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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| Front Axle
I am due for a major front axle rebuild. I am curious if I can swap my axle from a G320 with one from a G500? I was wondering if I could purchase a used axle from a low mileage wreck or something? It may be less expensive than a total rebuild. |
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AlanMcR
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, CA, Los Altos
Vehicle(s): G300DT E300DT 230SL
Posts: 3500
| RE: Front Axle
Assuming the axle ratios match up then it should work. You may need to swap over your old brakes.
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fernweh
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Calabasas, CA - Centenario, BCS - Luebeck, Germany
Vehicle(s): Few Mercedes-Benz, a Toyota Amphibious and a Vespa
| RE: Front Axle
AlanMcR - 9/3/2011 4:58 PM
Assuming the axle ratios match up then it should work. You may need to swap over your old brakes.
And probably the ABS sensors as well, or you might have to use the G-500 ones, which could be a problem.
Used front axles should only cost $2,500.00, just make sure you do not buy anything you do have already 
I bought a rear one and had to go through that one ($$$) before I was satisfied and installed it in my G-500
Karl |
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ontum
Veteran
Date registered: Nov 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Vehicle(s): 1979 300GDT Cabrio, 1994 W124 603
Posts: 131
| Re: Front Axle
What needs to be rebuilt on your axles? And you say you are due for a rebuild? What problems are you having?
If you plan on taking a used axle and putting it in, you have no idea if the axle is in better shape than the one you are removing unless you open it up. I would think it should be cheaper to just rebuild your setup. Are you paying someone else for labor? If so, then its possible to be cheaper to just buy an axle if you need to buy new axles, C/V joints, hubs, steering knuckle, etc. But unless you need to purchase a ton of new parts, I would think it should be cheaper to rebuild.
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Craig |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Front Axle
Gear ratio's in the G500 are different than those in the G320. That alone would make a rebuild the less expensive route. I had bearings, seals and cv's replaced on my G320 around 100k miles, the results were amazing, it drove like a new truck. That is the route I would take. |
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Warren T
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: May 2006
Location: Montreal
Vehicle(s): 230GE,300GD,300D
Posts: 519
| RE: Front Axle
If you plan to go the rebuild route, remember that I have complete swivel joints with installed bearings and seals and include
the CV jpints and boots for a lot less money than buying seperately.
If you are willing to take the time it is a do it yourself job and I would gladly walk you through it.
Warren |
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| RE: Front Axle
I have 190,000 miles on the truck. I know as a fact that I need the following: - Wheel Bearings
- Pinion Bearing
- All Seals (Leaking Diff Oil down the tubes).
- Both CV Joints (I'm pretty sure that both boots have ripped).
- King Pin (whatever parts it needs. I think the left one has some play).
Since all of that stuff is going to be replaced, anything else in there should be replaced at the same time...
I figured since all of the bearings, seals, and CV-Joints needed to be replaced, I would consider an entire used shaft. You know some truck that got rear-ended with 40,000 miles on it. I figured I might be able to find one for $1500-$2000. For that price, it may be cheaper than a total rebuild... How off are my assumptions? |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Front Axle
The gear ratios are different. So you will have to do a gear swap. Remove your old R&P and install it in the G500 axle, or you can probably find someone with a good used R&P. Or you could leave the G500 ratio in the front and swap the rear gears to a used G500 set. That would quiet it down on the highway some.
I think I would take Warren up on his offer. The rebuild is something you can do yourself. There is some work to do either way, if you want the stock ratio I would rebuild yours. If the G500 ratio sounds attractive, swapping a used G500 axle in and swapping gears in back would be the way to go. So many decisions  |
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| RE: Front Axle
I figured that I would have to swap the gears. Has anyone here done a full axle rebuild? How much was the parts and labor? |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Front Axle
Or buy a pair of G500 axles, get the taller ratio and 4 wheel discs in low milage axles....
I will try to stop theoretically spending your money now   |
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| RE: Front Axle
Brent - 9/4/2011 9:50 PM Or buy a pair of G500 axles, get the taller ratio and 4 wheel discs in low milage axles.... I will try to stop theoretically spending your money now :help: I like the idea of 4-wheel disk brakes... |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Front Axle
I had Europa do three front axles for me, 300GE they did pre purchase. G320 was about $3000 for bearings seals boots, 280GE bill for both axles with gears and cv's...well I am embarrassed to say what I paid them. It was a quality job but , ouch.
