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AIGroup
Regular
Date registered: Sep 2008
Location: Albany, NY
Vehicle(s): 1986 230GE Cabriolet
Posts: 58
| more swivel ball rust
I’ve searched the site - Dave provided the following guidance if the balls are rusting ' If the ball starts to show surface rust anywhere, or the "wet" portion of the ball falls below about the 2/3 level, then I'd add a little grease, like maybe 2-3 oz and keep an eye on it again.'
Here's my story - a guy working on my g replaces the cv joints are installed new ball wipers. He completed the work but bailed out on me, and short of disassembling the front end, I'm not sure if I can trust what he did.
The balls are rusty, but the wet/rust interface is vertical not horizontal. The front side of the ball is rusty, the back not so much. Any one want to speculate on what’s going on and what I need to be looking for, other than a new mechanic?
Please be gentle.
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Titus Pullo
Elite Veteran
Date registered: May 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Vehicle(s): '90 Wolf 240GD, '06 G270 CDI.
Posts: 1010
| RE: more swivel ball rust
first speculation: the ball wipes not properly installed. |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: more swivel ball rust
Titus Pullo - 3/30/2014 10:47 AM
first speculation: the ball wipes not properly installed.
From the blurry sb2 photo, DEFINITELY!
The washers on the bolts securing the holding ring are not original either. |
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AIGroup
Regular
Date registered: Sep 2008
Location: Albany, NY
Vehicle(s): 1986 230GE Cabriolet
Posts: 58
| Re: more swivel ball rust
Well I guess it's time to get acquainted with my project G.
Would welcome a PM from someone that would be willing to provide some guidance to fix this.
My larger concern is the cv joint 'repair'.
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Warren T
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: May 2006
Location: Montreal
Vehicle(s): 230GE,300GD,300D
Posts: 519
| Re: more swivel ball rust
It's hard to imagine someone going a sfar as removing the swivel housing and not
taking the time to sand down the axle ball and apply some grease on it by hand.
The seal will not survive very long on a ball this rusted.
Makes you wonder if housing is properly shimmed and wheel bearings adjusted.
This is one job that you want to do properly...
I still have a few sets of 463 swivels with bearings and CV joiuts left if anyone needs.
Warren
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chris505
Date registered: May 2007
Location: San Francisco
Vehicle(s): '79 280E/'80 280GE/'00 G500
| RE: more swivel ball rust
I would not recommend driving that truck any distance until you can be sure expensive items like hub, cv joint/housing and axle shaft/housing are safe from damage, from what I see in 2 photos nothing was done correctly. I can only imagine what horrors are lurking out of sight inside the cv housing.
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stubear334
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2009
Location: Montgomery, AL, USA
Vehicle(s): 1980 280GE, BMW 318Ti, Infiniti JX35
Posts: 169
| RE: more swivel ball rust
After performing my front end service, I wished I had pulled the entire axle off & set it on my kitchen table. After 28 years, you'll find the diff locker dog rusted as well. Go ahead & remove the ring & pinion & flush all the mud out!
Tip! Go to .com & purchase a rebuilt axle for $2,400. Sounds like a lot, but if your 3 drive axles are in good shape, you've cleared some hurdles. The parts to fully rebuilt a front axle is $500-$1,500. I bought a rebuilt transfer case from them & was very surprised. Their pricing is very reasonable & their expertise is 10 times yours & mine!
Stuart |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| RE: more swivel ball rust
From the pictures the seals are definitely not in correctly. As Chris notes, this calls everything else into question. Getting the seals fit properly while not falling off a log easy, is probably one of the easier portions of THIS job to get right. Also, getting the seals right is something that doesn't require a lot of special knowledge or tools, it just requires CARE and simple observation of what's right or not right. I'm afraid there's no easy way around it. I side with Chris, I'd have to re-do the whole job from start to finish. When you see something like this on the outside, it's ALWAYS evidence of worse issues going on inside.
That said, I wouldn't necessarily write off the swivel balls just yet. Polish them up, get everything else right, and then see if whatever weeping is there is too much for you.
When you get to the swivel seals, just be patient. Use the process I described in the CGW article. Only tighten each bolt about 1/2 turn at a time and work them in a star pattern, not around in a circle. As you go you may need to give the seal lip a little push if it seems to be squeezing out from under the retainer ring. What you're trying to do here is actually stretch the seal to be a larger diameter ring as you push it into place on the swivel ball. That's why you have to coax it very slowly and evenly into place, to accomplish this diameter stretching.
Take heart. The axle service written up in that article has been in place and untouched for well over 200,000 miles and still going strong with no additional play in the wheel bearings. I've added a little grease to the housings once or twice, but they've yet to be apart again since the process used in that article was applied.
Good luck!
-Dave G. |
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jmr89
Date registered: Nov 2012
Location: France
Vehicle(s): Class G W463 320Cab V6 >>Ancien 230 GE Cab 1990
| RE: more swivel ball rust
Hello
must deposit and replace the seals
must deposit and must pass the ball to paper 500 then 600 and finish with a 1200 water
then polish with paste and a disc drill
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stubear334
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2009
Location: Montgomery, AL, USA
Vehicle(s): 1980 280GE, BMW 318Ti, Infiniti JX35
Posts: 169
| Re: more swivel ball rust
Thank-you for that tip, jmr89. I should have polished my swivels when taken apart! I'll know next time.
Stuart |
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darcyocker
Veteran
Date registered: Mar 2008
Location: Cape Town South Africa
Vehicle(s): 1994 W463 G300 Diesel; 1981 W123 300D
Posts: 138
| RE: more swivel ball rust
Have you confirmed there is grease in the housings? The manual calls for 800g per side if I recall correctly.
Some of the later Gs came with chromed swivel housings. Once polished perhaps having them chromed might help the rust prevention. |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: more swivel ball rust
darcyocker - 4/3/2014 7:10 AM
Some of the later Gs came with chromed swivel housings. Once polished perhaps having them chromed might help the rust prevention.
Hard chrome plated swivel balls was a DM 205,-- factory option in 1984. I had it on my 1984 280GE. Made a big difference in how well it held up. |
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marbendill
Member
Date registered: Nov 2010
Location: Kópavogur, Iceland
Vehicle(s): 290 GDT (280GE) 1985
Posts: 35
| Re: more swivel ball rust
I have this same problem rusty swivels, because someone had assembled the gasket after the steel ring. I have grinded the swivels but they will never be the same  |
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