HOW-TO: Check W124 steering linkage joints for play

[gsxr]

NOTE: The test method described below may not apply to 126 steering links, see post #5 and #20 below.


I always used the side-to-side method for checking tie rod ends & drag link ends for play, yanking on the tire. The FSM procedure (click here) specifies to check the joints for play while turning the steering wheel back & forth ~4 inches.

However, @jhodg5ck had mentioned to check the joints with pliers as well. Sure enough, I had two bad drag links. Video below shows one of 'em, the other was similar. Both ends of the drag link had nearly identical play. The new drag link has zero vertical play.

For the 124.034/.036, the drag link is P/N is 124-460-14-05. New Lemforder drag links are made in Turkey and are suspiciously inexpensive. Genuine MB drag links for 034/036 are made in Germany with TRW ends/joints at 4x-5x the cost. Part numbers for the tie rod assemblies are in post #19 below.

Thanks for the tip, Jono!

 

[195910]

Good Advice Dave, thanks for sharing.

Would like to see more of the E60RS.. why are the fenders cracked?? glass fiber?

 

[gsxr]

Would like to see more of the E60RS.. why are the fenders cracked?? glass fiber?

I have no idea what was up with the E60-RS fenders. I hope the new owner stripped it to metal to find out, but I never heard an update. More details at this link, with lots of photos. That car had a lot of upgrades (full headers, 3.06 LSD, AMG TCU, etc).

 

[Kyiv]

Dave, is that your voice in the video? Now I know how you sound!

 

[liviu165]

Are you sure that particular ball joint is not internally spring loaded? I did not open one up, but if it has an internal spring, then that play is normal. Here is a generic construction and the play (at compression) is called out on the drawing.

 

[gsxr]

Are you sure that particular ball joint is not internally spring loaded? I did not open one up, but if it has an internal spring, then that play is normal. Here is a generic construction and the play (at compression) is called out on the drawing.

I compared them to new OE/Genuine, and also Lemforder aftermarket, and both brands of new ones have zero vertical play. None of the new tie rods (OE or OEM) have vertical play either.

If anyone can confirm there are older versions which have a spring-loaded seat as shown in the drawing above, I'd love to know about it. I'll have to see if I can find a way to cut an old one open and inspect the internals.

 

[luckymike]

I learned this trick years ago at a Mercedes dealer through the Mercedes-Benz Club. I love having those giant channel locks in my toolbox!

 

[liviu165]

I compared them to new OE/Genuine, and also Lemforder aftermarket, and both brands of new ones have zero vertical play. None of the new tie rods (OE or OEM) have vertical play either.

In this case the pliers method shows parts that need replacement.

As a side note, I would like mention that caution should be exercised so the ends on the same parts new vs. old are compared. Just because overall they all look the same on the outside does not mean they are also the same on the inside. For example a tie rod end installed on the drag link may be different from the one installed on the tie rod, although they may look identical on the outside. In fact, on the 126 cars, the tie rod on the driver side looks identical with the one installed on the passenger side, but the construction is not the same inside the ball joints used. For that reason Mercedes painted the tie rod and the two ends on the driver side with a different color (light green/blue) and also the price is different.

 

[gsxr]

Speaking of which... on the 124, the tie rod assemblies were painted light green for driver side, and black on passenger side. However, recent production have either had black paint on the driver side assembly, OR in some cases the driver side part number has been superceded / replaced by the passenger side part number.

I always wondered what the difference was, or if it was anything beyond color. I couldn't find anything in 124 documentation except for the V8 models where the driver side adjusting tube is hex-shaped without a clamp, "for clearance reasons", which makes no sense either.

 

[liviu165]

I took the rubber boot off on a green end and on a black end and looked inside. I could tell they were not quite the same. I clearly remember the allowed movement on one of them was less than the other; that kind of surprised me. I suspect that there are other differences too, but I did not investigate any further.

 

[gsxr]

I recently bought the left & right OE tie rod assy's for the 034/036. One was made by HEYD, the other by Lemforder. But I could tell any difference in movement/range, at least not without removing the boot. Both were painted black, btw.

