The passenger side front lower ball joint boot is torn so I ordered these from AutoZone per Bill Grissom's recommendation:

Energy Suspension/Ball Joint Boot 5.13102R - Read Reviews on Energy Suspension #5.13102R

I jacked the front right tire up off the ground and yanked on the tire in both the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. I then grabbed the tire at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions and yanked. Everything felt solid, very very little play.

The Energy Suspension ball joint boots are scheduled to arrive late Tuesday. In the mean time, I've taken the boot off and slathered on some Amsoil Series 2000 grease onto the lower ball joint and then wrapped the ball joint with duct tape. The car still squeaks when going down the road.

I have some Boeshield T9 Bicycle lubricant that I'm thinking of using to try and quiet things down a bit. I'm thinking of wiping off the Amsoil grease and then applying the T9 lubricant.

Anyone have any other ideas to properly re-grease/lubricate the lower ball joint?

http://www.amazon.com/Boeshield-T-9-Waterproof-Lubrication-liquid/dp/B000GE1F9K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451945475&sr=8-2&keywords=Boeshield+T9

When my ball joints made noise, I just squirted in some light oil and worked the suspension. That lubricated them enough that they stopped seizing up and squeaking.

These were my ball joints when I replaced them.
http://youtu.be/eBIm__LVkEM

I do not recommend just replacing the boots. Once the boot is compromised, the joint will fail soon after. You need to replace the joints to prevent catastrophic failure. Watch my video and you'll see how much play my joints had. Since the suspension is loaded by the spring, you'll never feel that play until you compress the spring like I did when I replaced them.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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I replace one Boot that was torn and had like 2 Years of it being Torn and I have yet to bother replacing the other Boot (I do have 2 new Lower Ball Joints for when the time comes to replace them).
So I obviously don't see any reason to replace a Ball Joint until it is actually no good.

But, I realize other think differently.

What it shows in one of My Suspension Books when the Ball Joint arangements are as they are on the Mercedes is to get the Lower Control Arm on a Jack or Jack stand and have the Wheel off the Ground.

One way is to pry up on the Wheel and watch the Ball Joint to see if there is up and down play.

With the Lower Control Arm jacked as previousl mentiong if the Wheel is removed and since the Boot is now Duct Tape you can remove the Tape and pry between the Ball Joint and the Steering Knuckle and see if you get up and down movement.

When you let the weight of the Vehicle rest on the Lower Control Arm and Jack Stand (or use a Jack under it) it relieves enough of the tension from the spring to check the Lower Ball Joint. and I think the upper one also.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Failed boot = failed joint

A broken ball joint is catastrophic. It will cause immediate loss of control of the vehicle, and depending on which side breaks it could send you right into oncoming traffic or off a cliff. Once a joint starts MAKING NOISE it is ready to fail at any time.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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There is no way that you can tell if the ball joint is truly good using this procedure.

You will have to do the procedure of what D-911 described or this procedure I show in this video I made.
http://youtu.be/93ib1nxE0Ao

If you find the joint solid by using this procedure along with verifying the joint inside is free of rust rust and not filled with sand/debris, then you can reboot it.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I used your video to test my ball joint and it had no play or rust. Replaced just the boot with a Energy Suspension boot. See post #35 needed work: engine mount, shifter bushings and driver's side lower ball joint

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

On some models it can be catastrophic, but not W123. I drove around with a torn boot creaky lower ball joint on my 83 for 2 years before replacing it. The creaking finally annoyed me enough as it got worse so I replaced it, not because it was in any imminent catastrophe.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

If you have any play at all in the BJ, replace it while the steering knuckle is off. If you have no play, but it still creaks after greasing, then the grease is not getting to where it creaks. A thinner lube may get in and stop the creak, but for how long will it work? While the knuckle is off, you could try drilling out the bottom of the BJ and install a grease nipple to squeeze some grease in there where it's needed (grease nipple cannot be installed with knuckle installed- no room).

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

If the joint is loaded, it can break. If your joints were making noise, they were ready to snap. You might have went to turn into Walmart and the joint let go on you, shoving the tire up into the fender and ruining the parts involved. I witnessed exactly this, and it was catastrophic.

Luck should not be disguised as success.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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Is there a thread that you can point to the shows where someone had the Lower Ball Joint snap on a W123.

I have seen one pic and I don't recall if it was on this forum where the Ball Joint pulled out of the Socket. However, the Ball turned out to be heavily corroded.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Someday; but it won't fail right away.

I am 60+ years old and have never seen anyone that drove on paved roads break a ball joint in normal driving. I have known people that have had the pop out but the way the Spring and Ball joints were arranged was different.

If the Joint is creaking but you need to check it. If there is no play in it then it should not be worn enough to fail. Relubing it sould be enough to get it back on the Road.

At least 2 Members have done that.

If you think the stuff you said is scary when I was in the Brake Shop at Trade School we did a week of free checking on Peoples Brakes. 85% of the People that came in had bad Brakes. Does that mean that somewhere close to 85% of the Cars on the road have bad brakes?

Like I said other People think differently then me. Also no one has to listen or follow what I say.

If either of mine fail I will try to find this thread and post that.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Define "break". All worn ball joints I have seen were simply loose because the ball had worn and was rusted from having no grease or boot. One (65 Dart) had ~1/8" axial play but the ball still wasn't worn enough to come out of the socket. All I have seen are forged steel, which usually bends before it cracks. They are loaded w/ the ball pushed into the socket, so the tire would have to go airborne (i.e. Dukes of Hazard) before even a totally worn ball could pop out. You are correct that it would be most likely to fail in a parking lot, turning slow and driving over curbs, since that is where the greatest forces occur, as your power steering straining informs you. Anyway, ball joints aren't rocket science and simple to tell if one is still good. I wonder if the squeaking is even coming from it, especially since it was greased.

Some guys here were ranting about a temp lower control arm repair I did to drive home, stating imagined horrors. I did a little research and found many cases of LCA failure but none did more than cause the car to drop down and quickly drag to a stop on the K-frame, oil pan, or a jammed tire. No total loss of steering or such. I can imagine much worse scenarios on a lifted 4 wheeler or motorcycle. A lower ball joint failure would be similar. The spindle would still be connected at the top and at the steering linkage, and you could still steer with the other front tire.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Jeez you guys, really?

CV axles, tie rod ends, and ball joints with failed boots are contaminated with water and dirt, and need to be replaced.

I don't really see how your personal age and witnessed failures have anything to do with the issue. It's fact. I've seen a broken ball joint after the fact, and I actually witnessed one break right before my eyes at 40mph in a turn. Both were CATASTROPHIC and repairs were extensive. I'm much younger than you guys, and apparently I've seen more of these failures than you.

You're free to do whatever you want with your cars guys. Whatever you please. However, post correct info on this and that your OPINION is that you can leave a joint until it breaks before replacing it. Noisy ball joints are extremely close to failure, extremely. The 124 and 201 load ball joints even in a straight line. They can break at any time. Break means snap at the post & ball mating point or pulling the ball straight out of the cup.

Everyone says "A CV axle witha split boot is bad and not rebootable" yet they think you can reboot a ball joint that's been contaminated with water and mud... Seriously?

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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Failed Ball Joint at 110K miles.

Borrowing a 300E 2.8 for the week

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/vintage-mercedes/368173-ball-joint-took-diiiiiiive.html


Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

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

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I assure you, if the ball joint lets go, you are not steering the car anymore... If you are moving above driveway speeds, you would need a new wheel. Fender and tire minimum... More likely, it could total the car.

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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 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!