Steering U-Joint replacement

[Jocko]

I have a 2016 451 ED and last year I had the "Hard to Turn" problem on the U-joint on the lower steering column. I greased it last spring and no issues since.

 

Until now...  Now I'm getting a small clicking sound on the steering column and a bit of loose. I've seen this in other cars and its sounding like the lower U-joint is going. I'm just starting to look into this and I'm wondering if I could do it myself.

 

Has anyone ever replaced this lower joint? I looked on the MB parts site and I only get the part as an assembly of the steering column.

 

Smart steering column part # 4514600001

 

Is there a way to just rebuild the U-Joint?

 

Cheers!

[Willys]

I highly doubt you can just rebuild the old joint as it isn't that fancy.....I'd just swap it out with a new one and be done with it....after all...it is your steering..?   But I also would look to see if someone doesn't sell one close to it and make it fit if the cost of a new one is too steep.  Even if you must buy a whole steering collumn and use just the inside shaft as you need to keep your speedo as a new speedo will need to be taught to speak with the other computers.  IF you know someone who can weld or fabricate then it shouldn't be an issue......

Try this site to see if they sell what you need....Yes far far away but they carry everything I needed to rrebuild my entire car.

 

https://www.smart-ersatzteile.com/

 

Hope this helps.

OR check to see if another model uses the same steering collumn shaft and I don't see why not....and get it from a junkyard and swap out just what you need...?

 

[Getfuzzy]

If its like the 450, it can be rebuilt IIRC. I think that Tolsen rebuilt his and I think he added a grease fitting to his. You would think that there should be an ujoint of the same size available that would work. A temporary fix is to heat up the joint with a hair dryer and then spray some penetrating oil on it. Rinse and repeat as nescessary.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Getfuzzy

[Jocko]

Thanks guys. Yeah the more I look at it the more it looks like you have to replace the whole steering column which I was hoping to avoid.

 

The steering is still easy and it's not that the joint is stiff, the problem is that I can really start to feel the clunk in the joint so it's definitely getting loose and sloppy in there and will need replacing with a dealer part.

 

There is the whole issue with the clock spring, assorted wiring from the levers and airbag etc. to deal with.

 

I'll let you know how I make out.