General Information

General information that applies to various different repair procedures is listed here instead of repeating it multiple times throughout the Service Information. They apply to this repair information.

• When installing waxed components, contact surfaces must be cleaned. Contact surfaces must be free of wax and grease.
• Welding or adjustment procedures are not permitted on load-bearing or wheel-controlling components.
• Always avoid exposing the coil springs to the following: Hammer strokes, welding beads, applying subsequent color codes.
• Do not perform any welding or grinding (separating work) near the coil springs or suspension struts. Cover coil springs or suspension struts if necessary.
• When loosening or removing and installing hydraulic, pneumatic lines or wires, draw sketches or take pictures. This ensures installation is the same as the original.
• If the cable ties, brackets or mounting elements were removed during the repair procedure, they must be installed at their original location that corresponds to the series production.
• Apply a thin coat of assembly paste to the splines on the outer joint before installing the outer joint in the wheel hub. Refer to the appropriate Electronic Parts Information.
• Never allow the drive axle to hang loose under the vehicle or to bend them at the joints during repair procedures.
• Vehicles without a drive axle must not be moved, otherwise the wheel bearing will be damaged. If a vehicle must be moved, be sure to note the following:
• Install an outer joint in place of the drive axle.
• Tighten the outer joint to 200 Nm.
• Bonded rubber bushings have a limited torsional range. Only tighten the threaded connections for the suspension when the vehicle is in curb weight position.
• If only the bonded rubber bushing is damaged in components with a bonded rubber bushing, replace the bushing separately if it can be obtained as an original part.
• Replacing an entire component that contains a bonded rubber bushing is only permitted if the base body or the joint, for example, is damaged.
• Lift the wheel bearing in curb weight position. Refer to WHEEL BEARING IN CURB WEIGHT POSITION, LIFTING VEHICLES WITH COIL SPRING .
• If the vehicle must still have an axle alignment, only tighten the bolts and nuts that were loosened when making adjustments to the tightening specification. Tighten the bolts and nuts to the specified additional tightening angle after the alignment/adjustment is complete.