ok this 95' E220 needs to have the lower ball joints and tie rod ends replaced. Supposedly the dust seals are cracked and this means the car isn't "road worthy" anymore!
My question is, do I need to replace both sides, eg if only the left ball joint seal is cracked do I need to replace the right one as well?
That if possible its best to replace both sides at the same time, you are guaranteed that both sides have the same mileage.
However for my purposes I think I will only do the side that is broken (if its just 1 side) it will be cheaper and the car has only done 100k km's so the other side should last a while yet
I think that the "replace both at same time theory" was written by shops selling parts and manufacturers of parts! Ball joints don't wear evenly. The shoulder side of the road is almost always in worse condition than the middle. Hence the RH suspension is getting more exercise. The strut, balljoint, tie rod end, etc. all suffer for it. Replace the parts that are worn.
The broken seals thing is also a great way for shops to sell parts. The FSM indicates that a balljoint discovered with a broken seal must be replaced due to the probability that water or dirt has contaminated the grease. A seal damaged *during* a service operation can be replaced.
I found both front balljoint seals broken on my 260E and bought a pair of new seals. I'll take my chances, thank you very much... With the strut disconnected from the balljoint you can feel whether the joint is dry or gritty. I do keep a pair of new balljoint on hand though.
rightyo - so the right hand tie rod boot is split, looks pretty suspicious but im not going to bother making any outrageous claims against the workshop
not the lower ball joint dust boots look in pretty shity condition - is it possible to replace the boot only? or does the whole joint need to be replaced?
A balljoint is $30 for a cheap one and $60 for a better one. Even cheaper in the USA. Select Brand
So, just replace it. Is there free play in the balljoint? I would not replace it unless the ball joint has 1/4 inch free play when you jack the wheel off the ground and pull the wheel back and forth. Does it clunk when you go over bumps?
Once the dust boots break apart the ball joint usually only lasts another year or so. If you plan to keep the car for years to come you should just do the ball joints and the tie rod ends all at the same time. Just make sure you're not getting screwed on the cost.
no play - but in australia/victoria in order to sell a car you need to attach a roadworthy certificate, one of the checks is dust boot/seals must be in good condition.
now my tie rod end and lower ball joint dust seals are split, so I need to get them changed.
the local mechanic is trying to charge $700AUD (so about $600 USD for parts and labour...
Wow, the only time you need to get a vehicle inspected here is if you're registering it in another province. Cars really should be inspected every couple of years in my opinion. Too many old unsafe cars on the highways.
When I had the dealership change a ball joint on my 96 Dodge neon it cost about $120 for the part and about $200 for labour. That was a rip off as far as I'm concerned. I had a local mechanic change the other one when it went bad and it was $30 for the part and $70 labour. This is in Canada.
As far as those parts sites go you just pick your year and model or closest match. Wasn't the E220 just a E320 with a smaller motor? You'd have to find that out first.
I'm not sure how much effort it is to change these parts on the mercedes. Maybe a lot of the cost is the labour involved? Just phone around and get several quotes. Then you have something to negotiate with.
Is he including a wheel alignment for that $700? Because you will need one as well.
Parts should only be about $150, labour maybe $200, alignment $60. Of course these shops can charge whatever people are willing to pay. That's why I repair everything myself *most* of the time. Sometimes balljoints have to be pressed in with a hydraulic press and so you can't do that at home unfortunately.
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