ABC Shock absorbers - removal, refitting and ball-joint repair

[television]

Fuse 13 is in a front fuse box, 46 in the rear box.

The wheels must be hanging to stop the cars weight pushing
out all the fluid.


You can buy struts for the 350 new at £350 and change the ball joints pushed out and re fitted to your struts

 

[orb the Impaler]

Malcolm - I'm doing this from memory - but both fuses are under the bonnet, one either side. 100% on this. It's listed in the fuse diagram at the top under ABC.

You definitely don't need all four wheels up - the strut can be bled down and disconnected: the car does not drop (I've done this again inthelast couple of hours to check mine).

Robert

 

[orb the Impaler]

Oh and I forgot to add - new nut from MB.

 

[Rasaq]

Gwagon G500 Vibration

Please has anybody had any serious vibration problem with their Gwagon; I have changed the Tyroids and the steering damper, the shocks but the vibration persists

 

[television]

Malcolm - I'm doing this from memory - but both fuses are under the bonnet, one either side. 100% on this. It's listed in the fuse diagram at the top under ABC.

You definitely don't need all four wheels up - the strut can be bled down and disconnected: the car does not drop (I've done this again inthelast couple of hours to check mine).

Robert

OK then the member can check on that

 

[orb the Impaler]

OK then the member can check on that

Also if you check the instructions on the Arnott pdf and the other forum (linked) there is no need. (I must admit that the first time I did take your advice and put axle stands in place as a precaution, but nothing budged).

 

[television]

Orb could not you think of getting 2 new 350 struts and change the ball over to yours,, Inchcape are the cheapest usually be far on this.

If enough of us complained world wide to MB would they possibly this of selling a ball joint on its own, they have even stopped selling the sensors that screw into the valve blocks on their own making a very expensive repair for no reason at all

 

[orb the Impaler]

Orb could not you think of getting 2 new 350 struts and change the ball over to yours,, Inchcape are the cheapest usually be far on this.

This is a good idea - however until I've actually seen details posted from someone who has had this done to their own vehicle along with some technical details then I'm hanging fire.

I note with interest the S class conventional spring conversion that Arnott do for $1300. If that was available for the SL I'd be on the phone this afternoon! Goodbye crappy ABC!

I've emailed a query to Arnott for shipping prices and timescales.

I tried asking my MB dealer for a discount on a new strut with the forlorn hope that they'd come back with a worthwhile discount. What did they come back with? 5%

 

[television]

I am sure that Star of Reading has done this mod,, there is a complete post on this subject and it works just fine

 

[star]

I am sure that Star of Reading has done this mod,, there is a complete post on this subject and it works just fine

We haven't done one yet, it is possible but the worry is that when removing and pressing the new joint in it might streatch the metal on the shock. If the ball joint were then to fall out, the suspension would collapse. If the joint had a nut the same as a ml replacement joint, then we would do it. If were mine then I would try it but for a customer with all it's liabilities then it's a no.

 

[orb the Impaler]

Well I've run out of options - just ordered a new strut. £1261.

The car is going as soon as this is done. There are some cracking lease deals on SLKs at the moment - and I figure the only way I'll own another Benz is with a full dealer warranty. If not - never again!

 

[television]

Theses struts are a sad thing for all of us with a 230,, I might try and inject mine with oil to prevent this from happening

 

[supermas]

Its all going well so far with my ball joint refurb!!!

The front of the car is now on blocks. I followed orb the Impaler's instructions and all went well.

The oil line connectors were the hardest, they had seized but I managed to work them loose eventually.

I got less than half a mug's worth of ABC fluid out when I bled the oil lines.

Struts are now off and on their way to Phil at 4wheelalignment.co.uk via a courier (struts weigh 12Kg each in case you ever need to know).

Local MB dealer gave me the wrong replacement nuts for the ball joints so I'm going back again on monday!

Can anyone tell me the torque settings for the ball joint and the 3 nuts at the top of the strut, I can't seem to find this information anywhere!

 

[DSB SL AMG]

am i correct in stating they charge £1k for a strut refurb? is that per strut with there fitting?

 

[television]

A new strut cost around £1300, no re furbs on these

 

[DSB SL AMG]

Malc - does my CL have same ABC design as the R230? there seems to be alot more posts on R230 ABC issues then W215, however this could be due to fewer numbers built...

 

[television]

Malc - does my CL have same ABC design as the R230? there seems to be alot more posts on R230 ABC issues then W215, however this could be due to fewer numbers built...

Off hand they are roughly the same,,and yes odd that the cl has never come up yet for this

 

[DSB SL AMG]

A new strut cost around £1300, no re furbs on these

Malc - reference the pics on first page, what are they actually refurbing then? i understood it as the strut refurb? bit confused now..

 

[television]

Just the bottom ball joint where it fits to the lower wishbone

 

[DSB SL AMG]

Just the bottom ball joint where it fits to the lower wishbone

ok thanks Malc...