hi there ! new guy ! 96 e230 avantgarde ! question! where to buy a crossmember ?

[rabskyline]

sorry my first post is a problematic one ! i put my car in for an mot and the tester said it was terrible news. i needed a new cross member and it was attached to lots of parts inc suspension radiator etc etc. but looks like its two bolts and he is trying to rip me off ! so where can i get one reasonably priced? he said £140 !!!!! any ideas ??? by the way ! hi all !

[Blobcat]

Hi & Welcome,

Do you have full MB service history? If so you could always try them for a replacement. As your car is 10yrs old MB will probably not cover it but it is always worth asking.

[rabskyline]

no , sorry, no fsh as i bought it from auction and contacted nilton keynes (hq) and they had no history details from the car. but they arent built like they used to be ! ive had a few mercs over the years(230 ce pillarless coupe, e300, older e230 pre 96 etc) and this drives lovely but not put together well at all ! a common prob with mb these days ! they used to be solid and never broke down !

[anyweb]

can you post a photo of the problem ? i'd like to see what is wrong with it, might just need new bushes unless of course it's been in a crash....

cheers
anyweb

[Blobcat]

It will be rust as I think it is an early W210. I would check out the suspension mountings as well as they have been know to collapse due to rust

[rabskyline]

all it needs is the cross member and a brake line ! its a genuine 88k car ! i am in the motor trade and inside its truly mint ! but outside it needs blister attending to ! especially around the usual arches and boot lock ! i'll check euro car parts in the morn ! g'night !

[jberks]

If it's £140 and the RAD is connected, I assume this isn't the normal cross member failure, which I belive is under the engine. That one would be a lot more money and requires a jig to install. It must be the front cross member, presumably in line with the slam panel. To be honest £140 sounds reasonable but there may be pattern alternatives.

[rabskyline]

Unfortunately That Seems To Be The Part I Need ! It Is A Full Assembly That Links Th The Wishbones Etc....very Annoyed Now ! Mercedes Arent Doing Therselves Any Good With The Lack Of Quality They Are Turning Out ! Anyway, As I Am Not Minted, Is This An Easy Job To Do ?

[jberks]

If this is the main cross member then as I understand it, no it's not easy.

As its a primary structural component, if you remove it, chances are the chassis will flex slighty and the new one won't go on again. As I understand it, the dealer charges a lot for this http://www.forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=17205&highlight=cross+member
but a decent bodyshop should be able to bolt it to a jig first, hopefully for a fair bit less!

[big x]

Here's the layout:

http://mb.braingears.com/W210/w210/body_62frontfire.htm

Both the rad support (shown in red) and front crossmember can rust.

On the W202 the rad support can also rust but to a lesser extent.

The site is a download of the MB DVD.Plenty of diagrams and videos.




adam

[jberks]

The cross member I am referring to is the non red piece shown just under/ behind the slam panel.