The cost of a radius arm bush?

[lepton]

Hi,
My 1990 300SE has covered the last 8000 miles with an occasional clunking noise coming from the passenger side of the front suspension, At the last service (and MOT) the independent merc garage told me it was definately the radius arm bush causing the problem. He said that there was about 1cm of wear on each of the bushes (LHS and RHS suspension units). However, he insisted that it would be cheaper to replace the whole assembly (about £350 each side) rather than just the bush, or the radius arm with bush, because of the labour involved in dismantling and rebuilding it. Merc spares sell the radius arm with bush for £120, they can provide just the bush but say a 2 ton press is needed to fit it. This doesn't sound like a DIY job but is replacing the whole assembly the sensible option?

Alan

 

[turnipsock]

If you are not in a hurry, you could take off the radius arm and see if it is easy to remove the old bushes and fit new ones.

I would think that a big vice and the correct size sockets would be enough to remove and fit the bushes.

I had considered doing this job in the future and thought it would have been a straight forward job to press out the bushes.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
I had slight wear in my W202 front wishbone bush but only on one side new bushes were approx £20 a side (complete bush kit but only one bush had gone in one arm) what ever you do to one side should be done to both so bought 2 kits. Talking to my mechanic he said to take the assembly on and off the car would be £40 per side + the time taken to replace the bushes this could take anything upto 3hrs per side and were a real pig of a job to do.
New assembly was only £40 a side went for 2 new assemblies.
I have nightmare memories of being under the back end of MK 3,4,5 Cortinas when i was a teenager replacing the void bushes it seemed that every MOT they needed doing even with the proper removal tool it was a horrible job to do some only taking 10-15mins. to do others could take all day.
This is what made me decide to get the whole assembly replaced.
Have you tried Euro Car-parts for the complete assemblies? They were by far the cheapest for my car.

 

[lepton]

Thanks guys,

Just checked the Euro car parts website.

LH bottom wishbone assembly £129.81
RH bottom wishbone assembly £115.03

Is the bottom wishbone assembly just part of a whole assembly that will still need to be dismantled, or will it just slot in saving labour costs?

 

[bigasotonuk]

on mine it was the complete lower wishbone all bushes already fitted straight swap.
hope my posts have been of some help

 

[flyingtech55]

To renew the lower wishbones is, in theory, a straightforward job. However, you need to remove the spring and to do this you really need the correct MB tool. If you don't have it, the springs are quite dangerous.

Next you have to remove the pivot bolts...you can be lucky and they just come out OK. However they are prone to seize into the bushes and they are then a nightmare to remove. You may need an angle grinder to cut through the part of the arm which houses the bush and then wind the now headless bolt out using spacers and the original nut.

To fit the new arm is easy but you need to have the suspension reset by someone with the correct equipment. Even though you mark the position of the cam bolts it is rarely accurate enough and you will burn the tyres.

Done both arms on my 201, one with he correct spring tool and one without. Would never do it without the correct tool again. I'm too young to die.

HTH

TimR

 

[james007]

I had these bushes changed on my c240 t202 estate. The merc speacilist charged me only £80 per side, it took him all day and he even gave me a coutesy car for the day. excellent service. The problem is his based in central birmingham not good for you.

 

[lepton]

clonkety clonk clonk

Had the radius arm bush and the anti-roll bar bush replaced on both sides to no avail. The dreaded clonk persists. Any ideas what to do next?

Alan

 

[C220GJS]

Worn steering idler bush, repair kit is no.53 on this diagram;http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...&L=765.706&CT=F&cat=568&SID=46&SGR=120&SGN=06
Will cause a clunking on the passenger side when its worn.

 

[230ceBruno]

clunking 124

I'v got the same thing on my 124 but its on the drivers side. A back seat passenger once said that they felt it coming from the middle of the car but I usually hear it definitely from the front drivers side wheel arch area, sometimes it sounds like it came from the door pillar just behind.

I'm just confused.

 

[lepton]

Clonking Update

Replaced the steering idler bush and the NS lower wishbone assembly. The clonk has gone and the steering is much firmer and precise.

 

[230ceBruno]

annoying clonk clonk clonk

Mr lepton (miss or mrs) can you give an indication as to how much each item and labour cost please?

 

[lepton]

Mercedes charge about £220 for the LHS lower wishbone assembly. Eurocarparts charge £130 for the same. I think the steering idle kit was about £25. Labour for both about 2.5 hours