Hope there wasn't too much damage when the lower ball gave way, they get corroded and seize up.

Good news is they are only about £15 or so from MB, do the other one while your about it, bad news if you have a 320, they're £225 a side for a complete wishbone assembly.

Not surprised in the least about any of the other big breakdown companies, far too big to be bothered about such an unimportant as their customers, i'll stick with Autohome and support my local company.

The W124 front suspension is a dangerous design.

It suffers from "Morris minor" disease in that the lower articulating joint is in tension. Suspension ball joints should never be used in tension and should preferably never be mounted with the ball pin upwards as rain water will always eventually penetrate the joint. The W124 had both of these faults and the combination is lethal - the joint rusts away whilst full spring tension pulls it apart as the movement from road humps etc. cause it to grind to bits.

There is a M-B procedure illustrated in the manual which involves levering the joint into compression with a very long bar to check for movement. Obviously, on an old vehicle, nobody does it. Even M-B know this - procedures are no substitute for a safe design.

From a Company which allegedly prides itself on the safety of its products, this detail is a disgrace. But then, they're still producing cars for the UK market with wipers set up for LHD. Not a company I would do any business with.

659.

Interesting viewpoint FBE.

The problem with MB's of older designs is that people see them running round warm countries where salt isn't used for years on end (or are in a designated Taxi spec, built like brick outhouse), and assume they just soldier on forever like some sort of luxury Landcruiser...another good vehicle that will go on for donkeys years, so long as it's serviced.

This isn't the case at all. MB's especially older designs can make good cars, but they need regular maintenance to keep them well. If maintained by someone competent they can be very economical to own.

I've had 4 W124's, and still own one. Neither of them has ever failed in the Morris Minor/Marina way, but they have been regularly serviced.

I've had to renew one set of front bottom ball joints, unfortunately they were starting to wear very slightly on my 320, had to be that one cos they are the non replaceable ball joint type...only fitted to the 320, but owners of rare 280's might find the same i can't remember.

All cars have their weak points, all cars need regular competent servicing, the number of early turbo failures alone on some cars with starship oil change intervals should give a clue that poor or extended servicing isn't the answer to overall economy.

Arguably MB's are one make that really should be entrusted to a good MB sepcialist indy, they are not the ideal car to let a national chain of fitters or handy bloke round the corner service, they will not know what they are looking for, and will not for example know the safe way of removing front springs without said springs removing ones head.

The big problem is that they last a long time and can be bought cheaply, the interiors last forever and the cars hide their miles well, and some people think you can maintain a £40k car for £20k Mondeo money or with no maintenance, it doesn't work like that.

W124's in question only have one wiper blade which sweeps the entire screen better than most 2 wiper systems.

Edited by gordonbennet on 25/09/2011 at 14:06