does anyone have an exploded diagram of a rear 3 piece w123 euro bumper? i need to dismantle mine to install a trailer hitch and i want to be sure i know how to proceed. mine appears to have a solid piece of metal possibly welded inside, is this typical? was this a DOT thing? i'm hoping you just pull the rubber strip out and there will be bolts exposed that will allow me to take out the metal bar. thanks!

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1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

Here you go Squabble. This might be what you are looking for.

http://mb.ilcats.ru/part/class/1/ccode/1/cat/222/type/123/subtype/023/group/88/subgr//vers//imgno/3

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

I've just posted this on BenzWorld too - but in case someone else needs it here, here's the FSM PDF from startekinfo

http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/outside/12265/disc_2/program/Chassis/88-220.pdf

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Those are really helpul diagrams! I have two bumpers with the iron bars in them, and they are two different types (I'm guessing DOT modified). The bars are both fastened to the bumper with two bolts (at least on mine) so hopefully you should be able to see the end of the fastener bolt where it goes through the metal bar and into the nut when looking from the inside of the bumper.

This fastener goes through the bumper where the two chrome parts are joined and covered by part #44. It kind of looks like bolt #29 in the Russian diagram on the first link provided in this thread.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Yes, you will have to peel back the impact strip to get to those two bolts. However, you may be able to remove just the nut and then take off the metal bar if things aren't too corroded. Hopefully the bolt will stay in place and then you won't have to start tearing your bumper apart.

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1980 240D
1993 300D 2.5
2002 Golf TDI

The w123 euro bumpers that I've seen on grey market cars have this reinforcing bar going across the inside of the bumper. I does lead me to believe this was a DOT requirement.

You are correct to get to the bolts you'll need to peel back the rubber strip, there should be two bolts on each side under the strip.

I'd be interested on how your hitch setup looks like and how it is installed. I've noticed there are differences in some of those reinforcing bars that were installed, some of those bars are very robust and heavy. They also came with additional bracing added in the trunk area and undercarriage, which I think that just welding a receiver to the reinforcing bar would work out nicely.



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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

You know... I wondered what I've seen in some cars are the hitch bracing setup.


Pic courtesy of MBZ300CD over at benzworld.




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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System