W123 Steering

[sunnydippy]

Guys,

I have a W123 with quite wooly steering. I've heard this is a common problem and is normally the steering box. I know this can be tightened through a nut, however the car has done a 107k and it will be probably be worth just changing. Should I just go ahead and do this and replace it with a reconditioned streering box, or could the dodgy streeing be down to something else ?

Also, anyone know the best place to get a reconditioned streering box from ?

Thanks,
Sunny.

 

[Druk]

edit

 

[219]

You can take some of the play out of the steering through adjustment ( slackening off the bolt tightens up the steering converse to what you might imagine ! ) however , the box was designed to have a small amount of free play in it originally , so a certain amount is normal ( and seems 'wrong' to people used to driving rack & pinion cars ) although wear may have ocurred as well .

Do bear in mind that most wear takes place around the straight ahead position , where the steering spends most of its time , and that if you tighten up play here , the box can lock up at extreme left and right positions .

Have you driven other examples of these cars for comparison , or are you sure there is something wrong with yours ?

Apart from your main dealer who will be able to supply an exchange box , no doubt expensive , places like Eurocarparts will probably do them too .

 

[sunnydippy]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.
I'm not sure to be honest, I think you hit the nail on the head. I need to drive another one of these to be sure if something is wrong with mine. Maybe it's just the way it's supposed to be!

 

[219]

The best guy to speak to is a gentleman called Mark Cosovich : he is the country's leading W123 expert and restores these cars full time . I don't know where you are , but 'W123 World' is in Swansea !

Mark can be contacted on 01792 846888 or on his mobile 07714 089936

 

[vijilants]

Guys,

I have a W123 with quite wooly steering. I've heard this is a common problem and is normally the steering box. I know this can be tightened through a nut, however the car has done a 107k and it will be probably be worth just changing. Should I just go ahead and do this and replace it with a reconditioned streering box, or could the dodgy streeing be down to something else ?

Also, anyone know the best place to get a reconditioned streering box from ?

Thanks,
Sunny.

Just go for a recon steering box and no adjustment is going to fix it. At that sort of mileage, its well worn anyway, and the huge steering wheel makes feel it ten times worse.

On my last W123 I got my box replaced at Power steering services in Greenwich.

 

[219]

At that sort of mileage, its well worn anyway, and the huge steering wheel makes feel it ten times worse.

Why do you say that ?

At just over 100K , the OP's car is only just run in . I've lost count of the number of Mercedes cars I've had over the last 30+ years , all of them with recirculating ball steering , ranging from new cars ( so I know how they're meant to drive ) to used ones with 400K+ on the clock and have never had to service or replace a steering box . My three W123 cars all had 200+ thousand miles on them , all on their original boxes and still driving as well as the day they were made .

The most common problem with power assisted boxes is wear to the seals and service or replacement of the whole box can be needed in this case . While wear can undoubtedly occur in some boxes , it is by no means universal , so I would not embark on an expensive and possibly unneccessary replacement until any 'fault' was properly diagnosed .

Oh , incidentally , the wheel on a W123 is quite modestly sized compared to earlier models .

 

[vijilants]

Removed

 

[vijilants]

Why do you say that ?

At just over 100K , the OP's car is only just run in . I've lost count of the number of Mercedes cars I've had over the last 30+ years , all of them with recirculating ball steering , ranging from new cars ( so I know how they're meant to drive ) to used ones with 400K+ on the clock and have never had to service or replace a steering box . My three W123 cars all had 200+ thousand miles on them , all on their original boxes and still driving as well as the day they were made .

The most common problem with power assisted boxes is wear to the seals and service or replacement of the whole box can be needed in this case . While wear can undoubtedly occur in some boxes , it is by no means universal , so I would not embark on an expensive and possibly unneccessary replacement until any 'fault' was properly diagnosed .

Oh , incidentally , the wheel on a W123 is quite modestly sized compared to earlier models .

Agreed that diagnosis is required, which is not difficult....I should have said, check the trackrod ends first

You are very lucky with your W123s if you managed 200K + and the steering is like new.

I have had two W123s, and both have needed steering boxes around the 100k mark. I also know plenty of others that have suffered the same problem. This model is famous for vague steering as a result of steering box wear.

Im afraid there is no denying that the the W123 steering wheel is huge...Ive also owned W115s and they are also huge

 

[jaymanek]

I have a good steering box here taken off a 50K mile car.. £150.

Note that a W123 is no lotus, the steering is pretty vague anyway..

Also note that usually changing the seals will cure the problem.

 

[Sorry Pete]

As Jay and Pontoneer have stated, it's most likely that changing the seals will cure the problem.

It doesn't look easy, and they guy looks like he has access to shop tools, but here's a step by step howto:

Steering Box Seal Replacement

ECP and iirc GSF do recon units, though I wouldn't bet that they do anything more than change the seals themselves.

 

[TerryM]

W126 steering box overhaul

Thank you to all the contributors. This being my first foray onto the forum it is very helpful to find such comprehensive coverage of this subject.

 

[Bellow]

At 230,000 miles on my W123 I had to tighten the adjustment a touch. Nothing else was required.

 

[Benzwalah]

Hi folks
Merry christmas to one and all!

I am based in Solihull ( a little town outside Birmingham)
I am hiding in the study away from the crowd of guests and was wandering if anyone could offer some advice.
Car: 1984 W123 230E Auto. 97000 Miles genuine. The steering was a bit vague so my MoT guy said that he'll adjust it(2019) . The car came back steering stiff. I then did the hex net and Allen key adjustment both ways. Did diddly squat! I have driven it very little as I was building biceps steering the beast.
I have contacted Coventry Power Steering (CPS) they can refurb it ( Recommended by the Benz club forum) They don't do removal and refit.
My issue: Garages have taken a sharp inbreath and nodded suggesting I was about to be taken for a ride!!!

What is the most straightforward way of removing the power steering box. The CPS experts said that I don't need to remove the PITMAN ARM. they can do all the work without me having to remove it.

Now:: Does anyone have an ''idiot proof guide'' on how to remove this.
BTW I was in Texas over summer , they have a fantastic system, where you buy spare parts they can hire out all the tools that might be needed. Hell of a good sales idea.

Many Thanks for reading this.

 

[ray_hennig]

the car has done a 107k and it will be probably be worth just changing.

I really don't think so at that mileage, unless it's been given a really hard time. Check all ball joints first and the intermediate lever. And then get the box tightened by someone who knows as it is possible to overdo it and cause further misery.

RayH

 

[slade1]

107K is nothing for a well maintained W123. The steering will never be as sharp as rack & pinion.
Try another 123 just t make sure.
Oh, welcome.