W116 280SE drag link and tie rod ends

My next job on the 280SE project was replacing the drag link and tie rod ends. Of the six ball joins in the steering, two were really bad, and the others were all quite old. In addition, I planned to replace the idler arm while I was there. The rubber was old and cracking so it was definitely due for it. I already had the worn steering coupling replaced, so this should renew the steering feel as much as possible.

For this job, I went with Lemforder parts. They are a lot cheaper than genuine and I have had very […]

280CE Tie rod replacement

The 280CE was making a knocking sound while steering and it had failed its rego due to a bad tie rod, necessitating a replacement. The job is not that difficult, especially if you have the right tools. There are a few good resources on the Internet, but a few things I found:

I couldn’t remove the ball joints with a pickle fork, but it was straightforward with the specialty tool. Raising the car off its wheels put more stress on the joints making the job harder, ramps were easier The joints will break free suddenly, so be careful

Ideally […]