[frans-c]

I just want to confirm that the ratchet strap method works a treat .

However, make certain that you have a 5 ton ratchet mechanism; a 400 kg one gets properly fubar'ed before it can pull the lower control arm far enough forward.

Oh, and I discovered my less than six-month and 6000 km old Meyle tie-rod end has a torn rubber boot .

And yes, I put in Meyle guide rod mounts . Not going to pay almost $300 a piece OEM when I could get these for $62 each.

 

[300Dman]

From what I have read the Boot on the Guide Rod will also crack in a Year or so. Something to keep an Eye on.

 

[jwells]

Please go into a few more details about this tool and its use. Other than a spring compressor I thought the front end mostly just unbolted, for replacement. Then there is the need for a press on some of the bushings. Just wondering what procedure this is.
Thanks.

 

[DieselKraut]

I just want to confirm that the ratchet strap method works a treat .

However, make certain that you have a 5 ton ratchet mechanism; a 400 kg one gets properly fubar'ed before it can pull the lower control arm far enough forward.

Oh, and I discovered my less than six-month and 6000 km old Meyle tie-rod end has a torn rubber boot .

And yes, I put in Meyle guide rod mounts . Not going to pay almost $300 a piece OEM when I could get these for $62 each.

I am sorry to say it friend, but you HAVE to use the lemfoerder MB guide rod mounts or you will notice a popping sound when you go over bumps.

I have more that a doze customers who have had Meyle, Febi, and the silver online chinese lemfoerder mounts all go bad in less than a year of driving.

The gold ones from MB do not fail that soon so they actually are worth the money.

Nothing else has to come from the dealer though......just order all Lemfoerder parts online and use w126 LCA bushings (also lemfoerder) and you will have an awesome front end for a very long time.

 

[ptbowman]

I just want to confirm that the ratchet strap method works a treat .

However, make certain that you have a 5 ton ratchet mechanism; a 400 kg one gets properly fubar'ed before it can pull the lower control arm far enough forward.

Oh, and I discovered my less than six-month and 6000 km old Meyle tie-rod end has a torn rubber boot .

And yes, I put in Meyle guide rod mounts . Not going to pay almost $300 a piece OEM when I could get these for $62 each.

I just did my guiderod mounts and did not use a ratchet mechanism to pull the LCA forward. What I did is carefully measure the length of the guiderod from the body where it mounts to the LCA. I then shortened the guiderod using the nut an alignment tech would turn on the mount, making it as short as possible. With a pry bar and a little persuasion, the guiderod came right out. I then removed the old mount from the rod, installed a new mount from Lemfoerder ($61.50 ea at Pelicanparts.com) greasing the threads with anti-seize grease. Make the rod assembly as short as possible, install in car, and then lengthen to original length that you measured before removing. This should be close enough to get it to alignment shop.

 

[MTUpower]

I am sorry to say it friend, but you HAVE to use the lemfoerder MB guide rod mounts or you will notice a popping sound when you go over bumps.

I have more that a doze customers who have had Meyle, Febi, and the silver online chinese lemfoerder mounts all go bad in less than a year of driving.

The gold ones from MB do not fail that soon so they actually are worth the money.

Nothing else has to come from the dealer though......just order all Lemfoerder parts online and use w126 LCA bushings (also lemfoerder) and you will have an awesome front end for a very long time.

I've had that popping sound since I changed and have been wondering what it was- I thought it was the new mounts which were jumping threads. It happens when I turn not go over bumps...

 

[frans-c]

I am sorry to say it friend, but you HAVE to use the lemfoerder MB guide rod mounts or you will notice a popping sound when you go over bumps.

I have more that a doze customers who have had Meyle, Febi, and the silver online chinese lemfoerder mounts all go bad in less than a year of driving.

The gold ones from MB do not fail that soon so they actually are worth the money.

Nothing else has to come from the dealer though......just order all Lemfoerder parts online and use w126 LCA bushings (also lemfoerder) and you will have an awesome front end for a very long time.

Fortunately it's such an easy job with the proper ratcheting strap tool, than replacing it again won't be too much of an issue. The noises coming from the front aren't completely gone, unfortunately. I suspect my swaybar bushes are also worn, as some noise comes from the higher portion of the firewall area.

 

[frans-c]

Please go into a few more details about this tool and its use. Other than a spring compressor I thought the front end mostly just unbolted, for replacement. Then there is the need for a press on some of the bushings. Just wondering what procedure this is.
Thanks.

Here you go: Guide Rod mount fun - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

 

[hjoab]

Ok guys. I am trying to do this myself.
My complains are

Even when you can remove the 3 (not 4) screws supporting the mount to the chassis,
and having made many turns on the mount adjusting nut to expand the rod guide effectively moving the lca forward the longest possible,
and having the reverse turns the adjusting nut backwards to contract the distance of the rod and free the mount for the chassis wall,
I found impossible to separate the mount from the chassis downwards enough to be able to remove it from the rod.

My conclusion is that you must to remove the bolt (and bushings) that fix the rod to the lca and remove the mount and rod all together. But I found equally hard to remove the bolt without compressing the spring.

In another forum someone suggested it can be done (remove this bolt) without compressing the spring, but I haven't found any post about how. In the same forum says you can if you remove the bushings around the bolt first but I am not convinced, and don't wanna try a 3rd time (the last process) if no one has tried it successfully before.

TNX

 

[hjoab]

remove the guide rod bolt at the lca

I just did my guiderod mounts and did not use a ratchet mechanism to pull the LCA forward. What I did is carefully measure the length of the guiderod from the body where it mounts to the LCA. I then shortened the guiderod using the nut an alignment tech would turn on the mount, making it as short as possible. With a pry bar and a little persuasion, the guiderod came right out. I then removed the old mount from the rod, installed a new mount from Lemfoerder ($61.50 ea at Pelicanparts.com) greasing the threads with anti-seize grease. Make the rod assembly as short as possible, install in car, and then lengthen to original length that you measured before removing. This should be close enough to get it to alignment shop.

Ok guys. I am trying to do this myself.
My complains are

Even when you can remove the 3 (not 4) screws supporting the mount to the chassis,
and having made many turns on the mount adjusting nut to expand the rod guide effectively moving the lca forward the longest possible,
and having the reverse turns the adjusting nut backwards to contract the distance of the rod and free the mount for the chassis wall,
I found impossible to separate the mount from the chassis downwards enough to be able to remove it from the rod.

My conclusion is that you must to remove the bolt (and bushings) that fix the rod to the lca and remove the mount and rod all together. But I found equally hard to remove the bolt without compressing the spring.

In another forum someone suggested it can be done (remove this bolt) without compressing the spring, but I haven't found any post about how. In the same forum says you can if you remove the bushings around the bolt first but I am not convinced, and don't wanna try a 3rd time (the last process) if no one has tried it successfully before.

TNX