I'm in need of some shocks, and I know they're spendy. But I'm wondering what brands you guys have and recommend.

Thanks!

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

The general consensus is that Bilstein is the way to go.

There are quite a few discussions in the archives.

If you shop them, you can buy them for very close to $50.00 each. But, you must do some homework.

Bilstein Comforts all the way around, their is no other choice in my mind. They woke the car up.

I paid about $65 each and they have a lifetime warranty.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Heavy Duty as opposed to Comfort, what type of ride quality are we talking about here?

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Ride quality is hard to descride, these cars already ride a little stiff. I would say comforts are stiff enough for me, if that makes sense. I have taken mine on some twisty roads since I have changed the shocks. W126's really can handle if you grab them and force them through the corners. These are heavy cars but with good suspension they will turn. Body roll is minimal with comforts. For a 4k pound lwb S class.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

You drive a W126 to have some comfort on the highway. Why would you install a "heavy duty" shock that would allow you to run the vehicle through moguls?

With the heavy duty shocks you get the distinct pleasure of feeling every expansion joint right in your teeth.

The "comforts" are more than stiff enough for what these vehicles are normally utilized for.

Are these the part numbers for the shocks -

Front - 1263200830
Rear - 1263200931

Those are for the Comforts... I suppose if they're not what I'm looking for I can always go to the HDs.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

All the way with Bilstein. Unless you just want to be cheap and I suppose you could go Monroe.

Bought my set of 4 Bilsteins on eBay for around $240, that was the cheapest I could find. I wouldn't fit anything else, even if you could find something! Not many manufacturers make shocks for the 126, so it seems.

Kevin

__________________
'85 300SD

Adsit Co. has Bilsteins on sale. $44.10 each for the 126.
www.adsitco.com
I seriously doubt that you want the heavy duty versions.

I would buy the HD's if I had an SEC. A little more "sporty" ride would fit the character of that car.

I priced out a set of NAPA shocks for my SDL just for fun $90 each. No thanks.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

That's a fantastic price. I think they bang you a bit on shipping, however. But, it's still quite a savings over anyone else out there.

I put a set of HDs on the back of my SDL. I like them. They ride plenty smooth. I am a bit more interested in handling than comfort. With the diesel engine, I want to carry as much speed thru the curves as possible. Looks like the front end is going to get pretty much a complete rebuild soon, so I'll put new shocks up there too. Kinda funny to see my big LWB SDL running max legal speed thru the woods around here. You would expect it to be a "sedate sedan"

BobK
Way behind in the race with Alan and Hatty to 250K! (224k right now)

When I get to the suspension I'll most likely be throwing in billies. I've got the comforts on my VW and a set waiting for installation on my truck. I've been happy with them.

__________________
Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

I ordered a set of Bilsteins from Fastlane the other day, and Phil mistakenly sent me heavy duties instead of comforts. Will they loosen up enough to be comfortable? Or should I send them back? Here's my list of chores for today...

-subframe mounts
-bearing bracket bushings
-guide rod mounts
-shocks
-motor mounts
-engine shocks and shock mounts
-sway bar links
-sway bar bushings

The steering components, brakes, discs, and springs will wait for another day...