Tie Rod Replacement - C Class - W204 - Mercedes-Benz

Tie Rod Replacement Time: 3 hours Tab: $25 to $200 Talent: 2 Tools: 21mm, T30 Torx, large adjustable wrench, pliers, floor jack, jackstands, wheel chocks, safety glasses, lug wrench, torque wrench Applicable Models: Mercedes-Benz C250 (2012-14) Mercedes-Benz C300 (2008-14) Mercedes-Benz C350 (2008-14) Parts Required: Tie rods Hot Tip: Use a ball joint separator Performance Gain: Proper steering feel Complementary Modification: Have vehicle professionally aligned The tie rods on a vehicle do exactly what their title describes; they are rods that tie the steering rack to the steering knuckle. The rod has two ball joints on each end. These ball joints wear over time creating free-play in the steering, which can lead to tire wear and an undesirable steering feel. The rubber boots protecting the ball joints on the tie rod ends also can get damaged, rip and dry out over the years allowing the grease inside to escape and causing the joint to fail. You can replace the inner and outer separately. Just be sure to have your vehicle aligned once complete. To inspect, jack up the front of your vehicle. Wiggle the wheel in both directions of the steering axis. Take note of any free-play. If free-play is felt, repeat the wiggle test while holding the outer tie rod. If no free-play is felt in the outer tie rod end locate the inner tie rod, and repeat the wiggle test. Raise and support the front of the vehicle on jack stands. See our tech article on jacking up your vehicle. Remove the front wheel from the side of the vehicle you are replacing the tie rod on. Worn tie rods can cause all kinds of problems with your suspension, use this article to help change them out Applies to: C350 (2007-14), C180 (2007-14), C200 (2007-14), C230 (2007-14), C250 (2007-14), C280 (2007-14), C300 (2007-14), C320 (2007-14)