Hi All-

Last week I bought a Grey Market import 1979 300D sedan, with 56,000 miles on the clock. According to the data plate car came from the factory with SLS, tow package, and an upgraded Becker radio. Other than that, it's manual windows all the way round and a 4 speed.

The previous owner appears to have disconnected the SLS at the pump, and replaced the shocks all the way around with normal units. Eventually I would like to reconnect the SLS and get it working again, but in the short term I'm focusing on getting the rest of the car refreshed.

My question is regarding the rear springs, as the rear of the car seems to sag. Would I be correct in assuming that SLS equipped sedans came with a softer rear spring? The units appear to be original, and probably not changed with the shock conversion.

Thanks in advance for the help.

You are correct, like the TD's, the rear springs are softer, since the SLS struts have to take some of the load. In other words, if the rear springs were the same as non SLS, how could the rear adjust down to a normal height when the trunk, back seat, fuel tank is empty?
Neat car, though. Someone ordered that to tow something. Couldn't have been cheap to get SLS as an option. Are you saying it has front SLS? I thought that was only available on the 116 in 79.

Thanks for the response. Makes sense; for the short term I'll order up some normal rate springs for the rear.

I probably didn't word that great, it's just got SLS in the rear. Original Owner was stationed in West Germany with the Air Force, and brought the car home with him. Hasn't been driven much in the last ten years, although theres a Grand Canyon tour map from 1995 in the glove box. I'm the third owner, second owner had it for 8 months and had to sell when he moved for work.