In front, bolt the shock to the lower control arm and put your weight on it to compress it so you can swing it into place. In the back, let the trailing arm hang low enough that you don't have to compress the shock. Don't let the brake line take the weight of the trailing arm.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

Generations of mechanics have convinced me that the springs of the car affect the compressive forces and the shocks control the rebound. However, shocks are a lot easier to replace or change. So if anyone would like to paint a word-picture of what 'firmer' means when you use HD, I'm all ears.....

In a lay nutshell the shock slows down the motion of the spring. A stiffer shock slows down the spring more quickly than a soft or regular shock. With a stiffer shock, the spring doesn't move as fast and doesn't move as much.

In the extreme, consider riding a bicycle with wood wheels and a 1960 Cadillac over the same bump. You feel all the effect of the bump in an instant when you're on the bicycle. You won't feel the efffect of bump as severely in the Cadillac because it'll pass to you the same energy over a much longer period. The suspension engineer's job is to find the happy medium between jolt and motion sickness.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

just jack up the car in the front really high after you unbolt the top of the shock.....


it'll slip right out with out having to compress anything, same for install.

__________________
2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/119226-1982-300d-sale.html#post852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP