Flipping over a W123?

[Ara T.]

I've got kind of an odd question here guys. Im 17 and my mom doesn't like it when I drive sometimes. She seems to think it's easy to flip over the 300D, because she heard some mechanic tell a story about his daughter doing that. After I put in my bilstein HD's I have been taking corners rather hard at times...boy oh boy do these help the handling, especially after the stock 20 year old shocks.

Yes, I know these cars are definitely not porsches (not like i'd know anyways) but I like to have some fun when I'm driving. Does anyone have any experience or theories on how you'd flip a w123 over? Since they ride rather high I guess it'd be easier to flip than say, my sister's '00 Corolla, but I'd think you'd have to be going at some rather high speeds and doing stupid things with the steering wheel.

I just wanna say I'm not worried at all about the car flipping over, and like many of my peers feel pretty confident behind the wheel of my panzer...but I'd like to perhaps settle my mother's fears and hopefully stop the nagging...
Any input?

[bobbyv]

the W123 has a semi-trailing arm rear suspension. The problem of this design is that at the limit, the outer wheel will toe out under compression, triggering an oversteering situation. As with any car that is oversteering, if the outside rear tire hits a curb or digs in into the soil, it can flip the car. But I don't think that the W123 has a natural tendency to flip over.

this semi-trailing arm design is an improvement over the previous swing-arm design. With this design, the car can "hop over" the outside wheel during extreme cornering, making it inherently unsafe. This is especially true of the "pagoda" SLs, since they had a sporting demeanor. (the old VW Beetles also had a swing-arm rear suspension, and they were also prone to this).

the 5-link rear suspension pioneered by the W201 features a toe-link, which toes-in the wheel under compression. In extreme cornering, this reduces the tendency of the car to oversteer.

if your mother is nagging you while you are driving, the nagging will definitely stop when the car is about to flip over ...

[boneheaddoctor]

The fact that you are 17 speak volumes.......Not intending to put you down but in a few more years you are going to see what I mean.

At 17 you do NOT have the experience to really know when the car is at the limit and are really not completely prepared when it happens.

The car will flip if you get it sideways and one of the leading tires catchs the road in some manner that stops a slide.....and yes you can do that in a corvette too. Just a high sitting car is going to be far easier to flip.

Now before you blow a gasket and get upset....when I was 18 I got a car sideways on hard packed snow ....leading rear tire caught a patch or road that was less icey than what I was sliding on...it wasn't even a dry patch....car came up on two wheels and teetered there for what seemed like 5 seconds befroe it dropped back onto all 4 wheels....and make a note as to how fast I was traveling when this happened....a blistering 20 MPH.

Also ever watch TV....I forget what show it was....they were flogging a BMW on a slalom course and flipped it....

I am 43 now....and I was definately hell on wheels at your age......between 16 and 18 I had 5 friends killed in auto accidents...that they lost control.

One was a girl....she was ejected on the first roll....the car came to rest on top of her upside down. Needless to say it was a closed coffin funeral.

Crap happens.....and you almost NEVER see it coming.

I will agree with boneheaddoctor on this one...I am 18 and understand what he is talking about very well. The more you drive the more comfortable you will feel with your car but you defintely have to drive carefully as your learn.

I've never had the SD over on two wheels of any sort and the only sort of sliding I usually do is at VERY low speeds or drifting around KNOWN corners.

Drive cautiously and always expect the worst. Just make sure that you always have an out.

It would be safe to say that these cars tend to not roll (atleast the w123 and w126 bodies) and prefer to slide on smooth surfaces but obviously inperfections in road surface could turn your life upside down

If you want a learn a lot..go take your car out into a VACANT parking lot somewhere where you won't disturb people and run it around in circles and corner a little. See how it feels. You will learn to expect its actions and know the difference between slide and flip.

Happy motoring! (keep those tire pressures in spec)

[Hatterasguy]

You would have to be doing something pretty stupid to flip any car over. You need to learn how to control a skid, snow is very usefull for this.

I wouldn't go crazy it is a W123 not a 911, besides I bet those skinny tires are getting their side walls chewed up.


The roof on new cars is pretty strong, my cousin flipped over his pimped out Civic a few years back. I think it was a 2000 model. It held up very well the roof was in no danger of collapsing. So if you are wearing your seat belt I wouldn't worry.

[J. R. B.]

Like Boneheaddoctor I was hell on wheels at your age. Just look at our signatures--we both have Harley choppers. At 48 I've slowed down and enjoy life. Do the same with your Mercedes. These are great girl getters. Use it as one. Nothing tears my heart more than seeing a young person die before their life has really begun. J. R. B.

[Johnhef]

I rode along once with my friend in his 1972 300SEL 4.5 on a track, and I was almost sure that car was going to flip over (without sliding sideways), but it didn't. I haven't been that scared in a long time. Way faster that I would EVER drive on a normal road. Surprisingly though, the car held the road very well. No wonder he had 5 point harnesses and helmets in the car.

[Ganaraska]

I wouldn't worry about flipping ANY Mercedes. I started with a swing axle VW as my first German car, never came close to flipping it though they were notorious for rolling over on corners. Drove several swing axle Mercedes finmobiles from the 60s, these were the 220 six cylinder models, one was a privately imported 220 SE fuel injection model,it would go over 100 MPH on its tiny 600 13 bias ply tires, it never flipped. Those models had the low pivot swing axle with a single hinge in the middle, and had much less camber change than the earlier model as used on the 300 sports cars (!)

