I noticed on my S320 (with 70000 miles), the steering seemed somewhat unresponsive. It was slow to react to steering wheel movements. It made my car feel heavier than it really was.
So I inspected the Steering Damper (Steering Shock), and noticed it had ZERO RESISTANCE !!! It sounded hollow, and would go in and out on its own when I tilted it either way. Seemed there was minimal fluid inside or something.
Anyways, after I replaced my steering damper, it instantly fixed the slow steering issue! My car felt much much more lighter and agile!
Anyways, here is a photographed procedure on replacing the damper. It takes about 30 minutes, and you need:
- 2 jackstands
- Wrench set (17mm??)
- Socket set (17mm?)
- Long ratchet / breaker bar
- Locktite (blue color thread-locking compound)
I bought the replacement damper from Caliber Motors in Anaheim California for $45 usd.
Just wondering, is it necessary to remove the two front wheels? Could you just run the car up on a pair of car ramps and still do the job, or do you have to relieve the pressure of the wheels bearing weight?
It should be fine to drive the car up the ramp, but I guess there'd be less room to fit the tools.
Also, you may need to turn the steering wheel slightly to make the bolts accessible. This is easier when the wheels are off, since you can just turn the wheels by hand.
Zeaq - I got the blinker mirrors from Ebay for around $130usd. They are aftermarket, made in Taiwan. The quality isn't the greatest, but its the only way to have blinkers on the W140.
Linear Mode
