W124 subframe bushes

[219]

Has anyone replaced these ?

The Indian imported 'S' reg , W 124 E250D I bought recently came with a set of all four bushes and the previous owner mentioned that it had failed an MOT on these items .

With a new battery and new tyres after its two years on SORN , I replaced the centre exhaust section yesterday and for the first time drove the car round the block to check it out , whenever lifting off power there is a noticeable thump from the back end - hence , I suspect , why I got the car so cheaply !

My Haynes manual seems to conveniently skip over this point so I wonder whether this is something I want to tackle myself or ask the garage to do before the MOT ?

Has anyone on here done this and can advise how easy/difficult a job it is ?

I also need to clean up and paint the fuel lines which have surface corrosion , but can't see anything else obviously wrong with it .

 

[millo777]

I had mine done at an MB indie a few months ago and they said it was the devils own job to press the old bushes out of the sub frame, and even harder to get the new ones in.

I try and do as much as I can on my w124 but thats the type of job that I think you need a lift for and probably some specialist tools.

fwiw I also had the fuel, brake and SLS pipes replaced with cupro nickel at the same time as you need to drop the rear sub frame to fit these, and didn't want to have to do it again. It might be worth while considering it the fuel lines already have corrosion.

There is a how to for the w201 sub frame bushes on benzworld if you do a search, but only for the front two. I'd post a link but all links seem to get block these days.

 

[trapperjohn]

From previous posts there are two schools of though on this.

Some people say you can just jack one side up at a time and pop the bushes in and out.

Others its a sub frame drop job and press out and in. If you drop the sub frame it gives you good access to have a look at the mounting points and give a good underseal whilst its off.

 

[219]

I have done a bit of reading on this and was hoping to go with the former plan . Since I already have the bushes , I thought of having a go , but don't want to become stuck ! Being a relatively late model ( 1999 ) the underside is pretty much corrosion free .

Otherwise it may be a job to pass to the garage .

 

[trapperjohn]

I think SilverSaloon did some on his drive.

 

[GP801]

Ollie and Jack at PCS did mine. I think it is possible as a DIY job but not easy from what I have heard.

 

[janner]

I seem to remember when I did mine I used two anchor bolts, one in the bush and one in a hole drilled in the garage floor. I connected a short piece of chain between them and jacked up the car. A bodge, sure, but it worked.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I watched Jack do it at PCS on someone else's w124 estate. It involved removing the sub-frame (much easier) and a lot of hard hammering for an extended period, more like skilled blacksmithing than normal mechanics.

 

[Dieselman]

They can be done in situ by lowering the subframe one side at a time, using a lump hammer and chisel to crush the steel, then drive the old one out and press the new one in with water pump pliers, after lubricating it.

 

[bolide]

People are rude about the Haynes manual, saying it's useless and full of errors. I've found that, if you have a table with a really short leg, it works very well

Nick Froome

 

[Ian B Walker]

They can be done in situ by lowering the subframe one side at a time, using a lump hammer and chisel to crush the steel, then drive the old one out and press the new one in with water pump pliers, after lubricating it.

I think you had better come up and demonstrate that Will. No offence but the easiest way is to drop the sub frame. Even with the sub frame off I have spent hours trying to get them out and in one case even had to resort to burning them out.

 

[hotrodder]

I dropped the subframe out of mine last year to do all the usual stuff that's a pig/impossible with it fitted so changed the bushes while it was out. The subframe bushes DO NOT 'pop in and out', well at least unless you have the special tools... http://www.w124performance.com/service/w124CD2/Program/Chassis/35-040.pdf. Getting the old ones out using the destruction method wasn't too bad but, as said, they put up a fight. Getting the new ones in was harder... they're a very, very tight fit and because of their shape getting them to go in straight ain't necessarily easy using improvised methods

 

[DRBC43AMG]

How about popping them in a freezer over night before fitting into their respective housings? That should probably get them to shrink a bit to facilitated assembly. Just an idea though....

