95 E300D Suspension
 

Hello,

Would anyone have an idea of how long (estimate) the suspension on a W124, E300D will last for.

The har has seen 45% hwy and rest city/ small town driving.


Also, would it be possible to put in a sportlines suspension on the E300 D?

I am still wondering about the suspension guys.

What the life of W124 suspension components?

i got a CE, changed the shocks at about 130K miles. Havent had anything else go, but anything rubber could use some changing I'd guess, at 108K, couldnt hurt. depends on how big a deal it is for you. If it aint broke dont fix it, unless you really want. Sportline, why not? I have part #'s in the owners bible if you need them or dont have the book already.

I can only comment re my own car which is a 1988 W124 300D with 142,000 miles on the clock.

The springs on the front of my car are getting pretty saggy and will have to be replaced soon.....I can just about get 2 fingers between the arch and the top of the tyre. Other than that the car is still smooth to drive.

Diesels tend to be heavier on their suspensions than gas engined W124's due to the weight of the engine.

I would say that with your low mileage your suspension probably still has some life in it

If you are getting any clonking from the front, its likely to be your sway bar bushes which are cheap and easy to replace....just done it on mine and its now real quiet with no clonks.

I'm not aware of the Diesels ever being fitted with Sportline suspension

Suspension life varies greatly. Some cars can be in need of new rubber parts by 100kmi, others seem able to go much longer (200k+). Also some parts last longer than others. My 1994 model needs new lower control arm bushings already with only 92kmi, and the sway bar bushings were SHOT, but the rear suspension links and subframe bushings are all fine! Inspect what's on there now and see what it looks like. If you can afford to just replace everything, yes it will make a difference, the car will handle like new again, and last another 100-200kmi+.

About your other question, yes, you can fit the complete Sportline suspension to the diesel. Although that package was not offered in the USA, it was in Europe. It uses all the same parts as the gas Sportline but with slightly heavier springs up front. (I've done this on my car - see my signature.)

Vlad, Mercedes springs rarely sag. I know people who have replaced springs with 300kmi on them and saw virtually no difference with the new springs. Usually the culprit is worn suspension bushings (for example, bad rear subframe bushings is what makes rear springs look "saggy".) On your car, perhaps you need new rubber spring pads? If you have the 4-point pad, they do get crushed down over time (mine did). Or just leave it, two fingers is perfect! :D :D

HTH,

I have 95 E300d with 139K miles.

I replaced the shocks/struts at 110Kmiles. ($400 parts/$500 labor/wheel alignment)

At 130K miles I replaced the control arm bushings and ball joints up front and the rear suspension links ($1600 parts/labor wheel alignment)

Sometimes I'd like a stiffer suspension but most times I think the current set up is just right.

If your thinking about upgrades, perhaps you could install sport shocks and thicker sway bars.

I'm not sure what the "sportline" suspension is...shorter/stiffer springs maybe?

The Sportline kit included stiffer bushings, lower & stiffer springs, and larger sway bars. Also included were wider wheels, sportier seats made by Recaro, and a quicker steering box ratio. More details are here:

http://www.peachparts.com/sportline_suspension.htm

You can easily convert the suspension to Sportline specs. Finding Sport seats is difficult (and expensive), ditto for finding a Sportline steering box. There were not many of these models sold.

:)

On the same car, last year, I discovered a broken spring while pocking under the car. I ended-up changing both rear springs. I did not even realize I was driving with a broken spring, nor do I know how long that spring had been broken. I think I had about 250,000Km. at the time.

Currently I have a loud squeak from the rear suspension, sounds like its coming from the rear right wheel area. Its very loud and annoying while getting in, or out of the car. I can't hear it while driving. I have no idea what it is yet, but will deal with it next week when I take it to my Indy to have the breaks done. My break light, just came on last night indicating worn-out pads.

Does anyone know what the most likely cause of such a squeak could be? Its easy to duplicate the squeak by shaking the rear of the car up-and-down

Phil