230SL Steering Play
I just completed the replacement of the plastic bushings to address steering play in my 1966 230SL and the results are very good. I thought with the task behind me, I might offer some pointers/advice for others who will at some time address this problem. Before I do, I will say thanks to this forum and the Technical Manual for helping me along the way. The manual describes a method that removes the steering coupling (2 – piece) between the steering gearbox (SG) and the steering column (SC). I began down this path but found the bolts securing each half of the coupling to be difficult to access and more importantly, very tight. I was concerned that the allen wrench was going to turn/slip in the socket head screw so I chose the different path of instead removing the cotter pins. This allows the halves to separate and avoids the issue of having to worry about alignment (characteristic to coupling removal).
As many know, the SG half and the SC half are not really “joined”. The SG half includes two each sockets where the bushings install, and the SC half has two pins that slide into the installed bushings. (Before doing this job, I couldn’t quite see how the bushings were a factor or even where they might go.) I found my old bushings were almost nonexistent. Although the actual gap at the bushing is probably limited to 0.125 ins, this multiples significantly by the larger steering wheel radius resulting with a lot of play.
Here are some pointers:
- Patience and diligence are required. The amount of room is very restricted and it’s tough to reach and see at the same time. A mirror is a must. (Foul language also seems to help.)
- The new bushings have a chamfer on one side. It’s important to install the chamfered edge first into the SG socket. Even then, the fit is tight. I used a small amount of grease in the socket and still had to coax the bushings fully into place. I did so using a piece of pine wood against the bushing and tapping gently on the other end with a hammer until they were properly seated.
- I had help turning the steering wheel pins to align with the installed bushings. (Recall that it is advisable to have the wheels turned off center so that the pitman arm clears the lower wishbone when pulling the SG away from the SC.)
- I used two large Phillips screwdrivers (with the round shaft) through the frame to find and hold the SG holes during reinstall. The SG is heavy and cumbersome to manipulate.
- Lastly, installing the new cotter pins is as difficult as removing the old ones due to very limited access and visuals.
The results are really good and the car is much more pleasurable to drive with the new bushings. I’m probably going to have to see a chiropractor to get my back correctly aligned but it was really a positive repair. It took me several hours, with the front of the car up on stands.
Harry
