Aluminum trailing arms fit in a 300SD
 

Finally got my car back together and it drives & handles fantastic.
I did a lot of things so who knows what made the biggest difference.
The biggest change was putting in the alloy trailing arms from a
1984 500SEL. If you do this you use the anti-squat bar that is part
of the different geometry of the 500 & 560 W126 cars, I think up to '87.
The arms were a direct swap. Some details on the anti-squat bar
are shown here http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/369862-w126-aluminum-trailing-arm-swap.html

This all started with a leaky CV boot.
Once I started to tear things apart I decided to do a full rebuild.
I had a 2.88 diff sitting in the corner of the garage for two years
just waiting to be put in.

Here's the list:
both flex discs
new u-joint, center support & centering bushings in the DL
subframe & trailing arm bushings
rebooted all CV boots with Astoria gun
3 nub spring shims
2.88 diff with new side seals
I also tore apart & rebuilt the calipers
on the aluminum trailing arms.

One reason I put in the anti-squat system is because I run WVO in
my car with an extra tank in the trunk. With that extra weight and
if I went to pick up oil in the car it would bottom out easily.

This new setup feels solid as a rock--less boaty.

Thanks go the Stretch, Vstech & Frank Reiner for their input on this project.
Oh yea, and Ceristimo for his flex disc trick with the
DS centering bushingshttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/370815-pressing-driveshaft-centering-sleeve.html

Jeff

Thanks for the post. Great plan when the rear-end needs work anyway, and you can find junkyard parts, but perhaps not a direct fit for my 300D's. The "anti-squat" sounds interesting. I assume no hydraulics and more like the Nivomat self-adjusting leveler shocks in my 2002 T&C minivan (w/ tow option). They use normal road oscillations as the energy source to pump them up, so level the vehicle after a few miles of driving.

The anti-squat characteristics are entirely geometric/mechanical. The suspension links constitute a non-parallel four-bar linkage, though it is a bit tough to immediately visualize the geometry. Springs and dampers are ordinary; no Nivomat.

Bill,
This isn't a direct fit for a W123 for at least two reasons:
The anti-squat bar is wider--you would have to cut & weld the bar to fit,
the W126 cars have the correct holes already tapped for the larger bolts.
They have rubber plugs in the holes.
You would have to use captive nuts and figure the correct location.
I think the arms fit in the subframe fine.
Stretch did a lot of research on this and shelved the idea for his W123.
Can't find his thread right now.

Jeff

Here is the thread Stretch did on the W123.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/289638-trying-fit-aluminium-w126-107-trailing-arm-w123-question-compatib.html


Charlie


sent from my pos computer