Mercedes Ball Joint Replacement
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ส.ค. 2024
- Lower Ball Joints wear out! Replace bad ones right away.
Ball Joint: amzn.to/3hJdpZE
Ball Joint Press Tool: amzn.to/2DhD0Kc
Coil Spring Compressor: amzn.to/3hWPhTz
safety glasses: amzn.to/2BSHcQd
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
![How to change front ball joint on MERCEDES W201 [TUTORIAL AUTODOC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/K_vwKYCSVUk/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey, just wanted to say your video was a huge help and the job wasn't too bad thankfully. The spring compressor I bought from Harbor Freight wouldn't fit between the spring gaps, so I had to use my jack to lower/raise the control arm to keep the spring happy. Regardless, the overall job took around 3 hours but I couldn't have done it without this video! Thanks!
That is excellent! Thank YOU for letting me know. I often wonder if my videos go beyond just entertainment/education to real world practical use. It's an excellent payback to me to know that your car will last longer, save you money and give the satisfaction that entails. Well done!
Excellent tutorial - shows the job can be done safely, sensibly and without brutal bashing. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am working on replacing ball joints for my W124. I feel so lucky to find your video! Thanks for showing how to replacing them instead of replacing entire control arms. I just purchased the same tool from your link.
Excellent! Thank you. Replacing the ball joints is Much easier than doing th whole lower control arm.
Great camera work, lighting, editing, presentation and technical/safety detail. Very valuable resource for W201 owners, thank you for all your efforts. Nice to see Lemforder parts being used. .......Now I need to get me one of those clamps!
Many thanks! Not many point out the cinematic qualities I aim for. I appreciate the encouragement !
It's such a pleasure to see you work on cars. I really wish there are some MB mechanics like you in my area.
Thank you! Glad you like them! I always try to convey both my experience and enthusiasm.
Great Great Video! Very detailed and love the narration and music.
Glad you enjoyed it! I wanted to make something a little less dry than my usual and I had fun making this one.
Superb tutorial, man you got a knack for narrating ))
Thank you!
Loving the little jazz background 👌 thanks for the how to!
Beautiful video. Very instructive and entertaining
Glad you enjoyed it! It is welcome praise indeed. Thank you.
Wow, perfect!!! Your tutorials often like the lectures, very professionally done. Greetings :))
Thank you very much! My aim is to not just show how something is done, but help people decide whether they want to tackle it themselves or take it to a shop. This one needs both time and special tools, so turning it over to a pro wth a lift and equipment can be an option too.
Hope you are staying well in these interesting times!
Alden
@@FlashDriveFilms
That's why you're awesome :), Thank you i am doing well, hope you are well too.
Best wishes :)
David
I'm about to do my baljoints it's been amazing watching this video thank you for passing on knowledge I appreciate it ✌️🙌
Thank you! I always hope my videos demystify the process a little.
@@FlashDriveFilms and the opkids were in
@@FlashDriveFilms and the kids were
This really helped, best tutorial video i have ever seen thanks alot!
Glad it helped!
Very well done video! Thank you!
It was fun making this one. Thank you!
Wow, so detailliert und anschaulich! Wirklich perfekt!
Sind die benötigten Werkzeuge verlinkt?
Vielen Dank und weiter so!
Danke! Ich schätze es wirklich. Ja, die von mir verwendeten Tools finden Sie im Beschreibungsbereich unten.
You don't need to compress the spring just support under arm remove ball joint nut prie shocker and hub assembley and move it out the way then use tool to remove ball joint done it many time ball joint is more faf to get out than anything else
Nice video. No need for a spring compressor if you have air suspension 😎. I just deflate my bags. ❤️W201
I hammered mine out took hours.
Yikes! I've had to do that from time to time and it isn't fun. Usually had to apply the Firewrench to it, which always makes me uncomfortable under the car. Pressing the new ones in is also un-fun without the clamp/tool.
Excellent presentation, great detail
Thank you !
Very useful thanks
Your ritual of putting away your tools is your meditation moment huh? lol. Damn you really do love this huh?
Yes, there are aspects of car service that can be extremely satisfying. The sense of agency, for one: taking a broken thing and making it work again. Cleaning & resetting the tools can be a fulfilling ritual in its' own right.
@@FlashDriveFilms do you have your own shop if not you need to get it going bro?
Wow, great video! informative and entertaining! Thanks!
Thank you! Glad you liked it. I did enjoy making this particular one.
Très bon travail
Merci!
Excellent video.
