Eibach vs. E500 swaybars for W124 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ksing44 · #1 02-11-2003, 05:22 AM

It seems that everyone is pushing for the Mercedes bars instead of the Eibach bars that "are specifically engineered for our cars". I don’t quite understand why everyone is "steering" clear of the after market bars when we use their other parts. We all buy after market springs and shocks, but everyone seems to think the Mercedes bar is better. The Eibach bars come with polyurethane bushings, which is considered a good thing. The Eibach front bar is 28mm end to end, with no taper, so I suppose it will be very stiff and the car will be very flat. I understand that different materials could make the tapered E500 bar stiffer, but I’m not sure anyone has actually tested it. It seems that there really is very little difference in cost. I am just curious about everyone’s opinions. Thank you for all the help.

Just to be sure, does the rear E500 bar fit with no special modofication on a 1995 E320?

I have to thank "gsxr" for that amazing, complete list of the bars for a W124 that you can get by going to
http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/W124_stuff/
and then downloading the file
MB_124_swaybars.xls or MB_124_swaybars.pdf

MTI · #2 02-11-2003, 02:50 PM

I don't think anyone has said that the Eibach bars are bad or inferior in any way, however I have never heard anyone say "What a bargain those Eibach bars are!" either.

2phast · #3 02-11-2003, 03:04 PM

The Eibachs are good bars, but cost quite a bit more than the OE MB parts, hence why you don't see many people opting for the Eibachs.

ksing44 · #4 02-12-2003, 05:40 AM

I don’t think the difference in cost is a major consideration. With the best prices, which I am not sure that I can get for the Mercedes bars, the difference in cost between Eibach and Mercedes bars and bushings is only about $75.00 more for Eibach. If I have to get the E500 bars from the dealer, there will be no difference in cost and it may even cost more for the Mercedes parts after I pay for bushings and sales tax. I think the Eibach bars come with polyurethane bushings, so that would be considered a plus. The front bar for Eibach is 28mm end to end with no taper, so I suppose it may be a bit stiffer than even the "Limo" bars. It will most likely cost me more to install both of the bars than they actually cost, so the $75.00 difference doesn’t really matter. I want to get the best set-up I can for my once $50,0000.00 dollar car, so $75.00 doesn’t make a difference. I am not saying that I am willing to buy very expensive custom bars, but $75.00 isn’t a big deal. What is the best set of bars to keep my car flat?
We all know that there is always a major consideration for comfort with the Mercedes. They seem to compromise even in the "sport" versions of their cars. The Mercedes bars, with their tapered ends, are probably a compromise between performance and comfort even though bars are not supposed to have a huge impact on comfort. It may be that the performance-minded Eibach bars, with their polyurethane bushings, are actually stiffer and provide a flatter ride.

Eibach Anti-roll Bars for W124
Part Number 2505.320
Upgrademotoring ($446.25)
http://www.upgrademotoring.com/suspension/eibach/mercedes.htm
Autosupermart ($499)
http://autosupermart.com/old6/shopcart/eibach/eibach22.html
AutoWorld ($586)
http://www.autoworldaccessories.com/ViewPartinfo.cfm?parttype=9042
Modocar ($595)
http://www.modacar.com/mercedes/swaybars_mercedes.htm
Coximport ($???)
http://www.coximport.com/store/2505.320

Mercedes Bars & Bushings with online prices from (I did not call)
Rusty = Buy MB Parts www.***************
1-800-741-5252 Date: Nov-2002
124-323-77-65 "Limo" or Convertible Sportline bar $132.00
124-323-46-85 Front inner bushing, 28.5mm $6.75 (x2 = $13.50)
124-323-51-85 Front outer bushing, 22mm (hard?) $5.50 (x2 = $11.00)
124-326-25-65 E500 rear bar $168
201-326-16-81 Rear bushing, 18mm $25.50 (x2 = $50.00)

$132.00 + $13.50 + $11.00 + $168.00 + $50.00 = $374.00
If I can actually get those prices.

My dealer wants $185.00 front and $220.00 Rear for E500 bars = $405.00 + Bushings

gsxr · #5 02-12-2003, 02:29 PM

I'll chime in here too!

Until recently, the OE bars were a much cheaper option than Eibach. The standard Sportline stuff was ~$225/kit, compared to $500-$600 for the Eibachs (years ago). Now things have changed. Eibachs have dipped under $500 and I did hear of one person who talked the TireRack into selling a set for $400. The Sportlines are still cheaper but smaller. The "plus" kit with Limo front and 500E rear is better but nearing the $400 threshold. And now, to make matters worse, MB just jacked up prices 5-15% across the board effective February 1, 2003 in response to the Euro valuation. So the "Rusty" prices quoted below are a good 10% less than what it would cost today - making the Eibachs about equal cost.

As to the Eibach dimensions. They are 28mm end to end, which is nice for max performance. I think their rear is only 17mm though (can't remember). If the Eibach rear is 18mm, that kit may be more desireable (IMO). Mercedes has their OE bars taper down to 18 or 19mm near the ends, before flaring back to 22mm, on all except the skinny 400E bar and huge E60 bar. I believe this is to allow for some semblance of comfort and reduce ride harshness. If you REALLY don't care about ride, the Eibachs should be fine. Otherwise the OE may be better. I'd love to hear from someone who has tried different bars on their car, with some real-world opinions.

