Well,
Mechanic is telling me that he is really nervous to remove my hydraulic shocks in order to replace the shock mounts (I have a rebuild kit for each side), he says that there is a good chance that the fittings may break and he wants me to order shocks (not his so he's not making any $) on it so they can replace them immediately if they break a fitting.

The MB dealership service department told me the same thing.

I know that they become brittle after a while, but shouldn't they be able to extract the shock without removing the fitting/ supply line?

TO replace those bushings, the shocks have to drop down far enough to allow access to the upper mount and you cannot move them that far with the lines attached. In fact, it would be easier to do if the shock was removed completely.

When we reworked the trailing arm bushings, we didn't think twice about those fittings on Thing One's wagon. They came out just fine.

I'd just tell him, "go for it!" Then fix it if/when it breaks.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

It would be most helpful to know what model MB you are working on.

Have a great day,

It's regarding my '81 300TD wagon.