Say, was it the right side that failed first by any chance? I'm just taking a casual poll...

Really should do both at once, IMHO.
Failure on one side is a clear omen for the other.
Having done several of these, the right side fails first, but the left side shows signs of debris and 'dryness'.
Probably would be 2x the cost, unless you can negotiate a package deal...

Might want to have the CA bushings replaced at the same time at that age and mileage. Much cheaper to do them when the springs are out, than at some point in the future. Of course, if the CAs come off, you would certainly need an alignment...

Might want to consider new struts for the full effect, though these could be done later for little extra cost.

On the plus side, if you do all of this you should be able to forget about the front suspension for well over 100k miles. Something to be said for having everything tight and new at once so that you can enjoy.

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1986 300E 5-Speed 240k mi.