R129 SL500 ball joint lower control arm

[stuartsl500]

Hi all,
My car is a 1994 R129 SL500
A recent MOT threw up OSF ball joint play. My Indie quoted to replace - roughly £35 for the ball joint plus fitting.
He then called back to say that the ball joint was actually cast into the lower control arm and that the whole arm would need replacing. (More like £230 for the part)
Having done my research here and elsewhere, I thought that the ball joint was only integrated into the lower control arm from 1999 year onwards for cars with option 472 ESP?
Therefore the ball joint on my car should be replaceable on its own? (Though as I understand it, the control arm has to be separated anyway in order to remove the ball joint and its a bit of a pain.)
Am I right?
Many thanks

 

[MicB]

Hi all,
My car is a 1994 R129 SL500
A recent MOT threw up OSF ball joint play. My Indie quoted to replace - roughly £35 for the ball joint plus fitting.
He then called back to say that the ball joint was actually cast into the lower control arm and that the whole arm would need replacing. (More like £230 for the part)
Having done my research here and elsewhere, I thought that the ball joint was only integrated into the lower control arm from 1999 year onwards for cars with option 472 ESP?
Therefore the ball joint on my car should be replaceable on its own? (Though as I understand it, the control arm has to be separated anyway in order to remove the ball joint and its a bit of a pain.)
Am I right?
Many thanks

Assuming that your indie is right and the whole is a single unit it may be possible to get the ball joint resin injected. I have just had the front lower ball joints of the ABC struts resin injected on my SL.

Your profile does not indicate your location but I believe there are two possibilities........an engineering company in Liverpool to whom you would have to send the struts.........Star Motor Service of Caversham to whom you could send the struts or as in my case get the job done in-situ.

It was easy for me because Star has been my indie since 2010.

Either way good luck.

Mic

 

[stuartsl500]

Assuming that your indie is right and the whole is a single unit it may be possible to get the ball joint resin injected. I have just had the front lower ball joints of the ABC struts resin injected on my SL.

Your profile does not indicate your location but I believe there are two possibilities........an engineering company in Liverpool to whom you would have to send the struts.........Star Motor Service of Caversham to whom you could send the struts or as in my case get the job done in-situ.

It was easy for me because Star has been my indie since 2010.

Either way good luck.

Mic

Many thanks for your reply.
My point really is that I didn't think my '94 Model Year had the cast-integrated ball joint in the lower control arm. I thought that set up came later, post 1999 with the ESP option.
And therefore just the £35 ball joint can be replaced on my car?
Thanks

 

[ray_hennig]

Many thanks for your reply.
My point really is that I didn't think my '94 Model Year had the cast-integrated ball joint in the lower control arm. I thought that set up came later, post 1999 with the ESP option.
And therefore just the £35 ball joint can be replaced on my car?
Thanks

I fear your man may be right. My W124 Sportline has a lot in common with the undersides of the R129 and it definitely has ball joints welded into the LCA.

I'm afraid it gets worse. I recently parted with €850 for 2 genuine MB LCAs. The reason for going for the genuine article as opposed to aftermarket is that most reports on the aftermarkets (Febi, TRW) were most unfavourable with people hinting that you might not get more than a year out of them. There's a video somewhere that shows the seals pulling away from one such unit after just a few twists of the hand. Not good.

My attitude - reluctantly - was that the originals had lasted 1/4 million miles and 1/4 century so maybe I shouldn't complain. It still hurts though.

Good hunting.

RayH

 

[DSB SL AMG]

This is the place in Liverpool...I know a few MB indys used them (ABC strut lower ball joint), I think they may offer courier collection service...op would need to phone them and check, they may also answer question regarding ball joint remote location / part assy...I know on my old EClass W210 ball joint was part of assy, I had to get a whole Control Arm, luckily courtesy of Dronsfields at the time so saved lots of £££.

Wheel Alignment and Balljoint Centre Ltd - Vehicle Repairs, Motoring, 4 wheel alignment,mot,servicing,tyres,balancing,puncture in Liverpool

https://www.facebook.com/4wheelalignmentcentre

Assuming that your indie is right and the whole is a single unit it may be possible to get the ball joint resin injected. I have just had the front lower ball joints of the ABC struts resin injected on my SL.

Your profile does not indicate your location but I believe there are two possibilities........an engineering company in Liverpool to whom you would have to send the struts.........Star Motor Service of Caversham to whom you could send the struts or as in my case get the job done in-situ.

It was easy for me because Star has been my indie since 2010.

Either way good luck.

Mic

 

[Doodle]

Having done my research here and elsewhere, I thought that the ball joint was only integrated into the lower control arm from 1999 year onwards for cars with option 472 ESP?
Therefore the ball joint on my car should be replaceable on its own? (Though as I understand it, the control arm has to be separated anyway in order to remove the ball joint and its a bit of a pain.)
Am I right?
Many thanks

I'm not entirely convinced that is correct, as cars earlier than that with the bigger brakes (320mm+) have the cast LCA. Mine is one of these.

I fear your man may be right. My W124 Sportline has a lot in common with the undersides of the R129 and it definitely has ball joints welded into the LCA.

I'm afraid it gets worse. I recently parted with €850 for 2 genuine MB LCAs. The reason for going for the genuine article as opposed to aftermarket is that most reports on the aftermarkets (Febi, TRW) were most unfavourable with people hinting that you might not get more than a year out of them. There's a video somewhere that shows the seals pulling away from one such unit after just a few twists of the hand. Not good.

My attitude - reluctantly - was that the originals had lasted 1/4 million miles and 1/4 century so maybe I shouldn't complain. It still hurts though.

Good hunting.

RayH

I've just fitted my 2nd set of Febi arms, neither set looked like the ones in those reports or suffered with the boot issues mentioned. They've lasted 40k/5yrs and would happily have gone longer, but I've changed them as part of a complete refresh of the rear-end multilink.

However, at £100 a pop, I don't see OE arms lasting 3 times as long, not with the state of UK roads and 2 tons of SL bearing down on them. My original OE units were ruined to be point of being dangerous by 100k.

 

[ray_hennig]

However, at £100 a pop, I don't see OE arms lasting 3 times as long, not with the state of UK roads and 2 tons of SL bearing down on them. My original OE units were ruined to be point of being dangerous by 100k.

Reasonable comment. My concern is whether the new, genuine MB ones have any chance of being as good as the originals on mine. Is today's quality the same?

I have my doubts.

RayH

 

[stuartsl500]

Many thanks all.
My car, being a 1994 falls between the early models and the later ones and hence Merc started to fit upgraded parts to it as standard. One such part is the 'sportline' Lower Control arm with integrated ball joint as used in the w124. Part number A1243303507
I also had both engine top mounts replaced, which had made such a difference to the handling. A lot crisper feel.