MB Terminology

[JohnM70]

First 'real' post, so here goes.

Purchased a 2003 CLK 320 last week for not much money and I'm trying to decipher MB terminology.

I have a list from my local MB dealer who has just done a service on the thing, but some things I think I know what Landy owners call seem to be a world away here...

We have:

Drop Link Gaitor - ?
Torsion Arm Ball - ARB's?

There are other bits that need doing, I will post in correct sections.

Ta

 

[LostKiwi]

Drop link gaiter is the rubber cover over the ballads of the drop link. The drop link connects the antifouling bar to the suspension strut or arm.

Not so sure on the torsion bar balljoint but I'll guess they mean one of the ball joints on the drop link.

The good news is the drop link comes with both balljoint and gaiters and is both cheap and easy to replace.

Oh... and welcome from another ex-Landy owner (Defender, RRC 3.9 EFI, 2 x FC101s).

 

[JohnM70]

Many thanks - I shall order a pair and get the spanners out.

May have to invest in some form of improved lifting device - not as much room under a CLK as there is on a Tratter!

 

[LostKiwi]

Very true! As a simple measure a couple of planks work well. Drive onto the planks and it lifts the car the extra inch often required to get the jack under.

A worn drop link will usually manifest in a suspension rattle/clunk on rough surfaces.

 

[JohnM70]

Very true! As a simple measure a couple of planks work well. Drive onto the planks and it lifts the car the extra inch often required to get the jack under.

A worn drop link will usually manifest in a suspension rattle/clunk on rough surfaces.

Which is what I have... amongst other little bits...

 

[Submariner1]

Many thanks - I shall order a pair and get the spanners out.

May have to invest in some form of improved lifting device - not as much room under a CLK as there is on a Tratter!

I bought one of these

Money well spent goes under thr CL and SL in the lowered position, and with twin pumps raises it fast.
Personally a prefer the 4 ton jack stands as they seem more stable.
Note on the CL there is the dilemnia that when you raise the car on the jack pads, then there is no other "approved" place to put the jack stands at the rear. So I like the idea of a new trolley jack, with the 2 jack stands just resting under the suspension parts ( i.e. Not bearing any weight, but wedged there with foam rubber if the Trolley jack failed.)
But then I had a fair bit of fiddling to do, brake pads, greasing slider pins, paint calipers, and clean up the exhaust.
The last jack was 20 years old still fine but, I had to drive onto 2 peices of 19mm mdf to get the jack under the jacking points. PITA.

 

[Yugguy]

Dunno how low the CLK is but on my mate's SLK the other day we had to raise it slightly with the standard jack before we could get my whopping great trolley jack underneath it.