Notes on Installing Shocks on a 107 Roadster

[ctaylor738]

I just finished changing the shocks on the road warrior 280SL. I thought it was time because of a sort of liesurely up-and-down motion in the front end, and the same in the rear accompanied by a hollow clunking going over bumps.

I used Bilstein "comfort" shocks from German Star, $296 including shipping.

Here are some notes on the process.

Front

1. Remove three screws holding coolant tank, move out of way. Spray top nuts on both sides with PB Blaster. Remove nuts with a pair of 17mm wrenches. Use a small wrench or vice-grips to hold the top of the rod while unscrewing. Because of obstructions, this is painfully slow. A crowfoot helps on the left side. Leave the bottom nuts on at the top of the rod.

2. Jack car up and remove wheels. Squirt the two nuts that hold the shocks at the bottom with PBB. Place a small jack under the A-arm and raise it an inch or two. You are not supposed to allow the suspension to remain unsupported with the shock unhooked at the top.

3. Unscrew the 13mm nuts on the bottom mount and remove the top nut. Here's the tough part. Get a good grip on the cover tube and compress the shock enough to get the rod out of the hole at the top. Allow the rod to come up gently. Summon up some more strength, compress it again, and maneuver it out of the hole in the A-arm. Repeat on other side.

3. Assemble new shock plate and bushings, same as old one (plate, bushing, cover). Do the compression thing and get the bottom end into the A-arm hole. Do one last compression and get the rod through the hole at the top. Repeat on other side.

4. Install nuts at top and bottom.

Rear

1. Remove rear seat bottoms. Get up under the little pads and remove the two screws on each side that hold the seat back hinges to the body. Remove the seat back by pulling up.

2. Remove the three small screws holding each of the side panels. Remove the top crank handles on the left side. Remove the side panels by pulling down and out. You do not need to remove the hardtop.

3. Unscrew the shocks' top nuts - same drill as the front, but much more accessible. Leave the second nut on the end of the rod.

4. Jack the car up and support it with the wheels at least six inches off the ground. Support the suspension with a jack and move it up about an inch. Squirt the bottom securing bolts with PBB.

5. Remove the top nut and the two bottom bolts. Pull the shock down through the hole and maneuver it out. You may have to jack the suspension up a bit to get clearance.

6. Assemble hardware on rod. Push new shock up through the hole and maneuver the rod through the hole at the top by feel. Use a 2" bolt of the same diameter/thread as the original bottom bolt to pull the shock up until you can get the regular bolt started. Withdraw the longer bolt and start the second and tighten both.

7. Button up the top and you're done.

I did the front and rear in two separate evenings, about two hours each. One the front, you spend a lot of time on the right side top bolts. In the rear, it's messing with the back seat.

Great results - firmer ride, no more clunking.