Need Help with Bilstein Shock application
 

Part #: F4-B46-0714-H0
SAP Part #: F4-B46-0714-H0

Setting: Heavy Duty (HD)
Position: Rear

List Price: $ 122.00

Says on the www.bilstein.com website that it will fit early 123's but only mentions late models 85 300TD.

This is the rear HD model shock, but I need to fit my 85 300CD. The website is no help. ANyone know what the correct bilstein numbers are for the later 123's....

I am not sure I want the HD's but I do mainly highway speed driving on good roads....

I am pretty sure that 115 123 and 126 shocks are interchangilble....all years of them.

Tom W

I chose the "sport" version for my '98 and I'm not unhappy with the ride... Sport and HD I believe have similar characteristics.

The shocks are available right here on this site for $63.65 each! Part number: L4000-10233

Put that number into the search box and it'll probably come up with the part.

I installed HD's on the rear approx. 30K miles ago and, while I am not unhappy with them overall, they do seem a bit stiff on rough roads. I will try the standard model next time, known as "comforts". If you are carrying alot of weight in the trunk or passengers on a regular basis, the HD's are recommended, otherwise I would stick with the comforts.

The Bilstein application chart seems pretty clear to me.
http://www.bilstein.com/303passengercars.pdf
All 123 models from '76 to '85 take the same shock except for (some of?) the TDs which has the self leveling rear suspension. The number you have posted is correct for HD, and the number for the "C" is F4-B46-0713-H0.

I put Bilstein HD's on the front of my coupe and I like them, ride is a tiny bit stiffer over bumps, and the handling is much better now too. Smooth as butter on the highway...

thanks
 

thanks all.

I have a need to replace 4, but am going to do the rears now.... $$$$, and then the fronts later $$$$.

I really only ride on state highway 2 lane roads that are nicely paved....average 55-60 mph...

I am thinking the stiffer ride will help handling... the car is real loose right now, eventhough I have monkeyed with tightening the sterring up, and had recent alignment, etc...

still willing to listen to opinions on HD vs Comfort.

got the comforts
 

after reading everyone''s opinion. I decided to go with the comforts. Got them at www.adsitco.com for $57 a piece shipped.

Still looking for tips on install.

Sports & H/D's are valved the same but the Sports are better for lowering situations (piston length I believe)..

Install is pretty easy. Remove the backseat bottom cushion (two little red buttons along the lower front edge of the seat, then remove the seat back - look in the lower bottom corners and in the middle of the seatback and you will see the screws that must be removed - then lift the seatback up and off the brackets that the top of the seatback fits into. Once you have the seatback out, you'll see the two plastic covers that give you access to the top of the shocks, pry those out with a screwdriver. The rest is pretty easy. Unbolt the top of the shock first - the nut will turn the whole shock, so you will need to hold the shock by either grabbing the rod with a pair of small vice grips or using a small open end wrench to hold the tip of the shock rod while you loosen the nut. Once that's undone, jack up the car and remove the lower shock bolts and the shock will drop out the bottom. Installation is the reverse. The first shock will take you quite awhile, once you see how easy it is - I can change all four shocks on my coupe in about an hour.

sounds good
 

When I install the new one do I attach the bottom bolts first while the car is still jacked up, and then the shock will fit and line up without any trouble, right?

DO I torque the hell out of the nuts on the top until I can't get any more? That is the main part I am unsure about. Is there anything special I have to do with the new one once I am ready to put it in?

On both front and back, fit the shock up through the top hole and have a helper tack the nut, washer, donut, etc onto it to keep in in the groove. Then bolt up the bottoms and lower the car - finish off the tops. You can tighten the tops down as much as you can with a regular wrench, remember you are tightening down on the big rubber donuts enough so that they are obviously slightly squished.

Are the rubber donuts only supposed to be slightly squished? I tightened mine to the point where I could not easily tighten any more = pretty darn squished lol. Is that wrong?

Agreed, the shocks come with instructions, many times the fronts also come with a thin walled 10mm socket for the lower bolts.

Easy with a helper.

all done
 

All done... probably took me about 3 hours from seats out, to seats back in...

Not real hard, just took me awhile to get top nuts off the old shock (using wrong tools), and then the last shock, lower bolts, took me awhile to line up.

You really have to put the car up in the air, and jack the control arm up all the way so you can drop the old shock out of the spring opening.

Plus I did it all solo....

Now just one problem,.... I want new Bilsteins on the front.

http://www.dieselbenz.info/wiki/index.php?title=Replacing_Front_%26_Rear_Shocks

check out this DIY link