 

[GRAEME JOHNSON]

I have also seen the light green vs black on the original factory fitted tie rods on my
C126 . The genuine Mercedes replacements were both black.
We talk of green for the drivers side but they make LHD and RHD on the same
assembly line does the green change sides depending on the drive ?
or is green just a quick easy referance so the workers can tell the left hand side
part at a glance ?
Graeme Johnson

 

[gsxr]

Good question! The EPC shows the left & right part numbers reversed for wrong-hand-drive cars.

Weird!

 

[liviu165]

The EPC shows the left & right part numbers reversed for wrong-hand-drive cars.

Well, that already offers a clue, that they had something in mind. The green one follows the driver side. I suspect the threaded bar itself is the same, so the difference is most likely inside the ball end.

The genuine Mercedes replacements were both black.

Are you sure you ordered the right part for the driver side, or you just assumed they are the same? Based on the picture above (and what I always have seen), its shows they are not the same.

 

[GRAEME JOHNSON]

Now that got me thinking Roy
Just looked back through my records bought the rods from MB Oxford
on 25 7 15 A126 330 0503 and A126 330 0603 Both black
Also had a look in my just in case parts stock and found these BLACK beauties
Graeme Johnson

 

[GRAEME JOHNSON]

They did use to sell just the ball joint ends seperatly
You needed 2 with a left hand thread and 2 with a right hand thread
Mercedes told me they only sell the compleate assembly now and
when I did mine I could not unscrew the old joints anyway so had to
buy the compleate rod assemblys
Perhaps a look at the part numbers for the joints only (if still listed anywhere )
would help us clear this up
Graeme Johnson

 

[gsxr]

2 are left thread, 2 are right, but there are 4 total part numbers... I think black/green originally. Again, it isn't clear if the difference was cosmetic or functional.

 

[GRAEME JOHNSON]

Roy looks to be on to something here, if the joints were indeed the same with regards to
drivers and passenger side with only the threading being different then only 2 part
numbers would be needed L/H Thread and R/H Thread
I would love to know for definate just out of curiosity
The black / green must be for ease of identity during production eg green always to steering box side
I assume the rods are actualy the same length !
Graeme Johnson

 

[gsxr]

FYI. OE/Genuine tie rod assemblies purchased in the past 12 months, were all made in Germany by either HEYD or Lemforder, all painted black:

W124, non-V8:​

Left = 124-330-08-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Right = 124-330-09-03, painted black, made by Lemforder​

​

W124, V8:​

Left = 124-330-20-03, painted black, made by Lemforder​

Right = 129-330-03-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

​

R129:​

Left = 129-330-02-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Right = 129-330-03-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Some photos are on my website, I need to get pics of the non-V8 links.



I performed the "squeeze test" on brand-new, Genuine MB, 6-cyl tie rods (listed above, #08 Heyd, #09 Lemforder). Zero vertical play on the new ones, same as the new V8 tie rod ends/assemblies.

 

[luckymike]

FYI. OE/Genuine tie rod assemblies purchased in the past 12 months, were all made in Germany by either HEYD or Lemforder, all painted black:

W124, non-V8:​

Left = 124-330-08-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Right = 124-330-09-03, painted black, made by Lemforder​

​

W124, V8:​

Left = 124-330-20-03, painted black, made by Lemforder​

Right = 129-330-03-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

​

R129:​

Left = 129-330-02-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Right = 129-330-03-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Some photos are on my website, I need to get pics of the non-V8 links.

I recently purchased a left tie rod for my SEC. I was very disappointed to see it was black, not green. But your post, gsxr, makes me feel a little better.

HOWEVER, when I do the channel lock squeeze, I find that the brand new MB part (HEYD) has almost as much play in it as the part I'm replacing, and MORE play than my current, old right tie rod. Do I return it?