The swing axle car I remember had the most anti social attitude was the early Corvair, I owned a few of those and never flipped one either although I probably came closer than any other car.

In every case, you would have to drive like a nut to get anywhere close to flipping any of these cars, and they were all much easier to flip than a modern car.

I did see one 123 Mercedes sedan, a six cylinder gas model, that flipped. The owner's teenage son tried to take an onramp at about 3 times the recommended speed on a rainy night, the car skidded and hit the curb and over it went. According to him he was driving along minding his own business when suddenly for no reason at all the car flipped over. Yeah right.

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by Ganaraska

I wouldn't worry about flipping ANY Mercedes. I started with a swing axle VW as my first German car, never came close to flipping it though they were notorious for rolling over on corners. Drove several swing axle Mercedes finmobiles from the 60s, these were the 220 six cylinder models, one was a privately imported 220 SE fuel injection model,it would go over 100 MPH on its tiny 600 13 bias ply tires, it never flipped. Those models had the low pivot swing axle with a single hinge in the middle, and had much less camber change than the earlier model as used on the 300 sports cars (!)

The swing axle car I remember had the most anti social attitude was the early Corvair, I owned a few of those and never flipped one either although I probably came closer than any other car.

In every case, you would have to drive like a nut to get anywhere close to flipping any of these cars, and they were all much easier to flip than a modern car.

I did see one 123 Mercedes sedan, a six cylinder gas model, that flipped. The owner's teenage son tried to take an onramp at about 3 times the recommended speed on a rainy night, the car skidded and hit the curb and over it went. According to him he was driving along minding his own business when suddenly for no reason at all the car flipped over. Yeah right.

Pop a tire in a slide I guarantee you the rim WILL dig in adn the car WILL flip.

all it takes is for one tire to find some resistance to the slide and BOOM you flip the car......curb...pothole anything.....

sure you MIGHT not flip it but thats exactly why many vehicles flip.......are you willing to make a bet with your life that it won't flip? I am not.

[Johnhef]

I will say one thing for the 123's, when my kids are old enough to drive, you bet they're going to be driving an old beat up 240D as their first car, or even a 220 or 200, hahah the smaller the better!

Your mom shouldn't worry.

[JimmyL]

I have a 19 yr old daughter driving, and a 16 year old son. There is a couple of simple truths. First, when you're young you are stupid. Don't worry, that's your job. At that age I had my full portion of stupidity plus someone else's. I still have alot left.
But here is the main point, and listen close: You know how to STEER at your age, not DRIVE! Huge, huge difference that you don't realize at the time. Be very careful and just resist the urge to do something stupid or risky. A very little bit either way makes all the difference.
By the way, your average minivan is more likely to flip than our MB's.
Good luck, and I didn't mean to sound condescending, but I'm a parent and that's my job!

...unless you are a non-paved road rally racer.

Anyone else familar with TRNT? (The Road Not Taken)?

[Ganaraska]

I'm a boy of 54, have been driving cars trucks and motorcycles since the age of 16, working on them since the age of 13. Don't think I've seen more than 2 or 3 rollovers in that time.

Now if you want to talk about SUV's they are the patsy for rollovers. Mainly because they are often driven by drivers who never worked their way up to even being lousy. Drivers who worry about getting in a wreck every time it rains or snows, or they go over 30 MPH, or there is another car on the road. So they buy the big Ford Exploder or Chevy Suburb and think they are invulnerable. They don't know a lot of things, but they especially don't know these 2 things: 4 wheel drive allows you to accellerate better in slippery conditions but doesn't do a thing for your braking or steering. And a top heavy truck like vehicle will tip over a lot easier than a sedan.

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by Ganaraska

I'm a boy of 54, have been driving cars trucks and motorcycles since the age of 16, working on them since the age of 13. Don't think I've seen more than 2 or 3 rollovers in that time.

Now if you want to talk about SUV's they are the patsy for rollovers. Mainly because they are often driven by drivers who never worked their way up to even being lousy. Drivers who worry about getting in a wreck every time it rains or snows, or they go over 30 MPH, or there is another car on the road. So they buy the big Ford Exploder or Chevy Suburb and think they are invulnerable. They don't know a lot of things, but they especially don't know these 2 things: 4 wheel drive allows you to accellerate better in slippery conditions but doesn't do a thing for your braking or steering. And a top heavy truck like vehicle will tip over a lot easier than a sedan.

Not going to argue that SUVs arne't easier to flip becasue they are.....

My brother worked with the Fire Department for 10 years in 3 different jurisdictions in 2 states.....there are a lot of auto rollovers..in single and multi-car accidents....and most Teen acidents are casue by speed and inexperience most of the time. Cars don't typicly roll when driven at the speed limit........when you excede the speed limit all bets are off.

[t walgamuth]

i am 56 and i purposely bought 240d's and 300d's for all my kids to drive. very safe handling, great brakes, great steering, safe if in an accident. tell your mom i said to relax there are few cars safer. of course any car can flip under extreme circumstances but the 123 is not at all prone to it.

it is the nut behind the wheel that determines the ultimate safety though.

drive carefully and fasten your seat belt...always.