Just got my car back from an indie tech (Sterling Star Automotive) and he informs me that the repeated clunking that has been emanating from the drivers side front ever since American Service Center (ASC) replaced my sway bar bushings and linkage bushings is because they failed to tighten the linkage up but rather just left it loose.
If you are paying what ASC charges (arm & leg), then they had better do the job right. Instead I received hackery.

GP at Sterling Star tightened up for free (even though he wasn't the one who hosed it up) and was very helpful and informative and didn't cost anywhere near what ASC charges.

Here is my recent ASC experience, as entered into their customer satisfaction survey:

I brought my car, a 1985 300SD, in for a VA Safety Inspection.

The courtesy shuttle to the Metro was clean and timely and the driver was very pleasant.

My car was failed on the safety inspection because of an unspecified problem with the rear sway bar links. The service advisor promptly called and told me of the situation. I declined his offer to have the parts replaced then, preferring instead to do so myself. For me, the pleasure of my three Mercedes is just as much driving them as it is working on them.

My car was clean upon being returned to me that evening; however, the hood star was pushed back and off to the side - not proudly centered as it was when dropped off.

I replaced the rejected plastic sway bar links myself the next morning. They were without any cracks. looseness, or clunks; although the ball joint boots were worn. In my opinion these links were still both serviceable and did not present a hazard sufficient enough to warrant a safety inspection rejection. Rejecting them was, I believe, bordering on petty.

Upon elevating my vehicle to replace the links the next morning I found all lugs on the driver's side rear wheel not adequately torqued - two of which require absolutely no effort to move with my socket (barely hand tight).

I returned after replacing the links for a safety re-inspection. I discussed all of my concerns with the service advisor and showed him the removed rear sway bar links, demonstrating that they were still functionally adequate. He immediately took the vehicle for the reinspection. He them advised me that he had spoken with the technician about the loose lugs (which I suspect occurred when the replaced wheel was not then subsequently removed again after the service advisor informed the technician about my declining to have the links replaced at that time).

The service advisor additionally, on his own, surprised me by graciously replacing my aging hood star with a brand spanking new one - which I very much appreciate. The base diameter of the new hood star, however, is slightly smaller than the original W126 one, revealing an approximate 2 mm circumferential wear line from where the old one sat for the previous 23 years. Perhaps that will be less noticeably during the next 23 years after a little buffing.

I will return shortly for an alignment, just as soon as I find the time to replace the tie rods and upper control arms. Unfortunately I have a real job to which I must attend so as to be able to support my Mercedes habit.

Thank you for the opportunity to let me share with you my experience.