 

[GRAEME JOHNSON]

Is this the difference Roy mentions ?
Does the rod that changes sides with the drive orientation and always
goes to the steering box side (the original green/grey rod) have the
spring loaded ball joints and this accounts for its higher price and the
amount of different ball joint part numbers
Are they spring loaded to dampen feed back to the steering ?
I would love to know for sure
I know we can just buy the correct part numbers and fit them to the
relavent side but it would be nice to know the difference
Graeme Johnson

 

[gsxr]

I recently purchased a left tie rod for my SEC. ... HOWEVER, when I do the channel lock squeeze, I find that the brand new MB part (HEYD) has almost as much play in it as the part I'm replacing, and MORE play than my current, old right tie rod. Do I return it?

Don't return it! If the brand new HEYD moves as much (or more) vs the old one, it is very likely the design @liviu165 described is post #5. This may be how the 126 joints normally are.

For the 124 links/joints, I compared vs brand new OE and aftermarket, which all had no vertical play. I'm still not sure what the reason is for this design.

Thanks for the additional data, I wasn't aware the 126 had a different design! I updated the original post/title of this thread, and also the description of the video.

 

[liviu165]

If you guys can wait a day or two, I can dig up the parts in my stock and see if I have new tie rods and drag link (I think I have a new set). If I have them, I can check and see if they are spring loaded.

The reason some ball joints are internally spring loaded (I think the ones involved in the steering, not LCAs or UCAs) is to compensate for the play generated by the internal wear of the parts.

 

[liviu165]

HOWEVER, when I do the channel lock squeeze, I find that the brand new MB part (HEYD) has almost as much play in it as the part I'm replacing, and MORE play than my current, old right tie rod. Do I return it?

Do you feel the ball joint being spring loaded when you squeeze?? I think there is the wrong perception going on that the ball joints assemblies should have no play. In fact they can have play, but it depends what kind of play they have (spring reaction force or free play?) and what type of assembly the joint is used on (suspension or steering).

If the joint's internal construction has a spring resulting in axial force, the joint is used for steering (lateral force), then axial play is okay when squeezing with the channel locks as long as the spring is not broken, the stroke is not big and you feel a strong spring inside opposing your squeeze.

 

[gerryvz]

I have a brand-new set of MB 126 tie rods and drag link that I got from MB last month, for the W126. I'll do the test on them and see what comes up.

I also have a new set of Lemforder tie rods and drag link for the E500 that I got many years ago (one of them is green). I will do a test on those, as well.

More soon….

 

[gsxr]

If the joint's internal construction has a spring resulting in axial force, the joint is used for steering (lateral force), then axial play is okay when squeezing with the channel locks as long as the spring is not broken, the stroke is not big and you feel a strong spring inside opposing your squeeze.

I believe this is correct: ^^^

A small amount of axial/vertical play that appears spring-loaded should be acceptable, due to the joint design shown in post #5 above. This is especially true if the NEW joint has the same/similar play. While I don't have any data to support this, I suspect the joint shown in my video may be nearing the limits of vertical play, since new ones have zero; and/or may be nearing the point of developing lateral/sideways play.

FWIW, I have several old/failed tie rod ends with significant lateral/sideways play. These all had vertical play as well per the squeeze test. So far, I've only encountered axial/vertical play with no later/sideways play on the 124 drag link. The joint design may be different between the 124 tie rods ends, vs 124 drag links.

UGH, I may need to re-shoot the video with different narration...

 

[GRAEME JOHNSON]

I dont know about spring loaded ball joints but there are some mighty fine
parts hoards on display.
What an honour to be out hoarded by Gerry himself !
Graeme Johnson

 

[gerryvz]

I have a brand-new set of MB 126 tie rods and drag link that I got from MB last month, for the W126. I'll do the test on them and see what comes up.

I also have a new set of Lemforder tie rods and drag link for the E500 that I got many years ago (one of them is green). I will do a test on those, as well.

More soon….

View attachment 138263

My preliminary checks of brand new E500E and 560SEC tie rod and drag link ball joints didn't show ANY play in any of them. I will check them again with a different pair of channel-locks, as well as checking movement in a bench vise, but I am not detecting any discernable "up and down" movement in the ball joints at first try with a pair of channel-locks. This applies to both the 124 and 126 ball joints.

