New bilsteins since they are gas filled will bring the car up from a half inch to an inch. If yours are old you may as well start here. To get the buttery smooth benz ride you need them anyway. Then if still unsatisifed yoiu can work your way through the bushings and such outlined above. Non gas filled shocks will not raise the car but I doubt you can find any that will fit a benz that are not gas filled.

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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.

Rear shocks are a straightforward R&R.

The scary worst case might not be the spring itself, but rust on the semi-trailing arm that supports the spring. If you've got the FSM, look at the cutaway on on 32.5-230/3.

In NJ, if salt and corrosion pooled on that upper portion of the arm , then the spring could be sitting on the lower portion instead of the upper. That's speculation worst case.

More likely is worn rubber, tired (or failed) shocks, a sloping driveway and maybe a full tank of fuel?

When I R&R'd my suspension, the difference between empty and full on the tank was somewhere between 3/4 and 1 inch. I presume a tired suspension will react to a heavier load and sag more.

Didn't you also do work on the fronts recently? That may exacerbate the appearance of rear-end sag.

FYI I did the diff mount a few k ago just for fun. The exercise was unsuccessful in raising the rear but thats ok.

Subframe bushes are good and silent. Car is corrosion free CA desert car, never seen salt, freshly waxoyled.

My question is if the rears are as "choosy" tool-wise to do as the fronts. I can imagine the fronts are pretty stiff to hold a heavy engine (though can they be any different than a 1970s big block olds or caddy?). But what about the rear springs? Can't imagine they are different than any other 2800# car...

Thoughts?

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

Compressive force for the rears is the same ballpark as the fronts.

PM sent.

(quote) My question is if the rears are as "choosy" tool-wise to do as the fronts

Choosy tool wise, meaning the special spring compressor?
Not needed for the rears. all you need is 2 good and safe jack stands and a floor jack.

Remove the Calipers, and hang on the Sway Bar. 19mm bolts
Remove the Link at the Sway Bar. uppers both sides. 17mm nuts
Rotate the bar up and out of the way.
Place a Floor Jack under the Trailing Arm. this hold the arm from shooting down when the top shock nuts are removed.
Remove back seat to get to the upper shock nuts. 3, 8mm bolts.
Remove nuts at top of Shock. 17mm nuts.
Remove bolts under Trailing Arm. pull out Shock. 17mm bolts. do both sides.
Place Floor Jack under Differential. remove 4 bolts. 13mm.
Lower the Differential, and as the Sub Frame lowers, the springs will fall out.

The reason I said to remove the Calipers is, as the Sub Frame is lowered, it will stretch the Brake hoses. Removing the link, will give you a little more drop w/o hanging you up.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Charlie, thanks! If the diff/subframe is being lowered does this make it convenient to replace those bushings? Mine are fine but 30 years old, so maybe it makes sense. If it is a lot more work from that point, maybe not...

Since my front brake hoses were cracked, the rears will get a replacement anyway regardless when I work back there.

__________________
Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

My '83 SD sagged really bad. The border patrol peeps asked what I had in the trunk.

I was told the springs would not wear out. So I replaced the diff support, with no effect. Once I got a spring compressor I took a look. My rear springs had rusted so bad that pieces of the coils had fallen off

I replaced them with spring with 100k miles on them... night and day difference. The old SD looked so nice sitting at the proper height.

Moral of the story: Don't let anyone tell you springs can't wear out/break.

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08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

Now THAT is scary! I can't imagine how awful the ride was without the rear springs

__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Thank you. That is what I was trying to get him to admit... that the total potential for that rubber producing sag at 3/4 inch does not compare with the potential ( which can be measured when new springs are installed just by adding up the distances left between all the coils... )...

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

I don't remember it being that bad. It still had some spring function. It looked horrible. You couldn't really see the top part of the rear tires. Just the wheel and bottom part. One spring was loose enough to possibly come off the car if you hit a bump hard enough.

__________________
08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

The pic in post 27 might show more clearly where the bushings are and possible access. Suspension diagnosis for w123

The front subframe can be a hassle to press all the way in (bushings on the "leg" or the tip of the red). I recommend the 24 hour freezer-treatment to shrink and firm it up. There are few threads on home-made tools to assist.

I've never done the semi-trailing arm, but you're supposed to drop the axle-carrier/hub. I believe there are some in-situ style techniques posted. I've read that replacing these produces a noticeable improvement in ride quality and handling (two bushings @ red/black). The parts are cheap (two rubber cylinders per side) the labor might be a hassle or pricey.

[QUOTE=JHZR2;2737529]Charlie, thanks! If the diff/subframe is being lowered does this make it convenient to replace those bushings? Mine are fine but 30 years old, so maybe it makes sense. If it is a lot more work from that point, maybe not...



The Sub Frame is just tilting down as per what I posted above. You are not unbolting the Sub Frame bushings mount.

If you want to get into it deeper and do the Sub Frame mounts, might as well do the Trailing Arm Bushings also.

Adding to what I posted above.

Disconnect the Parking Brake cables from under the car. I think there is a rubber Grommet they go through. pull them out towards the rear.
One cable is clamped to the floor of the car with a 8mm bolt.
Disconnect the Drive Line from the Differential. 15mm and 17mm
Loosen the center nut on the Drive Line. this is so you can pry the Drive Line forward to get it off the Differential. do not have to remove the DL.

Using 3 Floor Jacks. one under each Trailing Arm, and one under the Differential.
Remove the 3 bolts under the Sub Frame. 2 rear ones are 17mm
The center bolt is the long one that bolts the assembly to the body. either a 17mm or 19mm.

Then after everything is unbolted, lower down each jack a little until down. then roll the whole assembly to the rear of the car.

As I remember, the bolts for the Trailing Arm Bushings are 24mm

This job sounds more difficult than it is. I did a lot of reading on this before I decided to do it. Whiskydan has a good thread on it that helped me. I made a set of the bushing installers he shows. then modifyied them a little.

Charlie

Found it.
W123 1984 300TD wagon rear trailing arm bushings R&R

Here is another good one from Army.
Rear subframe removal and bushing replacement

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works