R107 upper transverse control arm mount

[SilverSaloon]

hi

There is excessive play at the right upper transverse conttrol arm mount on my 1985 R107 SL.

how difficult is this to fit? if i am just replacing one side, would i be OK to unbolt it and remove and replace it without removing the spring? sorry i've not dont work on suspension before.

repair kit A1153301775 comes in at £95 from MB dealer. Item 95 in pic below.

can i fit this myself without a spring compressor?

thanks

derek

 

[television]

Best done with a compressor, though some un bolt it and use the weight of the car to slowly re lease it. You will need to set the camber angle after

 

[SilverSaloon]

Best done with a compressor, though some un bolt it and use the weight of the car to slowly re lease it. You will need to set the camber angle after

so if i get a spring compressor all i need to do is compress the spring and remove, then unbolt the one bush (only one has play) and put in the new one and then put the spring back in?

note its the top arm i need to repalce not the bottom one - ignore the colour highlights in the image. item 95 is what i need to replace

 

[television]

Best done with a MB dedicated compressor, and they cost £99. OK if only 95 then no set up required.


As in my last post some use the weight of the car to remove it, but they are dangerous things and can shoot out sideways The shocker will have to be removed first.

See what some others says

 

[SilverSaloon]

any idea where i can purchase the bush/repair kit other than mercedes? i've looked on Eurocarparts and GSF but they dont seem to list the part with obvious description.... so i'm not sure what part is which.... any other good/cheap suppliers out there?

 

[SilverSaloon]

I've managed to find a seller on german ebay who sells this for £50 shipped to my door.

sounds good - but not genuine Merc.

whats the difference between the £30 odd spring compressors that halfords/ebay sell and the MB one? i wont be using the compessor on a dailey basis, so for a hobby/diy guy would the £30 one be OK for the merc?

cheers!!

derek

 

[television]

On normal or other cars the shocker goes up the middle of the spring, on MB's they do not and the big danger is when they slip, and there is no way back if they do, and they can fly out and do a lot of damage.

The MB one or type goes up the center of the spring so that it cannot bend in the middle and fly out

 

[Number_Cruncher]

I *think* that the damper is the component that prevents the lower arm from continuing to drop when you jack the car up, and so, as long as you *don't* disconnect the damper, the spring will be contained, and the upper arm may be removed. i.e., for this job, I don't think you need a compressor at all.

 

[television]

I *think* that the damper is the component that prevents the lower arm from continuing to drop when you jack the car up, and so, as long as you *don't* disconnect the damper, the spring will be contained, and the upper arm may be removed. i.e., for this job, I don't think you need a compressor at all.

But if he is removing bolt 89 with the spring in then the chassis end of the upper wish bone will go up in the air as it is still loaded

 

[SilverSaloon]

I *think* that the damper is the component that prevents the lower arm from continuing to drop when you jack the car up, and so, as long as you *don't* disconnect the damper, the spring will be contained, and the upper arm may be removed. i.e., for this job, I don't think you need a compressor at all.

all i plan/want to do is undo the bolt at 95 in the diagram above and push out the old bush, put in the new one and put in a new bolt....

 

[Number_Cruncher]

>>then the chassis end of the upper wish bone will go up in the air as it is still loaded

I don't see how. The load from the spring will be contained by the damper and the lower arm. The spring spans between the body and lower arm.

The hub upright and upper arm won't be under any load in that scenario.

 

[SilverSaloon]

a pic (not my car) if its needed for reference:

 

[television]

Number cruncher is 100% correct and I was wrong :Oops:, leave the spring as is, you can take of the upper arm off with no problems, sorry about that

 

[Number_Cruncher]

Actually Malcolm, looking at that piccie, there's a good chance I'm wrong.

It all depends upon what stops the suspension drooping when you jack the car up - is it the dampers? (which have been removed in the piccie), or do the upper arms make contact with the subframe, and act as the stop?

If the upper arm contacting the subframe forms the stop, then you do need to compress the spring.

If the dampers stop the suspension drooping, leaving clearance between the upper arm and subframe, you do not need a compressor.

 

[television]

The sub frame is forming the stop, but if the lower wish bone was lowered onto a jack, taking the full weight of the car, then it would not be under any load, you can change the upper swivel that way, what says you.

 

[meanie]

But if he is removing bolt 89 with the spring in then the chassis end of the upper wish bone will go up in the air as it is still loaded

He'll be perfectly ok to remove the wishbone without a spring compressor,as the road spring sits between the bottom w/bone & the 'chassis mount' under the wheel arch.I'd jack the car up,place a good solid log of hardwood under the bttm w/bone as far out towards the ball joint as you can & very gently let the jack down until the w/bone makes contact & then puts 1 or 2 mm load on the wishbone-you must do this as the bumpstops operate on the top w/bone.

You will have to remove the top wishbone to replace this bush,so I would replace both bushes at the same time.

Also,keep a close eye on tyre wear afterwards,as it may alter the geometry more than you would think.

 

[Number_Cruncher]

>>what says you.

Quite so.

You would need to be careful to make sure that the support for the arm is really solid and firm, because a slip would be catastrophic. This is the same situation as a W124 with the lower ball joint disconnected, and because of the need to ensure a strong support (no bottle jacks, scissor jacks, or cheap flimsy free with petrol tokens types of jacks!), I don't tend to advocate the method for DIYers, especially those unused to working on suspensions.

>>The sub frame is forming the stop

I'm not sure which actually forms the stop, because as the body and damper isn't there, we can't see which part would form the stop in reality. Perhaps SilverSaloon can answer that?

 

[Number_Cruncher]

>>the bumpstops operate on the top w/bone.

That answers that question!

 

[meanie]

TV & Number Cruncher-you guys are fast.3 posts in the time it took me to do ONE.

 

[television]

TV & Number Cruncher-you guys are fast.3 posts in the time it took me to do ONE.

It too hot to think and 28c with all the doors open