W124 handling problems

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THE Liam

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Feb 20, 2015
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17
Car
300D W124
Hi everyone, hope you can help. I've just got rid of my 190E for a W124 300D, and all's well apart from a few handling issues...

- At anything above 60mph, it seems to sway and weave quite badly
- It tramlines slightly at all speeds, feels like a slight tugging through the wheel
- It feels like there's some play in the steering, maybe an inch each way
- In reverse, there's a loud knock from the front over bumps

Now the knocking over bumps makes me think lower ball joints, and that could also explain the weaving and tramlining, does that sound like the place to start? And are they replaceable without replacing the whole arm, because it seems bloody expensive at £120 a side!

Thanks :)
 
Yes & maybe depending on LCA design, your Dealer will be able to tell you.

While you are there take a look at all steering joints including the idler arm bushes and play in the steering box itself.

Also the anti roll bar biushes will help keep it nice and tight at the front at least.

Maybe do the front and see how it behaves then if still a bit twitchy the rear bushes and subframe mounts may need attention.
 
It's going to need a full mechanical inspection in truth... With all the best intentions anybody here can only guess at this point.

^^^This.

I'd suspect plenty of items need attending too. From front arms/ball joints, steering, rear subframe bushes etc at a guess.
 
To be honest, that's what's scaring me, it looks like a very complex suspension setup and I was hoping to avoid replacing too much although I suppose after 251k miles it's to be expected.

I've seen wishbones for £120 a side, full rear suspension arm kits for £150, what else should I replace?
 
It's basically the same set up as the 201. I suspect at that mileage there will be a lorra suspension components that are worn out.
 
W124s can make all kinds of noises from the front suspension. If the balljoints haven't been replaced, or if they're worn, you need to do them asap. They're under £30 each from the dealer

Check the wheel bearings aren't loose and check the shock absorber top mounts haven't split. Check the steering idler and all the track rod ends for wear & play and replace as required. Replace the front ARB bushes - they are cheap. If the front wishbone bushes are worn you're into a fairly bill bill to replace those

Replacing the engine mounts makes a huge difference to the car. If the old ones have collapsed the front prop doughnut will probably need replacing as well

The rear end usually doesn't suffer as badly as the front but it's worth checking the suspension arm bushes for wear. Also check the rear subframe leading bushes for wear and the mounts for rust

You can usually diagnose W124 suspension by examining the tyres. The wear patterns tell all. Once you've replaced all the worn bits, fit a set of new tyres and have a 4-wheel alignment done. Then it will feel like a W124 again

Nick Froome
 
I forgot to mention the top strut mounts as bolide referred to. Would stand by doing the front first, if the rear needs attention you will notice this as a twitch as the weight transfers from one side to the other in switchback corners - but only after the front is sorted.

Inspecting bushes is fraught with difficulty as often it is not obvious a bush is underperforming just by looking at it or poking it with a stick.
 
The rear suspension does seem quite smooth and solid, but I'm not sure where the weave comes from. Would you guys advise starting with the front end then?
 
- At anything above 60mph, it seems to sway and weave quite badly

My gut feeling would be the front arm bushes (and ball joints) and rear subframe bushes are worn, well that's what I'd concentrate on initially for that particular issue.
 
Thanks for the replies so far lads.

Here's what I found today. My mate runs a garage just behind my house and it was my day off today and he had an empty ramp, so we spent an hour poking, prodding, levering and hitting stuff with mallets. Wishbone bushes have next to no give in them, and there is zero play in the ball joints. Rear end seems all tight, very little give at all. What we did find is that the front shocks are both weeping oil (possibly weak damping causing the swaying feeling?), and the ARB bushes are in pretty shocking condition (could that cause it?).

He reckons replace the ARB bushes and shocks, and then take it for a full 4-wheel alignment, because he reckons these cars are very sensitive to tracking. Sound like a good plan?
 
Cheers for the reminder Stu, nice to see a friendly face (well, avatar) from the 190 forum. I'll be starting a thread over there once I've got some photos, but for a technical problem I figured I'd be better off asking on a general Merc forum.

So, just dropped £200+ on ARB bushes (Febi Bilstein), front shocks (Sachs), steering damper (Febi Bilstein), plus a full service kit seeing as the oil is like tar, 7.5 litres, ouch!!!

Must be mad spending that on a car with a quarter of a million miles but I really am starting to like it so sod it.
 
Does your mate know how to test the balljoints on a W124? You won't see play as they are in tension

4-wheel alignment is a good idea, but it'll be wasted if you need to replace balljoints later

You may find a few of the track rod ends have seized. It'd be worth dosing the with penetrating oil before the alignment. If they are frozen, the best way to free them off is to remove the whole arm and heat the threaded section with the arm in a bench vice

Front springs tend to go soft on W124s and W201s - it's worth replacing them if you have the budget and particularly if you remove the balljoints. Your mate will need a proper Klann spring compressor

Nick Froome
 
He's no specialist but we ragged the **** out of them with a huge crowbar?
 
Unlike other types of ball joint, this type don't show any play when they wear. They tend to seize up then pop out ! You can rag on it all day long and it still won't show any play.

When they seize the steering gets progressively stiffer and harder to centralise when on the move.

A few years ago now, a chap on the 190 forum had one fail, thankfully at low speed. He couldn't understand it as he'd only just had it pass the MOT a week previously.
 
Well I'll do the stuff that I know is worn, and if I've still got the problem then I'll try wishbones. Only so many things it can be I suppose.
 
Well I'll do the stuff that I know is worn, and if I've still got the problem then I'll try wishbones. Only so many things it can be I suppose.


For the cost of a couple of ball joints, just do them is my advice. Better safe than sorry. Worthwhile adjusting the steering box also, can make a big difference and odds on it's never been adjusted - turn the adjustment screwout to take up excess slack.
 
You should take the advice from Nick (Bolide) and stwat re the lower ball joints. If the car has done 250k miles and no evidence of them having been replaced then you should just change them - they will be worn out. And no point in spending money on a wheel alignment and then changing them.
I changed mine at 280k miles and it changed the car completely. New ball joints and engine mounts are the two things that make the biggest difference on these cars.
 
For the cost of a couple of ball joints, just do them is my advice. Better safe than sorry. Worthwhile adjusting the steering box also, can make a big difference and odds on it's never been adjusted - turn the adjustment screwout to take up excess slack.

Thing is, I have the ones with the press-in ball joints, which would mean I'd have to go to a garage.

I've seen some "Vetech" lower arms at GSF, with discount codes they're £136 for the pair, would you trust them? I'm wary of cheap parts since I tried a "Transmech" clutch on a 306 turbo diesel and killed it in 3k...
 

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