Should I just do the whole lot?

goz83

Have an 03 E200

NCT fail a week ago on passenger side front ball joint. Inhad oreviously ordered a complete front lower arm suspension kit on ebay for €100, so excellent value. The plan was change the lower support arm, because they give issues and this was preventative maintenance. Luckily the lower ball joint came with the kit, but the track rod ends and some other support bar came in the kit. Should I have these fitted too while the other bits are getting done? I could sell the track rod ends on ebay for around €50, but would kick myself if I needed to replace them within a year or so.

I put different OEM alloys on the car after the NCT and have been told I should get the car tracked after the ball joints are done. Is this necessary after doing lower ball joints?

George Dalton

What brand are the parts you bought?

In my experience cheap steering and suspension components are of very poor quality and don't last. So the parts that are currently in your car will most likely outlast the cheap new stuff.

Yes you should get the tracking checked after replacing the balljoint(s)

goz83

George Dalton wrote: »

What brand are the parts you bought?

In my experience cheap steering and suspension components are of very poor quality and don't last. So the parts that are currently in your car will most likely outlast the cheap new stuff.

Yes you should get the tracking checked after replacing the balljoint(s)

Here is a link to the same kit I ordered.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/RAG-QUERLENKER-SATZ-6-TEILE-VA-MERCEDES-BENZ-SL-E-KLASSE-W211-S211-/261793235492?

George Dalton

No brand mentioned? I wouldn't put that sort of sh1te into a car if I got it for free tbh.

goz83

I figured with 100% positive feedback and the parts coming from Germany, it can't be bad. The OE suspension parts aren't great quality. Seems that pretty much any after market part is superior to them from what I have read. I am specifically referring to the support arms and ball joints.

George Dalton

In fairness the 100% feedback isn't any reflection of the longevity of the product. How many people are going to wait 20,000 miles before leaving feedback? The positive feedback means the seller delivers the product as described and on time, doesn't mean the product is any good!

In my opinion OE or OEM are the best you are going to get. My opinion isn't based on what I read or on brand snobbery or anything like that. It's based on my hard earned experience of having to take back out cheap suspension components out of customer's cars after a short space of time and replace them at my own expense.

The two old sayings "buy cheap buy twice" and "you get what you pay for" are especially applicable when it comes to steering and suspension components in my experience.

A genuine Mercedes (made by Lemforder) balljoint for a W211 is €55, a Lemforder balljoint is €35. So in my opinion €70 is the minimum spend needed to just buy a pair of quality balljoints. €100 for that kit of 2 balljoints plus 4 suspension arms means the stuff is pure crap, I would be 100% sure of that.

goz83

Hmmmmm. I may well sell the kit on so, but I might have no choice but to fit the ball joints, as the nct is in a week and i've not got the spare cash to spend on more parts.

George Dalton

Yes you may as well fit the balljoints but if I were you I wouldn't fit any of the other parts. To quote another old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" would be applicable in this case :pac:

goz83

George Dalton wrote: »

Yes you may as well fit the balljoints but if I were you I wouldn't fit any of the other parts. To quote another old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" would be applicable in this case :pac:

And if I happen to find spare change down the side of the sofa, i assume these are what you recommend for the front lower suspension? http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Ball-Joint-Mercedes-W211-Front-Down-Outside-Lemforder-33773-Oe-211-330-04-35-/191371069853?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_205&hash=item2c8e9ac99d

George Dalton

Yes those are the lads you want

goz83

George Dalton wrote: »

Yes those are the lads you want

Thanks. Will try get those and sell the other ones on

goz83

Every motor factors i have called are selling Febi joints. Only artane auto do Lemforder but they want €45 a piece. :mad:

I see a set on ebay which would cost €70 delivered, but they might nit arrive on time, as i am getting the workmdone Sunday. Aaaargh.

166man

If you can stretch to the €45 quid ones and return the other kit or flog it for €60, you'd be far better off.

I went down the OE route with my Alfa. All wishbones front and rear, upper and lower all replaced with TRW parts. Also did drop links and track rod ends too.

I do not want to have to be doing this same job again in 6 months time. There's also the satisfaction of putting new genuine parts into the car too.

