Here's how I did mine - ignore the angle grinder wire brush attachment - that picture confuses...

How I ended up fitting the bushings to my W123 300D LCA

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

When I replaced the rear sub frame and trailing arm bushings, I used Sil-glyde. http://www.amazon.com/SILGLYDE-LUBE-COMPOUND-8-OZ/dp/B000KXLR5E


I tried using KY gelly on the Sub Frame bushings, but they wouldn`t seat all the way in. I already had the Sil-Glyde, so the next morning I pulled the bushings back out after having them compressed with the bushing installer all night.

cleaned off the KY, and with this stuff, they went right in.

In July I stopped at JT20`s and gave him a hand with his bushings. he used a Silicone spray, and they also went right in.

Charlie

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1) Not much power
2) Even less power
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Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

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My local NAPA had a tube, good stuff.

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83 SD

84 CD

Damn it I forgot you all live in a country with choice!

I can't get the stuff here - I have to just keep on shoving with the KY...

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

thats a great idea!

Tehehehe that's what she said.

Back on track. Part number for the w126 version? edit: W0133-1624590

Methinks I'm going to go with the w126 bushings. Do they need to be flared like the w123 bushings? The w126 install instructions on the wiki don't mention it but I wanted to be sure.

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1991 300D 2.5 "Rocinante"
2002 Golf TDI "Teen Spirit"
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1984 300D
1966 Mustang I6 3sp
1985 Mazda RX-7 GSLSE
1982 Toyota Supra
1977 Datsun 280z
1971 Datsun 240z

I just ordered the 126 front lower control arms bushings for my '85 w123 300TD.
http://catalog.peachparts.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1985-Mercedes--Benz-380se-Suspension&yearid=1985%40%401985&makeid=63%40%40MERCEDES+BENZ%40%40X&modelid=6246%3AED|10000053%3AMBC|1525%40%40380SE&catid=241464%40%40Suspension&subcatid=241505@@Control+Arm+Bushing+Kit&mode=PD
In doing some reading, it looks like the original 123 bushings need to be installed in a certain orientation (tabs on the rubber).
Do the 126 bushings need to be installed in a specific directional orientation? I do not have the bushings in hand to see if it would be obvious, and I haven't been able to find any pics in my service manual. Any help, pics, or links showing this would be appreciated.
Jon

Just an FYI. The diff can be replaced without dropping the subframe. I put my 2.88 in without dropping it a couple years ago..

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
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1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Help! I could really use an answer to my question above.
I got the bushings today, and there are 2 flat sides to the "center" part of the bushing. Since I have a 123, and the bushings are the 126 "upgrade", I can't compare to my old ones for orientation.
Do the flats of the 126 bushings go in the same orientation as the "tabs" on the 123 bushings?
I am doing this job today/this weekend, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
(yes, i have continued to search, but can't find a definitive answer)
thanks!
Jon

DIY W126 Guide Rod, lower control arm bushing and Eccentric Pin Replacement

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

hi John
thanks for the link, but i did not see a mention of orientation of the flats of the LCA bushing, only
"Drive out the old inner control arm bushing.
Install the new inner control arm bushing.
Install the new inner control arm bushing caps,"



i did find this thread which has a pic of 126 bushings being installed, and the "flats" look like they are vertical when installed. this does make sense, since the "rounded" sides of the bushing would be on the sides that take the most force (supporting the arm/suspension/twist). i would just like confirmation of this.
Lower Control Arm Project

picture attached

FYI, you have e-mail.

.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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thanks to everyone for all your help, now work can proceed!

well, i don't know if i totally messed up, or if i got lucky installing the bushing and caps in the lower control arm. trying to install 126 lower control arm bushings in to a 123 control arm.
the inner bushing went in rather easily using a shop press. the caps, on the other hand, led to lots of cursing, tool modification/ingenuity, and eventually the use of my super huge bench vise after the shop press turned out to be a wasted adventure in futility.
disclaimer -i have never done this before, so i don't know what the end result should be.
the bushing kit is a Lemforder kit.
i pressed in and centered the central bushing so that it stuck out evenly on both sides of the control arm. i used napa sil-glyde as a lubricant.
i then tried numerous methods to get the caps to seat. finally, i got them to start evenly while compressing everything in my vise.
the caps seated on the central tube of the bushing, on both ends.
neither of the metal parts of the caps seated fully into the comtrol arm
the rubber of the cap compressed as the cap seated on to the inner sleeve of the bushing.
the control arm fits in the bracket of the body by hand, with minimal wiggle, less than 1mm clearance (total) between caps and bracket on body.

thoughts or comments appreciated. i am not worried about hearing bad news. if i need to buy another bushing kit and start over, that is fine. if i got lucky and that is how it is supposed to be, then great, i can get everything assembled.
thanks for any help.
jon

caps installed. one end (right in picture) sticks out a little more than the other, but both caps are seated on the sleeve of the bushing.


compressed rubber of installed cap versus rubber of uninstalled cap.


cap seated on sleeve of bushing.


fitment into bracket on body.