The struts and spheres are in series with the valve. This means there is one path from the valve to each sphere and then from each sphere to its associated strut. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Thanks again. I really like to conceptualize this sort of thing. I'm going to look at a 1985 300td thursday. Guy wants $1500. 200k. Decent shape, but he said it sagged a bit. He also said rear end adjusted up and down a little.

Reading the archives here and with your valuable explanation, I feel a lot better going into the negotiation.

A wagon with little or no rust which will start and run is a steal at $1500.

FWIW-Tailend sagging could be as simple as a loose/missing link to the position valve or the arm from the sway link is loose. A hard, harsh ride but not sagging, means the accumulators are probably shot (~$90/ea). Leaks anywhere in the system can be expensive to take care of properly but read this for the one I fixed by using tractor fluid.

Be careful of later wagons that appear as if the sunroof was leaking at the front. Some have encountered serious rust in the sunroof pans. See here.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

All well written. I'll save this thread for when I start fixing my 500SEL. Thanks guys

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

Jim Smith,

Thanks for the great explanation! My question is about the bouncing, it seems from your description that if the spheres are bad bouncing will result. My recently accquired 280TE with a five speed manual is a great car but anyone riding in the rear will get seasick very quickly. My 240D/300 with heavy duty shocks is a dream to drive and the 280TE as a consequence drives me nuts. So if the bouncing can't be canceled somehow, I'm installing heavy duty shocks and enjoying the results.

Is there a fix?

Thanks,
Ben

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www.reproduce100s.com

Ridge,

That is correct. When the spheres fail by having the membrane separating the oil from the Nitrogen chamber leak, the Nitrogen goes into solution in the oil and the sphere fills with oil. At this point the rear suspension gets really hard, and the back of the car will bounce around quite a bit. Replacing the spheres will make the car ride as it was intended. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Hi, Ben Glad to hear you found a wagon, I figure it would have to be a stick shift for you to own (and a 5-speed to boot!)
I don't believe that HD shocks were ever offered for the rear on the wagons. I had to replace them on one of my TD's when one blew oil out on a cold morning on a trip across West Texas, I left most of my hydro fluid on the ground at a motel that chilly morning
You won't want to replace them until they leak anyhow, they are very co$tly compared to "normal" shocks. The spheres are relatively cheap by comparison and easily changed.
Dieseldiehard
1971 220 (gas) 4-spd manual 106441
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 295530
1983 300D 243280
1985 300TD 217300
1987 300D 258230

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!