Y'all,

While rebuilding a good bit of the front end on my 300td (lower ball joints, guide rod bushings, lower control arm bushings, tie rods, thinner spring pads), I noticed that the lower shock mounts were loose in the shock eye bushings on both shocks.

The gas shocks are good, so I don't want to replace the shocks in order to fix this issue. Has anyone had success repairing these by using aftermarket performance or OE-style bushings intended for another car? If so, what brand/size/model of bushing did you use?

Yeah, I know the steel sleeve is swaged in place -- I'll just replace it with a bolt & nut.

Thanks in advance,
Shawn D.

I imagine anything you can cram in there will be an improvment. That said, I have never in forty years of car hobbying had one of these go bad. I would question the goodness of the parent shock.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

There are aftermarket polyurethane bushings available for shocks that use a bar pin. I don't know about size compatibility, but I would investigate that option if it were me.

You have unknowingly questioned the goodness of gen-u-wine MB parts! Don't you know that is verboten on this board? How dare you?!?!

Yep, I've used Energy Suspension bushings on other cars. They've got some "half hourglass" bushings that will work if the dimensions are close.