W124 Steering

[Bill_33]

Hi, me again,


W124 Steering -a few symptoms from my 300TE Estate

Steering a little stiff - ish

When driving in a straight line at speed, tear end seems planted but car moves a little from side to side and needs constant, (well regular), correction

Steering does not self centre or self centre well

Advice please - Is it the Steering damper or ball joints or others?


(I have searched the Forum!)


Cheers

 

[Number_Cruncher]

The way to tell is to jack the front of the car up, remove the wheels, and undo both track rod ends. If it's a ball joint, you'll find it very difficult to turn the hubs.

If you've any doubt at all about your steering damper, just fit a new one. They are dirt cheap, and only need two bolts to be undone to replace. It's barely worth testing.

The other possibility, if you haven't had the car long, is that some previous clown has over tightened the steering box.

9 times out of ten, it'll be the ball joints.

 

[Bill_33]

Cheers

not had the car long - just going thru it, bit by bit

 

[mattg251]

you could also jack the car up leaving the wheel on, holp the wheel on each side and gentle try to rock it, same top and bottom. side to side play is trackrodend and up and down is bottom ball joint. if you havnt had it long you dont know is its been cerbed and bent somthing which is causing it to wonder

 

[Number_Cruncher]

>>up and down is bottom ball joint.

On most cars, yes, that's true. Howver, on these cars, the spring bears directly on the lower wishbone and it pre-loads the ball joint. Unless you're Geoff Capes, there's no way you will feel any play in a W124 ball joint via the rocking method.

There is a definite way to check these ball joints for wear, which involves levering from the inside of the wheel.

However, the ball joint tends to sieze up rather than become sloppy, so even if you did test the ball joint correctly, you would still miss the fault.

 

[bolide]

Stiff or uneven steering, particularly at one point in the travel, can be an indication of worn ball joints

If the car is more than 14 years old or has more than 150k just replace them

Nick Froome

 

[Sp!ke]

What size wheels/tyres do you have?

 

[Bill_33]

What size wheels/tyres do you have?

640 - 15 hole Standard Alloys that came new with the car

It is a 1990 300TE _ I think that they were the standard Alloys before the 8 holes came in a couple of years later, when they became an option

 

[Ade B]

I'd also eliminate the tyres from the equation - correct pressures, matching tread wear etc.. I had horrendous pulling to one side and vibration which was caused by an out of round tyre.


Ade

 

[Bill_33]

I'd also eliminate the tyres from the equation - correct pressures, matching tread wear etc.. I had horrendous pulling to one side and vibration which was caused by an out of round tyre.


Ade

Thanks Ade, I would know if it were the wheels, I have had enough cars and have been around long enough to spot that.
The tyres are new, the wheels have been balanced and the Alloys have no marks.

From the sound of it - it is the ball joints, but I may as well fit a new steering damper.

Thanks everyone...........I will report back once it has been done, because of the "danger" of home DIY for this job, I will leave it to the professionals, as it would seem that it is a quick simple job if you have the specific tools and hydraulic ramps.

Cheers

 

[vin230]

I have this same problem.

I replaced the steering damper as it was clearly out of fluid, made no difference. Took my car to local indie, they srtipped down track rod ends etc and found that one lower ball joint is partially siezed.