For €45 per side for peace of mind you'd be mad not to.

goz83

Couldn't get my hands on Lemforder, or Meyle. The local Atlas recommended Febi parts, so I got those ordered from the motor factors. €65 for 2 ball joints.

Denis Mahony want €54+ vat per side. Rip off!!!

166man

goz83 wrote: »

Couldn't get my hands on Lemforder, or Meyle. The local Atlas recommended Febi parts, so I got those ordered from the motor factors. €65 for 2 ball joints.

Denis Mahony want €54+ vat per side. Rip off!!!

Not sure if Febi are going to be much better than what you already have in the set!

€54 ex vat for a genuine Mercedes Part from a main dealer isn't wildly out of line, again, you get what you pay for.

goz83

166man wrote: »

Not sure if Febi are going to be much better than what you already have in the set!

€54 ex vat for a genuine Mercedes Part from a main dealer isn't wildly out of line, again, you get what you pay for.

I trust the mechanic who suggested to get Febi brand parts.

I do think that €54+ vat is excessive, considering I could order Lemforder oem joints for €70 delivered from Germany. anyone who thinks it's OK to double the retail price may as well order the lube too.

unkel

goz83 wrote: »

I trust the mechanic who suggested to get Febi brand parts.

Are the lads in Atlas mechanics? I didn't think they were.

stimpson

unkel wrote: »

Are the lads in Atlas mechanics? I didn't think they were.

Cowboys more like.

I've orders Meyle suspension bits from http://www.allgermanparts.co.uk before. They were very reasonable and were better than the OEM parts that came off the car. Drop links were twice as thick with bigger ball joints.

I had to ring them to get a price delivered to Parcel Motel but they were sound to deal with on the phone.

challengemaster

stimpson wrote: »

Cowboys more like.

I've orders Meyle suspension bits from http://www.allgermanparts.co.uk before. They were very reasonable and were better than the OEM parts that came off the car. Drop links were twice as thick with bigger ball joints.

I had to ring them to get a price delivered to Parcel Motel but they were sound to deal with on the phone.

Most of the suspension in my E46 came from these guys too.

corsav6

Just took a set of knocking febi drop links out of a 05 astra after only 9 months use. Replaced with Moog now and I don't expect much longer than the febi out of them.

166man

unkel wrote: »

Are the lads in Atlas mechanics? I didn't think they were.

He trusted the same chap who will advise you and I to put Triangles on our car because all the taxi men are using them...;)

Says it all really.

goz83

stimpson wrote: »

Cowboys more like.

I've orders Meyle suspension bits from http://www.allgermanparts.co.uk before. They were very reasonable and were better than the OEM parts that came off the car. Drop links were twice as thick with bigger ball joints.

I had to ring them to get a price delivered to Parcel Motel but they were sound to deal with on the phone.

I did want the Meyle heavy duty ones to begin with, but they were out of stock. Lemforder recommended here, out of stock, or get shafted with main dealer prices. With the tiny mileage I do, any ball joint should last me a long while. With my bad back, I drive very conservatively too, so the car gets an easy life off me.

I'll see how I get on anyway.

George Dalton

Moog = Crap
Febi = A bit better but nowhere near Lemforder or TRW
Meyle = About on a par with Febi

pred racer

goz83 wrote: »

I did want the Meyle heavy duty ones to begin with, but they were out of stock. Lemforder recommended here, out of stock, or get shafted with main dealer prices. With the tiny mileage I do, any ball joint should last me a long while. With my bad back, I drive very conservatively too, so the car gets an easy life off me.

I'll see how I get on anyway.

I've put Febi suspension parts in my car, pure ****e, started knocking again in 2 weeks. Ones from GSF were a little better at 10k km.
Oem Alfa ones still going strong after 18 months (I think they are trw)
And my suspension works hard

stimpson

George Dalton wrote: »

Moog = Crap
Febi = A bit better but nowhere near Lemforder or TRW
Meyle = About on a par with Febi

The Meyle HD stuff is highly recommended on the Volvo forums. Apparently the drop links last 4 to 5 times longer than the Volvo ones.

challengemaster

George Dalton wrote: »

Moog = Crap
Febi = A bit better but nowhere near Lemforder or TRW
Meyle = About on a par with Febi

Surprising, I'd have put Meyle/HD stuff on par with Lemforder from my experience with them