Thank you! I hope it is useful.
Very good video Super
Thank you!
those facom tools are nics
Thanks! They are my favorites. I highly recommend them.
Another EXCELLENT Video At some point I will have to introduce to my latest vintage German Vehicle, But Alas no rest for the perky! If there is any good way to thrive in a Zombie Apocalypse for once I found it! All the best to you and yours!
Thanks! My longest video yet.
"vintage German Vehicle"? Is it a DKW 3=6 with the Saxomat vacuum-activated clutch? Or is it a Goliath T-700??? A Borgward Isabella coupe? A low-miles '85 300D? A BMW R50 with bags? I had the Fiat out today and it was joyous, despite a surprising amount of traffic (and yeah, lockdown? with all these books, tools, time and the internet?)
Substantially more prosaic . It was the result of an estate sale, sadly resulting in nothing as fun as Harold the Triumph. It had to be diposed of by Frank acting as executor, and he needed to dispose of his late sister's vehicle, and to keep peace in the family he needed to get the maximum value for the vehicle for his neice. So no special deals, I was qualified by my experience with the specific model (big Hint there) Possessing the knowledge of the particular model's strength and flaws, and not one but two! copies of the relevant shop manual (Don't ask!) I fell heir to a (insert small fanfare for comic relief here) A 2003 Passat Varient, Underwheming I know, but perfectly suited to its intended purpose. 90k on the clock and wasn't able to determine that it hadn't actually had the timing belt service for the 1.8T motor before the deal was consumated. OUCH! And because of major bureaucratic incompetance it sat in my driveway for basically 2 years , after it probably had already spent the previous two years largely disused.
Needed to replace the front springs and did not use that operation as a comic counter point to your excellent productions .Battery, tire (One?!) Drain and reepoxy the the right rear tail light, and We're playin' that old Willy Nelson tune again! Yeah missing from previous reply was that I have been determined to be by proclamation of the governor of the state of New York, an "Essential Worker" (Yeah frightening thought I know!) but if you have to hold out someplace in a global pandemic, there is probably no better place than a clean room of a chip fab, I am handling the guilt just fine, thank you..
For someone that’s not that experience mechanic and doesn’t have the tools I’m almost thinking what if just replacing the whole front lower control arm that already has the new ball joint in it, what are your thoughts? Yes it’s a little more money then your promise but saves a lot of time and still cheaper then the dealer, thoughts?
Excellent question. Replacing the whole arm is much more involved. You would have all the issues of just the ball joint ( safely compressing the spring, for instance) plus you would definitely need a front-end alignment when you are done. Unless the lower control arm bushing are bad, or the arm itself is damaged, I would just go for the ball joint. It's possible to replace the ball joints without seriously disrupting the front end alignment. And, as you pointed out, the whole arm assembly is more expensive.
@@FlashDriveFilms I’m just worried that if I do it myself I won’t install the attachment onto the spring that holds it correctly.
Great video .
Could i use this W201 ball joint kit you used , be used on the 1997 R129 , if i was to modify one of the receiving cups in the kit .
I watched your SL300 R129 ball joint removal video .
Yes, the ball joint tool kit should work fine. The R129 is based on the W124 (300E) suspension, which is essentially a larger, stronger version of the W201 .Should be no problem.
@@FlashDriveFilms, Great, thank you very much for your reply. I've bought the Mercedes spring compressor kit and I will purchase the kit you used in this video , for my R129 .
I always enjoy your videos.
Thank you again.
Excellent. Just be careful around those springs when you compress them. There is an amazing amount of energy they can store.
I get this message when I go to order the parts after clicking your link on amazon "Your selected delivery location is beyond seller's shipping coverage for this item. Please choose a different delivery location or purchase from another seller." just thought I let you know bro.
Excellent! It just means that you are ordering from outside the USA, and the affiliate links aren't applicable. I am always very agreeably surprised when my videos are being viewed and helpful to people even in places I have never personally been.The original premise of my channel is to help car enthusiasts enjoy their cars more, no matter where they reside.The affiliate links are primarily to point you towards the tools and parts seen in my video. And I always encourage people to shop around.
@@FlashDriveFilms I’m actually in the USA 🇺🇸 bro.
Hi! First of all excellent tutorial. My question is about your ball joint press tool. Have you used an adapter not included on Astro Pneumatic Tool 7865 set? Or all you used is in the set? Thanks!