The labels from the Lemforder E500E tie rods, both show made in Germany. The drag link is a TRW item. One of the two tie rods is green. I believe these were ordered from AutohauZ in the 2012-2013 time frame.

The labels from the MB 560SEC tie rods and drag links show also made in Germany. I've already noted the manufacturers of them (Lemforder and HEYD) in another post.

 

[gerryvz]

Another check with a larger pair of channel-lock pliers on the 126 tie rod ball joint, also produced no play up and down. Of course the ball joints do move back and forth as appropriate.

 

[luckymike]

On my new, black HEYD for my SEC, I get about 1mm axial on one joint and about 2mm on the other. This from mboemparts.com.

 

[Jlaa]

NOTE: The test method described below may not apply to 126 steering links, see post #5 and #20 below.


I always used the side-to-side method for checking tie rod ends & drag link ends for play, yanking on the tire. The FSM procedure (click here) specifies to check the joints for play while turning the steering wheel back & forth ~4 inches.

However, @jhodg5ck had mentioned to check the joints with pliers as well. Sure enough, I had two bad drag links. Video below shows one of 'em, the other was similar. Both ends of the drag link had nearly identical play. The new drag link has zero vertical play.

For the 124.034/.036, the drag link is P/N is 124-460-14-05. New Lemforder drag links are made in Turkey and are suspiciously inexpensive. Genuine MB drag links for 034/036 are made in Germany with TRW ends/joints at 4x-5x the cost. Part numbers for the tie rod assemblies are in post #19 below.

Thanks for the tip, Jono!

View attachment 138134

Probably a dumb question ---- checking these joints requires removal of the plastic tray under the 036 correct? As well, no need to remove the front wheels?

 

[TerryA]

Probably a dumb question ---- checking these joints requires removal of the plastic tray under the 036 correct? As well, no need to remove the front wheels?

Yes, It's a piece of cake. Leave the wheels on. I jack the car up on one side high as possible. This will leave one front wheel on the ground. Just remove eight little bolts holding the tray. Start at the back near the transmission and work forward. Last bolt out should be on the high side. You might be able to see movement in the tie rod joints by having someone just turn the wheel while you watch below. As long as one front wheel is on the ground there will be enough resistance to show a loose joint.

Any movement sideways on a joint to me means it's bad. As far as a bad steering damper gsxr already explained that.

Also, the alignment tech would probably check these joints before doing any alignment.

 

[Jlaa]

Yes, It's a piece of cake. Leave the wheels on. I jack the car up on one side high as possible.

Thanks. May I ask where are you putting the jack stand if you use the jacking point for the jack?

This will leave one front wheel on the ground. Just remove eight little bolts holding the tray. Start at the back near the transmission and work forward. Last bolt out should be on the high side. You might be able to see movement in the tie rod joints by having someone just turn the wheel while you watch below.

May I ask if the car is running when you move the steering wheel?

As long as one front wheel is on the ground there will be enough resistance to show a loose joint.

Any movement sideways on a joint to me means it's bad. As far as a bad steering damper gsxr already explained that.

Also, the alignment tech would probably check these joints before doing any alignment.

 

[TerryA]

Thanks. May I ask where are you putting the jack stand if you use the jacking point for the jack?


May I ask if the car is running when you move the steering wheel?

Yes, BUT be Careful. Mske sure your in PARK w/ the EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED.
All you need to do is rock the steering wheel back and forth. Any movement in the joints will show up as you rock the steering wheel.
DO NOT TURN THE WHEEL.

MAKE A NOTE: Be sure the person behind the wheel is not pissed at you.

 

[luckymike]

I use a similar method but prefer to have an assistant move the raised wheel back and forth while I watch or even feel the various joints for play.

 

[Kyiv]

Thanks. May I ask where are you putting the jack stand if you use the jacking point for the jack?