A couple other notes. I think the MB bushings are some form of polyurethane. At any rate they are extremely stiff, they sure don't feel like rubber! The OE ones have a Teflon inner sleeve to eliminate noise, which is nice. The Eibachs won't, AFAIK. And on a disappointing note, the E60 sway bar has shot up in cost dramatically. I got two quotes recently for about $600 plus shipping from Europe (another $100 or so). I don't know if the Eibach bars are shaped to fit V8 models, or 6-cyl only.

For the record, I currently have standard Sportline bars on both my cars. I have the Limo front new in the box which will get installed soon. I will drive it like that for a bit & see how it feels, and then add the 500E rear bar later (although the cost probably has gone up from $220 to $250+.) I may get a new MB price list in a few weeks, if so, I'll be updating the spreadsheet with new numbers.

Best regards,

gsxr · #6 02-12-2003, 03:18 PM

Just checked Eibach's site. They only have one kit for the 124 chassis, and it is 6-cylinder only. 28mm front, 17mm rear. That's a bummer, I think the 124 needs a little larger rear bar. Especially with the "stiffer" Eibach front at 28mm end to end, I'd think an 18mm or even 19mm rear would be nice. Oh well... too bad they don't sell the front bar separately! their front with an 18mm rear would be sweet.

ksing44 · #7 02-12-2003, 04:35 PM

gsxr,

You are the man when it comes to sway bars and I bet you are equally knowledgeable on many other topics. Thank you for your wisdom and for the amazing Excel list about the bars. I truly feel like a well-informed consumer.

Thanks again,

ksing44

gsxr · #8 02-12-2003, 05:12 PM

Aw, shucks... (blushing) Thanks!

ksing44 · #9 02-13-2003, 05:52 AM

I am still not quite able to make my decision about the bars.
First, good things about E500 bars.
I like the idea of using the OE E500 bars and I know that the E500 rear bar is actually 1mm larger than the Eibach rear bar. In addition, based on what gsxr wrote in a previous post, it sounds like the OE bushings may be made from some kind of polyurethane and they have a Teflon inner sleeve. The Eibach probably does not have the Teflon sleeve. The taper on the big E500 bar may provide some degree of compliance at the ends that translates into a more comfortable ride, while still giving pretty flat cornering ability. The E500 bars sound pretty good.
Now on to the Eibach bars.
I understand that different materials can affect stiffness, but I still think the taper will make the E500 bar less stiff than the Eibach bar and most people seem to want the stiffest, biggest bar they can find. I have read that even super stiff bars should not have a dramatic affect on ride quality. It is not like changing the springs and shocks. Although it is important to match the front and rear bars, the front seems to be a much larger concern to most people, so the 1mm smaller Eibach rear bar may not be an issue. The Eibach rear bar is 2mm larger than my skinny little stock 15mm bar and that skinny little rear bar couldn’t be doing much work back there. I just read that Eibach is painted on the front swaybar of Chappy’s '02 CLK55. I thought I was right about Mercedes using reputable aftermarket suppliers for some of their "sport" parts. I learned from a previous post that Bilstein was not used in the earlier cars, but I knew for sure they used Bilstein more recently and I had read that AMG used the Eibach springs among other suppliers at different times. Now Chappy says that he has the Eibach swaybar. So actually, to get an AMG-like and still "Mercedes-correct" E320, I can use Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, Eibach swaybars, and some AMG Wheels. This should give me the handling characteristics of the AMG. Hey, I know that I still won’t have the speed, but that is OK because I am really very satisfied with the engine performance of my 1995 E320. I am curious about the big V8, but I am in love my I6 motor and stock performance, compared to AMG tuned, may be more likely to give me the years of reliability that Mercedes is known for.
Back to the bars. I am still trying to decide. Based on my list of concerns, I guess I am leaning toward the Eibach. Then I go back to E500 to be more "Mercedes" correct and to get that "taper" for a more compliant but still flat ride. If I pay about 1000.00 dollars to purchase and install the E500 bars and don’t get a flat ride, I will be very disappointed. Then again, if I spend about the same for the Eibach bars and end up sacrificing too much ride quality or end up ripping the wheels off my car when I am cornering, I will also be very disappointed. Thanks for all of the information, but I am still having a hard time making a decision.

gsxr · #10 02-13-2003, 09:21 AM

Hi again,

If you do go with the Eibach bars, please let us know what you think! I am quite curious how you like them.

IF you decide to go with OE, I'd use the "limo" front bar instead of the 500E front bar, because it's a hair larger AND it's shaped properly for your 6-cyl car. I bet it weighs less too. (BTW, I hadn't heard the idea that the 500E bar may be a different material - I wonder if it really is?)

About install, you can do the front bar yourself, it's not difficult. The rear is a medium-level DIY project, instructions are in the "rear swaybar install" PDF on my site. For soemone who has never done it, plan on 4 hours for the rear bar, maybe 1-2 for the front. At an MB shop with a tech that has done this before (!), 1 hour front, 1 hour rear. If they charge you more they are either gouging you OR they don't have a tech who's experienced with 124 sway bars. I've personally done the rear bar in less than an hour so I know it's possible!

If you have some tools and a hydraulic jack or two, it may save you some $$$ to attempt it yourself. Just a thought...

Good luck,

omegabenz · #11 02-14-2003, 10:47 PM

You can buy new bars from this site here shipped cheaper than you can buy them from your dealer... Hook up www.peachparts.com They keep this place going