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Front Suspension Bushings

Started by Zagato, 23 December 2008, 03:11 AM

Zagato

I'm going to buy Lower Control Arm bushings online, but before I do so I want to make sure they are the real cause of my problems (they ain't that cheap and the labour costs are enormous).

Here's the problem; there is a clunking/metal-to-metal sound coming from the front suspension when going over bumps or under hard breaking. However it is loudest when accelerating to the left/right while going over a bump (small ramp or deep gutter).
I went to a garage a few weeks ago and they told me that the Lower Control Arm bushings are the problem. But I'm not so sure they checked other components for the cause. Any ideas?

Here's the components I'm thinking of:
-Upper Control Arm bushings
-Upper Control Arm ball joints
-Lower Control Arm ball joints
-Stabilizer Bar bushings
-Flexible Crossmember mountings

WGB

I would look at your upper arm rubbers, sway bar rubbers and ball joints first.

Lower joints are much more substantial and less likely to break up - more likely to cause a wandering front end than noise.

Bill

Zagato

Quote from: WGB on 23 December 2008, 03:30 AM
I would look at your upper arm rubbers, sway bar rubbers and ball joints first.

Lower joints are much more substantial and less likely to break up - more likely to cause a wandering front end than noise.

Bill


Well there is some front end wandering, but I think it is mostly to do with a badly worn driver's side tire (internal cords showing on inner side).

About the upper arm rubbers, that reminds me. Here are pictures of what I think are the upper control arm guide joints.
http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?image=18937682bm5.png
http://img212.imageshack.us/my.php?image=96456896qc6.png
They look quite perished. Could they be causing the problem?

WGB

The first link doesn't seem to work and the second is very dark and hard to see anything.

From my experience on two cars the noisy front end was due to worn upper inner arm rubbers which on one car were totally missing their rubber and clunking around.

They are quite inexpensive to purchase.

It is very easy to change these (Particularly if you read the manual)  and the rubber bushes on the sway bar arms-to-top arm so long as you can crack the ball joint  but on a 450 keep the bottom arm supported or a big spring may decapitate you.

You can also check the ball joints on the outer end of the upper arms - the arms  are not too expensive to replace.

Anything below this on the lower arm will need an appropriate spring compressor if not hydraulically suspended, use of a press or such-like to replace the control arm bush and a special M-B extractor/press to change the bottom ball joint.

The cars improve dramatically with the top bushes being re-done and I plan to do my own bottom arms later in the year but will; probably get the agents or M-B Specialist  to remove and install the lower ball joints by taking the arms into the shop.

Bill