Mstrshkbrnnn
New member
- Joined
- May 16, 2020
- Location
- Seattle, WA
So to start off, I recently did a refresh of the front suspension on my 88 245. First, I installed ipd poly end link bushings. Im doing so, I noticed the sway bar sat better on the driver side, than the passenger. After investigating for a while I realized the passenger control arm had the slightest upward facing bow in it. Ordered a new control arm, along w poly bushings and new strut mounts.
In replacing all those parts, I ended up having to purchase a new driver side control arm as the old bushing was seized in it. I put it in the shop press and got the pressure up to 4000 psi and it didnt budge. I heated it with a torch for a long time and it didnt budge. I used an air hammer on it for over 30 minutes and it didnt budge. I replace both control arms, and replace their bushings as well in the process. I also replaced both strut mounts as both of mine were completely shot and almost completely torn through, as well as the ball joints. I made sure to tighten everything to spec, and greased up everything needing to be greased.
The day I finished installing everything, I didnt have time to align it so I just drove it home. Alignment wasnt as bad as I expected when it came to tracking the car down the road, but I noticed a lot more noise coming from the front end than usual. Not the typical amount of extra noise associated w poly bushings, but a hard metallic clunk coming from the passenger side. I got paranoid and assumed I left something lose but that wasnt the case. Did some reading and decided to not set my mind on any one factor until I aligned it so that I could rule alignment out. Found somewhere here that it could possibly have been my subframe bolts coming lose?
Today, after work, I aligned the car, and obviously, everything was super out of spec. Camber, caster, and toe were all ****ed. On the passenger side, I had to max out my camber setting to get it in the green, while driver side isnt maxed out. Also, my caster was wayyyyyyy off, and different from passenger to driver side. One more positive, and one more negative. Driver side wheel sits closer to the front of the car while passenger wheel sits closer to the rear of the car. Alignment machine said there is not caster adjustment on 240 series cars so I thought maybe my subframe is loose and its shifter. Attempted to tighten the bolts and they hardly turned, and I used quite a bit of strength to try and turn them. Gave them some ugga duggas to be safe.
Could the clunk and caster issues be the same? Why is my caster so off? Should I attempt to reposition the subframe until my caster reads in spec?
Let it be known, Ive owned the car only a few months, and in the time Ive owned it, the alignment has always been off. It used to pull to the right a bit hard when the steering wheel was straight, but now just barely pulls to the left as I drive. This old car **** is very rewarding but also very very very very very very very very very frustrating.
In replacing all those parts, I ended up having to purchase a new driver side control arm as the old bushing was seized in it. I put it in the shop press and got the pressure up to 4000 psi and it didnt budge. I heated it with a torch for a long time and it didnt budge. I used an air hammer on it for over 30 minutes and it didnt budge. I replace both control arms, and replace their bushings as well in the process. I also replaced both strut mounts as both of mine were completely shot and almost completely torn through, as well as the ball joints. I made sure to tighten everything to spec, and greased up everything needing to be greased.
The day I finished installing everything, I didnt have time to align it so I just drove it home. Alignment wasnt as bad as I expected when it came to tracking the car down the road, but I noticed a lot more noise coming from the front end than usual. Not the typical amount of extra noise associated w poly bushings, but a hard metallic clunk coming from the passenger side. I got paranoid and assumed I left something lose but that wasnt the case. Did some reading and decided to not set my mind on any one factor until I aligned it so that I could rule alignment out. Found somewhere here that it could possibly have been my subframe bolts coming lose?
Today, after work, I aligned the car, and obviously, everything was super out of spec. Camber, caster, and toe were all ****ed. On the passenger side, I had to max out my camber setting to get it in the green, while driver side isnt maxed out. Also, my caster was wayyyyyyy off, and different from passenger to driver side. One more positive, and one more negative. Driver side wheel sits closer to the front of the car while passenger wheel sits closer to the rear of the car. Alignment machine said there is not caster adjustment on 240 series cars so I thought maybe my subframe is loose and its shifter. Attempted to tighten the bolts and they hardly turned, and I used quite a bit of strength to try and turn them. Gave them some ugga duggas to be safe.
Could the clunk and caster issues be the same? Why is my caster so off? Should I attempt to reposition the subframe until my caster reads in spec?
Let it be known, Ive owned the car only a few months, and in the time Ive owned it, the alignment has always been off. It used to pull to the right a bit hard when the steering wheel was straight, but now just barely pulls to the left as I drive. This old car **** is very rewarding but also very very very very very very very very very frustrating.
