Posted on Tech forum, but no reply

[Piotr]

Help, Please. I wanted to replace the rear shocks on 1985 190D (201 chassis). Before calling thebenzbin, I looked at the shocks and noticed :
1) they seem to be installed upside down i.e with the rod/plunger attached to the control arm rather than to the upper mount.
2) the rod seems to be protected by a "dust sleeve" losely sliding up and down the shock.
3) There is a rubber bump stop at the top (or, rather, the bottom) of the rod. the bump stop rests in a "nest" located in the bottom control arm, so it's the design, anfd not a conversion.

The parts supplier had no idea what to do about it (the shock does not come with the stopper or the sleeve), my mech scratched his head, but said MB occasionally does something like that (read "weird"), haynes manual shows "normal" (ie rod-on-top) shocks, and the dealer mech, as expected, refused to talk to me unless they'll "do the job". I REALLY dislike the MB dealers...

Anyway-any ideas?? is this a design, or did somebody made a mistake installing shocks?
Just my luck to get a weird car..