W211 upper wishbone mounting rust

[amazighman]

Sorry guys for opening the can of worms.... But what a stupid design

 

[saff]

Sorry guys for opening the can of worms.... But what a stupid design

It is a bit daft. No, thanks to your heads-up other 211 owners can be alerted to a potential issue.

 

[amazighman]

This is how mine looks like now after arch liner removal and quick clean

 

[saff]

This is how mine looks like now after arch liner removal and quick cleanView attachment 130205

Does the crack go right across behind the spring? It seems quite localised and plating and painting should give the car a few more years.

 

[amazighman]

My plan is to get the whole area sorted and that should last a fair few years , maybe longer if waxoyled

 

[saff]

My plan is to get the whole area sorted and that should last a fair few years , maybe longer if waxoyled

Yep depending on what I find after removing the covers I'll be doing the same.

 

[W1ghty]

This is how mine looks like now after arch liner removal and quick cleanView attachment 130205

Ouch , what year W211 buddy ?

 

[amazighman]

Ouch , what year W211 buddy ?

Manufactured 12/2003.

 

[saff]

Manufactured 12/2003.

Mine's a 4/06 I think. Should be galvanised by this time. Lets see if its made any diference.

 

[W1ghty]

I’m a 2009 which explains why mine seems relatively ok

 

[amazighman]

Mine's a 4/06 I think. Should be galvanised by this time. Lets see if its made any diference.

All are galvanized from 2003 Q2.

If a big lump of wet salty mud has filled that stupid chassis rail for years and some owners never bother to check and clean, then no amount of galvanizing will help

 

[amazighman]

My car failed its MOT due to this yesterday -- both sides and wasn't an issue on last year's MOT.

Have you had it welded up? If you dont mind how much did it cost you?

Cheers

 

[bolidemichael]

Have you had it welded up? If you dont mind how much did it cost you?

Cheers

The outsourced welder who specialises in sctructural welding has been off sick and now has a backlog, which means that he won't be able to turn his attention to it until Friday. In the meantime, I've ordered a complement of Bilt Hamber products for application after the work has been completed, but it does mean that I'll be unable to take it to France on our family holiday -- the Range Rover to the rescue!

 

[Petrol Pete]

Mine's a 4/06 I think. Should be galvanised by this time. Lets see if its made any diference.

Please do not put too much faith in the Mercedes Benz galvanising story. MyS203 C class 2006 has rust starting to pop up all over the place , its not the only 'galvanized' model that rusts either .

 

[saff]

Please do not put too much faith in the Mercedes Benz galvanising story. MyS203 C class 2006 has rust starting to pop up all over the place , its not the only 'galvanized' model that rusts either .

Yeah understood thanks. As yet the wishbone mounting is all I can find re rust on my 211 other than the rear wheel arches which I put down to stone chips, now sorted. Cheers.

 

[m80]

This is how mine looks like now after arch liner removal and quick cleanView attachment 130205

Is it possible there is a blocked drain point that should have allowed the water to escape?
Could regular clearing prevent this sort of thing?

 

[amazighman]

Please do not put too much faith in the Mercedes Benz galvanising story. MyS203 C class 2006 has rust starting to pop up all over the place , its not the only 'galvanized' model that rusts either .

I have W203 2006 , No rust at all.... I guess its a pot of luck with these , but they are better than W210 W202 W208

 

[Petrol Pete]

The W203 rust thing is a bit of a lottery , a great deal of UK cars were built in South Africa, mine was built in Bremen in Germany in 2006. I have no idea if any of that has anything to do with anything but it is a pretty poor show when a car from a 'prestige' marque just starts rusting for no apparent reason.

The worst part on most 203's is the front of the rear wheel arch. It must be a 'thing' because weld in replacements are available . At a guess if you passed 10 203's parked in the street 6 or 7 of them would be showing sings of going the same way as this (rather nasty) example . But , hey ho , it is what it is.

 

[amazighman]

The W203 rust thing is a bit of a lottery , a great deal of UK cars were built in South Africa, mine was built in Bremen in Germany in 2006. I have no idea if any of that has anything to do with anything but it is a pretty poor show when a car from a 'prestige' marque just starts rusting for no apparent reason.

The worst part on most 203's is the front of the rear wheel arch. It must be a 'thing' because weld in replacements are available . At a guess if you passed 10 203's parked in the street 6 or 7 of them would be showing sings of going the same way as this (rather nasty) example . But , hey ho , it is what it is.

View attachment 130927

Looks pretty bad tbh , I think estates and saloons suffer the most , Had 3 coupe w203 ,oldest was 2004 and had absolutely no rust

 

[bolidemichael]

The work is complete and was quite involved. Bottom line is £2650 inc VAT for the welding work, dismantling and reassembly of the front suspension and components in the engine bay, application of Bilt Hamber rust products, wheel alignment and ride height setting.