
Struts need to come out, I think I disconnected the ARB via one of the drop links to help get more articulation on the lower arm. Obviously the old top ball joint will need to be split.
On my E320cdi I6, WIS says remove the fuse box from the engine bay (!) to access the nuts. A 16mm long combination wrench is sufficient to just reach them, offside more difficult than nearside but the V6 may be different.
Mercedes say you should use new nuts and bolts (for arm and strut mounts) and for the sake of a few pounds I would change them. The nuts are the type that deform on tightening. You will likely need a help on reassembly.
The short cut of not removing the fuse box means that in reality you will be torquing the bolt rather than the nut from within the arch. I worked in the arch, holding the new arm at the correct angle to avoid pre-loading the bush. I fed through the new bolts to engage in the new nuts that I'd taped to the long wrench. This is where the third hand came in! Once the bolt is engaged in the nut it is relatively straight forward.
My car had the older, one piece arm The ball joints were relatively loose but there was no discernible wear in the bushes. I was chasing down a knocking noise which eventually turned out to be the dampers.
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BIG_G_1979
Active Member
Great, thank alot for this information no doubt it will pay dividends when I tackle the job in hand!
grumpyoldgit
MB Enthusiast
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BIG_G_1979
Active Member
Excellent grumpyoldgit, exactly what I was looking for thanks
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