OT: Mercedes 124 300E Brake wobble

[Rory535i]

Mercedes guys...

My old man has a problem with his merc. It's an '87 124 model 300E. Auto trans and about 100k(miles) on the clock.

the problem is that when you press the brake pedal you get a very slight pulsing like as if the ABS is cutting in slightly. we thought it was warped disks but after replacing the front and rears along with new pads it is still there. funny thing is that you don't get any wobble through the steering wheel. we disconnected the relays that control the ABS and that didn't work. we also clamped off the front and rear brakes seperately and took it for a drive but still no joy.

has anyone had similar experiences or know where the problem might lie?

[DaveVoorhis]

we thought it was warped disks but after replacing the front and rears along with new pads it is still there.
Did you try replacing the disks?

[Later...] Oops, sorry, I mis-read what you wrote. If the disks and pads are good, I'd suspect worn suspension bushings or joints causing vibration on braking.

[Tiger]

It is probably the lower control arms.... the bushings are shot... common problem on W124.

[Rory535i]

It is probably the lower control arms.... the bushings are shot... common problem on W124.

thanks, will look into it.

[Phatty5BMW]

I bought a '90 300e few months ago. PITA if you ask me... My E.H.A. valve doesnt work.. 400$ module. Beings the 300e is a competitor to the 535, it sucks....

If you know alot about these cars meyn you gotta help me out lol. This thing is a nightmare :)

About the brakes, no clue man.. Seems like benz just threw these things together.. Reminds me of my vw rabbits :)

-Pat

[Tiger]

Benz is not that hard... and yes I know all about it. I actually knows more about Mercedes than I do about BMW... BMW is soooo simple car to work with but got quirks that you have to know to get rid of problem.

[winfred]

get it on a jack and push/pull the wheel around and see what's loose, the outer ball joint can get incredibly sloppy, a complete new arm is around $300 but a ball joint is around $25 but you need a shop press and the right size bigass socket helps in pressing it in and out, the steering shock can screw with it too when worn out

[Rory535i]

get it on a jack and push/pull the wheel around and see what's loose, the outer ball joint can get incredibly sloppy, a complete new arm is around $300 but a ball joint is around $25 but you need a shop press and the right size bigass socket helps in pressing it in and out, the steering shock can screw with it too when worn out


i would have thought that if there were worn suspension parts causing it that you would the wobble through the steering wheel. you can only feel it through the pedal.

i'll mention it to the old man, we have a hoist and bench press etc so ball joints aren't a problem.

thanks

[winfred]

well, i've gotten defective name brand new rotors before, you could play with a dial indicator and see if you got a turd

[Rory535i]

well, i've gotten defective name brand new rotors before, you could play with a dial indicator and see if you got a turd

yeah funny u say that coz i borrowed one on friday and we're gonna whip the wheels off on monday morning and see how much run-out they have.

[winfred]

don't forget to throw a couple lugs in to secure the rotor, i can't remember if the 124 has those pain in the ass back bolted rotors on the front like the 126 and older cars, i think they are pop off's like a 190 and need a few lugs with maybe a few washers each to keep the rotor tight on the hub, same for the rear

[Rory535i]

yep, put them all in just to make sure it's on properly

[Rory535i]

winfred i refaced the disks today and the wobble has gone. they were spinning true but the surface of them was uneven if you know what i mean? bit shocking for brand new disks!

anyway the old man is happy again so thanks for all your help and suggestions

[winfred]

were they brembo's? i've gotten a few sets on various cars that had a thickness variation, and a **** load of ate's a year or two ago that must of been made from old lawn furnature, it was weird but it almost looked like the surface of the rotor was smeering

[Rory535i]

they had no brand on them, weird huh.