Lower Control Arm Replacement

[R-P]

The ratchet strap between the controlarms is sheer genious. Wish I would have thought of that Most pics look like they may have come from Vida, but the one of said strap is nowhere to be found!
I had one on the spring of the suspension, but that did too little to make much difference...

[Dynosaur]

Alternatively, you can lever the control arm down with a trolley jack, wratchet-strap and sturdy beam :

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w211...2006-e350.html

Very straightforward - just make sure you make the strap as short as possible before jacking up against the subframe.

[R-P]

Cool

My lever for my jack fit the round hole in the coltrol arm perfectly but also wouldn't fall through due to the arresting-pin on this sturdy tube. Extend with a 3foot tube slid over it, and I could lever all I wanted. But I reached the end of how far the rubbers would let me: approx. double the force would give me one lousy extra millimeter!!!!! Which still left me with a 5mm difference between bolt and the control-arm-hole.
That's why I HAD to undo the strut/camber-adjustment-bolts.
My brother-in-law even tried his suspension-compression-kit, but he couldn't fit it insitu.


BTW: it passed the APK (Dutch MOT) this morning!!! So up to the next problem which isn't an MOT issue: leaking injectors 2 and 3...

[martinrpeachey]

Maybe I've missed something here but why is there talk of removing stub axles and drop links etc to change a wishbone?
And why remove the engine mount bolts to get the wishbone bolts out?
Levering the wishbone to get the bolt back in?

I've definitely missed something.

[Dynosaur]

Originally Posted by martinrpeachey

Maybe I've missed something here but why is there talk of removing stub axles and drop links etc to change a wishbone?
And why remove the engine mount bolts to get the wishbone bolts out?
Levering the wishbone to get the bolt back in?

I've definitely missed something.

Have you changed one ?

[stephenevans99]

I think Martin wrote the book on changing P2 wishbones....virtually nothing on a P2 he hasn't had experience changing.

[Dynosaur]

Originally Posted by stephenevans99

I think Martin wrote the book on changing P2 wishbones....virtually nothing on a P2 he hasn't had experience changing.

... inference being ?

[martinrpeachey]

Originally Posted by Dynosaur

Have you changed one ?

I've had mine off twice, once while testing a new type of rear bush for a well known parts distributor, and once to replace the failed rear bush I was testing for a well known parts distributor.

I also fitted powerflex front wishbone bushes without removing the wishbones.

I haven't written the book but I have done several how-to guides.



There's several handy things to remember with wishbones...

1. Don't just jack up one side of the car, the action of the wheel that's on the ground will, via the anti roll bar, force the raised wheel upward, making it difficult to align the wishbone.

2. you don't need to raise the engine to get the wishbone bolts out - you don't actually need to remove the bolts, just undo them until they aren't holding the wishbone any more.

3. Removing the ball joint from the stub axle is an arse, no easy way around that I'm afraid.

4 Always ALWAYS keep an eye on the driveshaft, don't let it pop out or you'll end up with a massive ball-ache! Wiring it up and out the way is a good idea, as above.

[martinrpeachey]

Originally Posted by Dynosaur

... inference being ?

Ask away buddy

[stephenevans99]

Originally Posted by Dynosaur

Have you changed one ?

Originally Posted by stephenevans99

I think Martin wrote the book on changing P2 wishbones....virtually nothing on a P2 he hasn't had experience changing.

Originally Posted by Dynosaur

... inference being ?

Inference being & answering your question... YES he has changed one