 

[SilverSaloon]

yes on my estate, i undid both bushes on one side of the car. the subframe can then be dropped enough on that side to pop the old and push in the new.

its quite a tight squeeze getting the new one in the gap though - we have to basically lever the subframe away from the car in order to get it in. i think if you have a towbar it can also prevent the subframe moving enough. various bit of wood etc is useful to help creating a big enough gap to get the new one in.

best way to remove the old one is lots of hitting with a drift/chisel mallet etc until it all comes out, which it does - in the end!

put the new one in the freezer and install it frozen to aid fitment. also washing up liquid to aid lubrication as its pushed in.

use the weight of the car to push the new one in.

done this twice now, but access was easier the 2nd time as i had to rebuild the rusted mount with new metal.

watch out for rust in this area - it appears a very weak point on W124s

The above was just replacing the front mount. I have no idea regarding the rear one - all i did was undo the bolt and reinstall the bolt for that one. Obviously removing the subframe would be much easier and also give you access for other work while you are at it, but it is possible on your driveway with basic tools.

 

[grober]

This might be useful test to perform before and after replacement. Nicked from elsewhere. I believe the front bushes are more prone to failure [ containing voids/liquid?] and have more torque rather than weight transfer functions. If you are doing the fronts only then dropping is a proposition but if doing all 4 I would BE INCLINED to remove the subframe from the car completely. When my 190 front r/s bushes went there was a definite feeling of weight transfer-something moving / rear instability on the over run/ under braking at speed altho no knocking to speak of.

Switch from forward to reverse with brakes on and have someone look at the rear wheel, any fore aft movement and things are not right. Have them also look at the subframe - at the front of it - it should drop slightly when moving to forward if they are shot. If it does not they can still be shot.

Sitting at the lights put in reverse and then drive, give it a little stab on the throttle do you feel a very subtle jolt as the subframe tilts forward.

Switching from a left to right corner with power on do you feel a very slight twitch as the weight is transferred from the left to the right side of the suspension - especially with a full tank and a little bit of weight in the rear

Does it wonder ever so slightly in a straight line when driving without having to correct.

Then there is the visual inspection criteria. I think one set of bushes [ front] are hydraulic and leak oil when shot is this correct - someone??

I think after 100,000 miles or so they are past their best.....

there's this

Another restoration begins 93/300TE - Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum

and this

Index of /images/W124_subframe

 

[Sp!ke]

It looks like you may be able to buy the special tool pretty cheaply.

I'm guessing that Ssangyong has the same arrangement in some of their cars as the tool has the same Mercedes part number.

$120 USD sounds reasonable given all the swearing it would save.

Auto Part Item View : 201589104300 PULLER & INSTALLATION TOO for SSANGYONG

 

[SilverSaloon]

PULLER & INSTALLATION TOO $121

or

HAMMER AND DRIFT + 20 mins swearing ~£10

no brainer IMO!

 

[Sp!ke]

PULLER & INSTALLATION TOO $121

or

HAMMER AND DRIFT + 20 mins swearing ~£10

no brainer IMO!

Odd that you and I think of this no brainer in reverse.

 

[SilverSaloon]

maybe i was lucky with the two i removed, but after spending 20 mins or so wacking and prying the old bush out with a mallet and chisel they have come out quite easily. the trick i found was to remove all the inner bit and then bend the outer skin inwards and it then prys out. i wouldnt bother buying special tools for this job as hopefully once done the new mounts would last for ages. i can see if you have a garage etc then you'd maybe find investing in the tool better but for the DIY'er i'd just go with the hammer and brute force approach!

 

[kth286]

The Merc text book method is as Will & others have said; drop each side down a few inches to replace bushes.

It is the front bushes that wear first and for instance, standard and sportline have different part numbers, so they are important bushes.

The rear bushes have same part numbers.

Jack the car up at rear to test each front bush first with lever and see how much play and how much rust, you may find the bush and subframe comes away from the chassis !!!!!!!!!