VERY stiff ride in the SD... what to check? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #1 02-21-2008, 02:05 PM

OK, my 82 SD takes speed bumps and minor road imperfections like I have no springs, just axles bolted to the frame... serious! I want a much more relaxed ride. my 79 TD is pillow soft in comparison... what would you tackle?
also there is a lot of ruckus in the back end on bumps...

Brian Carlton · #2 02-21-2008, 02:21 PM

Join the club.

Actually, speed bumps are fine. It's the road imperfections that the SD will seek out and find a way to magnify.

I'm a bit baffled by this because the front end is very soft. No effort is required to lower the nose by two inches or so if one pushes down on the front of the hood. Naturally, this is a slow response for the shocks and they offer very little resistance with a very gradually applied load.

But, on road bumps, the shocks are asked to react instantaneously..........and they cannot. So, my only guess is that the shocks are too stiff. They are new Bilsteins........supposedly comforts..........but the results appear to be like a pair of bricks are bolted to the control arms.

vstech · #3 02-21-2008, 02:28 PM

awww, I saw that Brian had responded and I thought "YAYYY an educated reliable answer"... not the one I wanted though...
any idea why the 126 is so much stiffer than the 123?

Hatterasguy · #4 02-21-2008, 02:34 PM

Buying a W140 is a good perminant solution.

Let me know when you figure it out, I have never really cared for the way the W126's ride. MB got it back wards, stiff for no reason going down the road, then rolls like a boat in the corners. When they were designing the W126 they should have went down the road to BMW and let them do the suspension.

Maybe their is some miracle shock/tire/wheel/spring combo that will smooth them out.

kerry · #5 02-21-2008, 02:46 PM

Did you spill a bottle of viagra in the trunk?

iwrock · #6 02-21-2008, 02:49 PM

My friends (SirNik84) car has an awesome ride, almost like a new car....

It takes road imperfections with ease, as well as speedbumps. Not too harsh, but not too soft.

Brian Carlton · #7 02-21-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

awww, I saw that Brian had responded and I thought "YAYYY an educated reliable answer"... not the one I wanted though...
any idea why the 126 is so much stiffer than the 123?

It really makes no sense to me. When you press the front end..........the nose is soft as hell. But, drive it down the road and all softness is gone.

I'm going to do a bunch of suspension parts on the SD when the weather warms up.........including the front subframe bushings..........we'll see if it helps a bit.

I also might take the shocks off and drive it..........just to see how it fares on the bumps..........obviously not a permanent solution.

Hatterasguy · #8 02-21-2008, 02:52 PM

Wonder if its possible to air bag them? Kind of like on the W220.

iwrock · #9 02-21-2008, 02:57 PM

Im telling you guys, my friends got an 126 SWB that rides just as nice as a friends W140....

Hatterasguy · #10 02-21-2008, 03:10 PM

Something is wrong with the W140.

iwrock · #11 02-21-2008, 03:13 PM

I dont know man.... It was a 1999 S320, that had just come back from having some work done by the stealership.

I really think that my friends car has a better ride than that W140. It definitely rides better than my R129, W124, W201, W163, and W463.

Hatterasguy · #12 02-21-2008, 03:16 PM

What did he do to the suspension? Custom springs? I have driven tons of W126's and they all ride pretty similer depending on condition. The SWB cars feel more nimble around town for some reason.