Do I need an alignment after changing lower control arm?
Yes. It doesn’t matter if there is a new part is installed on a vehicle. Vehicles need alignment on a regular basis to make sure the thrust line and all wheels are in proper alignment meeting all factory specifications. The alignment affects fuel consumption, tire wear and vehicle handling.
How to replace front control arm on Mercedes Benz?
Using an E12 reverse Torq unscrew the mounting bracket and move it off to the side. Next use a 21mm wrench and socket to remove the nut and bolt holding the control arm to the body. Pull the control arm down and out of the mount. If the control arm is not bent and the ball joint is fine you can just replace the bushing.
Can a ball joint be replaced on a Mercedes Benz?
Some of the Mercedes-Benz upper control arms have the ball joint as part of the control and it can not be replaced. Mercedes-Benz improved the design over the years allowing the upper ball joint to be easily removed from the control arm by removing three bolts.
How do you remove the lower control arm?
To remove the lower control arm you must follow the same steps as removing the upper. Make sure the strut is free from the steering knuckle and remove the 21mm ball joint nut (red arrow) and then the 21mm nut and bolt holding it to the chassis mount (yellow arrow).
How often should I replace my front control arm?
Pull the control arm down and out of the mount. If the control arm is not bent and the ball joint is fine you can just replace the bushing. The bushings are known to be a weak point on the W203s and should be inspected every 30,000 miles. If you have a press you can easily press the old ones out and news ones in,…
How to remove ball joint from Mercedes control arm?
Mercedes-Benz improved the design over the years allowing the upper ball joint to be easily removed from the control arm by removing three bolts. If you have the control arm that has the upper ball joint fastened with three bolts as shown in the image below, then you can remove just one part.
How do you install a new control arm?
Install new control arm. Install the two bolts that connect the control arm to the frame and tighten them to 50 Nm using torque wrench.. STEP 9 Connect control arm to steering knuckle. Install the ball / follower joint between the upper control arm to the steering knuckle. Tighten the nut to 22 Nm using a torque wrench. You are done.
What should I do if my upper control arm is defective?
Grab the tire at the top and bottom (12 and 6 o’clock) and try to move the tire. If you hear noise or notice movement it is likely that the upper ball joint or bushings are defective. Note that a bad wheel bearing or lower control arm bushings can allow the tire to move when it shoudn’t.
How to install upper control arm ball joint?
Install the two bolts that connect the control arm to the frame and tighten them to 50 Nm using torque wrench.. STEP 9 Connect control arm to steering knuckle. Install the ball / follower joint between the upper control arm to the steering knuckle.