Merc snapped an axle
 

Was driving the wagon the other day when there was a loud boom and the car stopped driving. AAA got me home, a little troubleshooting and it looked like a bad drive axle CV joint. Getting it apart, in fact the axle snapped in half. In the pics below, you can see older rust on the rotational shear and really explains the loud boom.

Axles are crazy cheap and easy to put in, but I think the transmission grenaded in some way when the axle snapped. You can put the car in R, N, D, 3, 2 and everything works as expected, or at least with the car stationary and the drive axle off.

When you try to put it back into park, you get a loud metallic flap like a card in bike spokes as something is slowing down the drive shaft. If you let the car sit in N for a second and then quickly put into Park, there's very little, if any, of this noise.

Anyone every hear a sound like that? Looks like I have a nice parts car now.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315866195.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315866207.jpg

What you are hearing is because there is no shaft in there so the transmission never stops spinning. Stop trying to do that before the park pawl strips away completely.

I know u posted it but forgot what Mercedes model u have..... '99?

Thank you! Only did it 4 times to test and listen. New axle coming on Wednesday. Love this car, was worried I would have to give it up.

It's a 94 E320 Wagon.

I've done it before too - everything will be back to normal with a new axle. Did you drop the transmission pan and replace filter, gasket, and fluid? Its easy on a Benz and it is the one thing you need to do to make sure the vehicle lasts a lifetime. Get the fluid at Carquest and it will be dirt cheap.

Does the park pawl have anything to do with how far the car rolls after it's been parked? It can roll several inches after back parking with an abrupt stop. I am typically careful to let it slowly roll with the brake on softly.

The fluid was changed 2 years ago. Should I do it again?

The amount it rolls is directly proportional to the pawl. If it was done 2 years ago but it wasn't done by you then I would do it once more and then it will literally be the last time you touch the transmission until it needs replacement (if it needs that even).

OK, thank you, I'll take care of it.

Any ideas on how/why the axle snapped?

You need to stop doing neutral drops when you drag race the ricers. ;)

Shaun, it's best not to do that, as it puts a load on the park pawl. This can lead to damage of the pawl or shift linkage when disengaging park, since the pawl is locked into place by the torsional load. It's best to stop, shift into park, and then apply the e-brake to prevent it from rolling against the park stop.

That looks like my male dog after a long night chasing the neighbors b!tch!

With a slush box, you want the weight on the parking brake, not the trans. When I drive the wife's truck, it is stop, shift into neutral, apply parking brake, foot off brake pedal, then shift to park.

Pretty trippy it would snap like that, maybe a defective one, but that is pretty odd

Agreed, but that means I have to get in there and free up the emergency brake cables. :) Which we are doing, I think I'm putting on new rear calipers as well.

Good news that it is nothing major (x-fingers). The 911 is not exactly, I'd say, date-ready.

I've seen this before but never on a 124. That halfshaft must have been hit and then corroded. Replace the halfshaft, which can be done without removing the diff pretty easily, and see how it goes. I bet it will be alright. Changing the tranny oil and filter is always a good idea so that you can look at it yourself.

You fared OK, no? :D

In terror of being analized by some random floorpan bolt . . . But maybe the right kind of girl would like that . . . And she's your "keeper"!

AND with THAT...we've officially traveled over to the Other Side...the TMI Side...

Goodbye to sanity, goodbye to dreams not filled with images of jyl being raped by a car, goodbye to all that is decent and clean in this world...

:p

The Merc's back seat is more ergonomic than the 911's...

Well, I thought the thread jumped the shark with the canine penis comment/caption. But then again, that's just me...

QUOTE=Tobra: With a slush box, you want the weight on the parking brake, not the trans. When I drive the wife's truck, it is stop, shift into neutral, apply parking brake, foot off brake pedal, then shift to park.


That's how it should be done. I wish I could get my wife to do it when she drives her car (with a slush box). She's gonna snap that pawl someday.

If Shaun actually had seats in his 911 - other than the driver's race bucket - I wouldn't have been, err, clenching. Let's add carpet, defroster, seat belts, door panels to the list of "date-ready" must-haves. But, hey, someday he'll find a smokin' gal who likes, err, clenching.

This was my last girlfriend, but unfortunately she wasn't a keeper. :(

close though, but that's the subject of another thread.


Once I weld in the roll bar, those things are coming but would it matter? Date last Sunday, wonderful picnic in the arboretum, she really wanted to drive the car (we met there), but uh, wasn't going to fit in the fixed back seat. No more face-pic only dates!

uh, wasn't going to fit in the fixed back seat. No more face-pic only dates!

If only you had the MBZ station wagon.

Sure, and blow out what's left of my rear shocks.

Sure, and blow out what's left of my rear shocks.

No tow hitch?

(Yes, I'm ashamed of myself.)

Shaun, I'm a little disappointed...

When you said Merc I envisioned you cruising the boulevard in one of these...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316012378.jpg

Now wit dat you would be getting some leg for sure! :D

Here's the second axle that was sent to me. First one 4 of the bearings were in the boot. This one looks like it was dropped pretty hard. At least the 73 has been a decent daily driver even with the fixed back seats.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316108806.jpg

So the 3rd and perfect axle went in about 30 minutes later. Car has been driving great the last few days with new calipers, pads and rotors on the way. So of course that would mean that I would snap the passenger axle last night.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316612724.jpg


Good thing these are so easy to get in and out. Might have it down to 20 minutes.

That's an odd fracture pattern.

Time to lay off the nitrous oxide. :)

May look odd, but it's not a clean break and looks to have corrosion that lead to failure.

I'm not sure on the driver axle that broke, but this one is definitely original to the car and yes, corrosion got the best of it. I really should have replaced both at the same time. At least I'm being smart with the new braking systems.

AAA rocks, I'll say that.

How old is that Merc? I have never snapped an axle - I don't think that makes MBZ look very good.

1994.

I am surprised both snapped to some degree, but if they hadn't snapped, the joints would be bad, or whatever. They were ancient so their time had come and gone in my book.

the car is worth putting money into. I love it, drives beautifully and hope to put Sportline shocks/struts in it someday. I do consider the car reliable even though it has given me some problems, namely alternator and these two axles. Alt was original, so again like these, it's more "maintenance" than random, troublesome failure.

And I'm doing the rear brakes complete as proactive maintenance.

Don't get me wrong - I love those "E"'s.

But I've driven a lot of 40 year old cars - never thought of snapping an axle.

Yeah, I've never seen it either. The most probably scenario is that a husband had these semi-broken years ago hoping that they would both go years after tampering and his wife would go off a cliff in a fiery wreck and he'd collect the life insurance.

A pretty good plan, kudos to him for planning ahead.

the woman I bought the car from did seem nice though, so who knows, maybe his mistress went back to Scotland or something and he had her get rid of the car.

I had to say it: "never thought of snapping an axle."

One of our (fully loaded) Internationals snapped an axle yesterday...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317414199.jpg

That looks brand new. Any idea what happened to it? Any analysis?

Here's what happens when you spend 100 hours on your 911 and 10 hours on your daily driver. Ball joints have been bad for a few months. Been carrying around the parts in the car for a while now.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317596888.jpg