Once the car is jacked on the jacking point, I put jack stand with a flat rubberized top under the chassis rail. Where the yellow arrow points. Then slightly lower the jack so that both shoulder the weight

 

[gezata]

Hi everyone, looking for some advice, both of my left tie rod ends are shot so was going to purchase the left tie rod assembly with part number A 124 330 20 03 however it appears that this part number is NLA at Mercedes, looked for the aftermarket Lemforder alternative with number (12569 01) however that one is also out of stock everywhere i checked.

The right assembly with part number A 129 330 03 03 is however available at Mercedes so was wondering if i can use it for the left side, has anyone tried that?

The only available Lemforder alternative is (10725 02) however the OE part number it matches to is A 124 330 08 03 which is not for a V8, so was wondering if that can be used as a last resort.

Thanks
Krum

 

[gerryvz]

Is it possible just to purchase new ends (ball joints) rather than the entire tie rod?

 

[gezata]

hi Gerry, only the outer ball joint for the left assembly with pn A 001 330 54 35 is available from Mercedes and it costs 30 Euros more than the whole right side assembly, the inner joint for the left assembly is also NLA. I ordered the whole right side tie rod assembly so will see what happens. Thanks

 

[Kyiv]

Sucky situation, for steering links to be NLA from MB and not available from Lemforder, to say the least..

 

[gsxr]

Sucky situation, for steering links to be NLA from MB and not available from Lemforder, to say the least..

I believe the left & right sides can be interchanged, if NLA.

And, the R129 equivalent left side should also work, and was available last I checked. We're not totally hosed.... yet.

 

[Jlaa]

NOTE: The test method described below may not apply to 126 steering links, see post #5 and #20 below.


I always used the side-to-side method for checking tie rod ends & drag link ends for play, yanking on the tire. The FSM procedure (click here) specifies to check the joints for play while turning the steering wheel back & forth ~4 inches.

However, @jhodg5ck had mentioned to check the joints with pliers as well. Sure enough, I had two bad drag links. Video below shows one of 'em, the other was similar. Both ends of the drag link had nearly identical play. The new drag link has zero vertical play.

For the 124.034/.036, the drag link is P/N is 124-460-14-05. New Lemforder drag links are made in Turkey and are suspiciously inexpensive. Genuine MB drag links for 034/036 are made in Germany with TRW ends/joints at 4x-5x the cost. Part numbers for the tie rod assemblies are in post #19 below.

Thanks for the tip, Jono!

View attachment 138134

Well!!!! After I investigated the slight rubbing noises in my steering assembly this past weekend (due to upside down drag link bolt on the R side) I decided to buy THE BIGGEST set of Channel Locks that Ace Hardware Offers. 16.5" of open jaw!

Guess what I found ---- This is the inner tie rod end on the R side of a w124.

@jhodg5ck @gsxr --- this movement is LESS than the movement that @gsxr shows in the video in post 1. However, it is still movement. Do you think this is bad? (Maaaaaaayyyyyyybbbbeee causing a *slight* oscilliation in the steering wheel at 73mph?)

 

[gsxr]

Well!!!! ... Guess what I found ---- This is the inner tie rod end on the R side of a w124.

@jhodg5ck @gsxr --- this movement is LESS than the movement that @gsxr shows in the video in post 1. However, it is still movement. Do you think this is bad? (Maaaaaaayyyyyyybbbbeee causing a *slight* oscilliation in the steering wheel at 73mph?)

IMO, since that is a tie rod end, it's not bad yet if there is no lateral movement, but it is on the way out. Could last thousands more miles though. On all the joints I've tested, I never found any visible play (as seen in your video) on a tie rod end... only on the drag link, which might be by design as @liviu165 explained above. On the bright side, you could replace only the inner tie rod end, as this is still available separately (link).

BTW, you are not applying a ton of pressure to the pliers, correct? Just a light one-hand squeeze?

That said, I believe it's very unlikely the vertical play will cause the microvibscillations you are experiencing. Possible, but unlikely.