I only used adapters included in the kit. What I did discover is that the parts list/diagram was somewhat ambiguous and that the flat discs were actually opposite what the illustration implied. Once I switched the flat plates, the rest of it went together fine. (reference the setup I show on the spare control arm on teh workbench to see how they stack)
@@FlashDriveFilms Thanks for your reply. My doubt was about the metal sleeve at 7:20. Didn't realize was included on Astro Pneumatic Tool 7865 set. Good job!
Started off to just replace the ball joints.....
since ball joints are done then might as well replace track rod ball joints.....
ohh, whole track rods ain't that expensive....
since I replaced ball joints might as well replace the lower arm bushings front and back....
since bushings are replaced might as well paint this nasty rusty arm...
hang on, just painting the arm looks odd, have to paint the whole lot....
since I've done so much might as well replace the brake discs and pads....
oh, what about the sensors, ofc...
and that way from just changing the ball joints, now my front suspension is completely renovated 😂😂😂😂
I hear you on that! Happens to me all the time. A couple of weeks ago it was the rear brakes on the Fiat. One seized caliper. "Well, better do those in pairs. And new pads, of course. Yikes, that rotor looks scored, better get two. And those rubber lines have seen better days. Everything metal could use a some sanding and a little POR-15." It starts with one bad part and soon you have the Ship of Theseus.
Love the music and commentary. I just replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders on my 2.6 and noticed some severe creaking when turning the wheel lock to lock with the front end in the air. This job is coming up soon for me. Were you raised in the greater NYC area?
Glad you liked it! Definitely change the ball joints if you even suspect them. I had one fail on an older Benz a few years ago, and even at low speed it was....exciting.
(Not NYC area, a pretty rural area, actually. I suspect my accent and phraseology gives that away. )
@@FlashDriveFilms I had one almost fail on my 380SE. It made itself known.
Okay hmmmm.. Rural PA? Unless you're in New England.
This job seems to be one of the more difficult ones, what do you think? How many hours did it take you?
Ball joint replacement is a slightly higher difficulty than some of the other tasks I have shown, like fluid changes. Hard to say how long it took me, because I was filming as I worked. I've done these before on other cars and I budget about an hour a side. A REAL repair shop will faster, as they will use a car lift & power tools. I'm on jack stands and using hand ratchets. Also, the ball joint tool is moderately expensive. You may want to rent or borrow one form a parts store, rather than buy one outright. Many national chain auto parts stores loan tools like that for a nominal deposit.
@@FlashDriveFilms thank you for that. I know I’ve said this before but your fuc**** awesome.
Is it normal for the steering to feel tighter stiffness after a ball joint and tie rod replacement bud? Or is something wrong?
Yes, the steering should feel a bit tighter and firmer and less wobbly, depending on how worn the old parts were. It should also be quieter, without all the groans and squeaks when you turn the wheel or go over bumps. It should bind though, and if the tie rods were also changed, be sure to have a front end alignment done soon.
@@FlashDriveFilms thanks bro for your feedback and dedication to helping myself and others. I had my ball joints replaced front inner and outer tie rods, center link and steering damper. 🙏🏻 my steering was really loose and now it’s tight and hard.
Also an alignment
How much time do you think this would take for someone who actually has a lift and can lift that car? #mercedes #w201
I could only guess. (a real lift is a luxury I haven't had access to in years) A dealership or repair shop is probably going to quote you an hour a side(?) They will have a lots of power tools and a better spring compressor tool. Plus experience. (They also have an hourly rate they need to charge you.) For someone just learning, the first side takes forever and the second one breezes by just from the increased knowledge.
@@FlashDriveFilms this Mercedes’ mechanic quoted me for both ball joints installed $860. 😂
Hi, i want to change the ball joints in a few days. I don't have a spring tensioner. Is it possible to support the front lower arm with a jack or a support frame, or is it too dangerous? Thank you in advance!
You definitely need the spring compressor, even though you don't need to do much more than clamp and hold the coils. (you don't want to crank a lot of energy into the spring as it is, but you will need to be able to fit it back onto the control arm and top mounts.) The good news is that most auto parts chains will either rent or loan (with a small deposit) the exact tools you need. So try AutoZone or Advance Auto etc and definitely read all the instructions and cautions they include with the tool version they use. Best of luck!
@@FlashDriveFilms Thank you for your answer. Now I see the "problem" I had. I thought the front lower arm is directly connected to the shock absorber (wich will limit the rebound of the spring when disconnecting the ball joint from the part above). I just ordered a spring tensioner and try my best on the weekend. Thank you anyway for the well- explained video!