Yours needs quite a bit more work though. You could probably get a good indie to do it for around $2000-2500, but that is strictly a guess. |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Front Axle
Braingears - 9/4/2011 7:51 PM
Brent - 9/4/2011 9:50 PM Or buy a pair of G500 axles, get the taller ratio and 4 wheel discs in low milage axles.... I will try to stop theoretically spending your money now :help: I like the idea of 4-wheel disk brakes...
I think the G500 ratio would suit the G320 pretty well on 31-32 inch tires, especially at low altitude where it still makes decent power. I was just thinking that a 2mpg increase and 4 wheel disc's seemed like options I would have paid for on my G320  |
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| RE: Front Axle
unless I can find someone else around here to warranty the work, I was actualy considering having the local dealership perform the rebuild at the estimated shop hours. That should give me a fixed price, guarantee that they have the proper tools and parts. and will warranty the work for XYZ number of miles. Does anyone want to meet up for an axle party??? |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: Front Axle
Braingears - 9/4/2011 8:03 PM
unless I can find someone else around here to warranty the work, I was actualy considering having the local dealership perform the rebuild at the estimated shop hours. That should give me a fixed price, guarantee that they have the proper tools and parts. and will warranty the work for XYZ number of miles. Does anyone want to meet up for an axle party???
I know they did it on the west coast. Make it an event! |
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| RE: Front Axle
Brent - 9/4/2011 10:06 PM Braingears - 9/4/2011 8:03 PM unless I can find someone else around here to warranty the work, I was actualy considering having the local dealership perform the rebuild at the estimated shop hours. That should give me a fixed price, guarantee that they have the proper tools and parts. and will warranty the work for XYZ number of miles. Does anyone want to meet up for an axle party??? I know they did it on the west coast. Make it an event! We could all meet at EuroTruck (for parts) and make a weekend of it... |
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ewalberg
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Past: San Francisco. Present: Germany
Vehicle(s): 2000 g500
Posts: 1887
| Re: Front Axle
I have a complete (sans abs sensors or brake calipers) front used G500 axle from Mike Serpe that is supposed to be in good shape and low miles that i bought out of desperation when i was having crazy steering wheel vibration issues a couple years ago. Well, the problem turned out to be tire/wheel balancing on a machine that was out of calibration, so it's still sittin' in the garage collecting dust. I could be tempted to part with it. I think i paid $2700.
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Jonathan Joseph
Expert
Date registered: Oct 2006
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Vehicle(s): 2004 G55
Posts: 1538
| RE: Front Axle
I'm no 463 expert, but I'm surprised more people have not chimed in on this. For a 460 you can buy the entire front axle rebuild kit for like $500 short of cv joints. Is it more for a 463? I think the book labor on doing the entire job is less than 10 hours?
So $500 plus
10 hours @ your local dealer or indie shop rate of? $100?? = $1000 plus cv joints even if necessary, maybe $1000 more?
So that's $2500 total new seals, bearings, cv's, boots, etc. Having a dealer or specialized MB indie do it.
You still have your same old axle and the the comfort of knowing it's essentially brand new, not a supposedly "ok" used axle.
Jonarthan |
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ewalberg
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Past: San Francisco. Present: Germany
Vehicle(s): 2000 g500
Posts: 1887
| Re: Front Axle
Having a dealer do it (that likely hasn't done it before) sounds like a recipe for heart ache and disaster and lots of wasted down time if you ask me. I'd bet it takes less time to do it yourself than to deal with the dealer doing it wrong 3 times. I would make darned sure the guy doing it had plenty of prior experience before handing it over to a dealer or shop. If the CV's aren't clicking they hopefully just need to be re-booted, (i've got a new boot laying around too for someone) rather than replacement CV's so that'd save money too. I was dumb enough to preventatively due my truck's front wheel bearings and king pins at 100k miles, before the jury came in that the 463 often last to 200k miles if you're not beating on it... 10 hours is a remarkably short time to quote on it if you're not really good at it... so if you get a quote make sure it's firm or you could be in for another 10 hours by your mechanic... and $100/hour for labor?!?!? Lucky you guys, i think $120 is the bottom around here. $140-$150 is most common.
Edited by ewalberg 9/7/2011 1:27 PM
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| Re: Front Axle
It's one thing to find someone that can do it. It's another to find someone that will stand by thier work on an axle they have never seen or heard of before. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. |
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