 

[Jlaa]

IMO, since that is a tie rod end, it's not bad yet if there is no lateral movement, but it is on the way out. Could last thousands more miles though. On all the joints I've tested, I never found any visible play (as seen in your video) on a tie rod end... only on the drag link, which might be by design as @liviu165 explained above. On the bright side, you could replace only the inner tie rod end, as this is still available separately (link).

BTW, you are not applying a ton of pressure to the pliers, correct? Just a light one-hand squeeze?

That said, I believe it's very unlikely the vertical play will cause the microvibscillations you are experiencing. Possible, but unlikely.

Hmmmm … it is a one hand squeeze (other hand is holding the phone) …. Moderate pressure.

 

[Jlaa]

FYI. OE/Genuine tie rod assemblies purchased in the past 12 months, were all made in Germany by either HEYD or Lemforder, all painted black:

W124, non-V8:​

Left = 124-330-08-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Right = 124-330-09-03, painted black, made by Lemforder​

​

W124, V8:​

Left = 124-330-20-03, painted black, made by Lemforder​

Right = 129-330-03-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

​

R129:​

Left = 129-330-02-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

Right = 129-330-03-03, painted black, made by HEYD​

thank you! Since the w124 v8 L side tie rod is NLA, what is the appropriate substitute these days? The r129 one?

Left = 129-330-02-03, painted black, made by HEYD

 

[gsxr]

Hmmmm … it is a one hand squeeze (other hand is holding the phone) …. Moderate pressure.

Good. Light pressure is all you need. No point in stressing the joint internals. Joints with vertical play will move with very little pressure at all.

thank you! Since the w124 v8 L side tie rod is NLA, what is the appropriate substitute these days? The r129 one?

Left = 129-330-02-03, painted black, made by HEYD

This depends if you want to retain the original design with hex tube on the left side. If so, buy any of the above different V8/R129 tie rod assemblies and swap both new ends to the old hex tube. If you don't care about keeping the hex tube on the left, then you can use a right side (round tube) assembly on the left, they are identical AFAICT other than the tube design.

I still don't understand why the 034/036 had the hex tube on the left.

ALSO, contact your MB dealer and see if there are any of the 034/036 assemblies in stock anywhere. Earlier this year, there were still some available, left & right.

 

[Jlaa]

@gsxr thanks. I'm going to deploy the Lemf-German-made w124 v8 L and R tie-rod-assemblies that I have in my parts storage. I am looking to replenish my storage, so I will purchase:

- MB r129 v8 Left Tie rod assembly
- MB w124 v8 Right Tie rod assembly

I'll take pictures when they arrive.

 

[anderzen]

Here is a video on the tie rods for my 94’ E420.. I used lemf R129 inner and outers swapped onto stock tubes. Went pretty smooth and I was able to get the alignment pretty close for the time being.

How to Change Tie Rods - Mercedes E420 W124

 

[gsxr]

Here is a video on the tie rods for my 94’ E420.. I used lemf R129 inner and outers swapped onto stock tubes. Went pretty smooth and I was able to get the alignment pretty close for the time being.

As a temporary setting prior to dealer alignment, you can perform a rough measurement of toe with a tape measure across the tire treads. Compare front of tire vs rear of tire. You want approximately 1/8" toe-in, where the measurement at the front of the tire will be less/narrower vs the rear. This should be measured with the car on the ground, not in the air. Adjust the tie rods as needed to get in this ballpark, it may take multiple attempts. If the steering wheel is off center when driving, this can also be adjusted via trial & error - make small adjustments. A quarter-turn of the tie rod adjusting tubes will make a noticeable change in the steering wheel position.

All of the above is intended as a temporary setting while you are waiting for X weeks to get into the MB dealer for a full alignment... especially if you have good (or new!) tires. You might be surprised how far off the toe setting is after installing new tie rods!!

 

[anderzen]

Yea I had to adjust it once after to correct a left slanted steering wheel, alignment scheduled tomorrow with a local independent guru who I was lucky enough to find this summer.

On a side note I will definitely snag another driver’s side hex tube if I ever find one to use on the passenger side, makes adjustments sooo much easier.