107 smooth ride?

[mattcara]

hey all.

I have an 88 560SL prsitine condition 80k miles


the previous owner put new shocks on her at about 50k.

here is my questions?

is it possible to get a smooth ride? my car rides ok, but it seems to ride harder and bangs around abit.

I have a japanese luxury car as my daily driver so I guess i shouldnt compare rides.

but I find it hard to be satisifed with this ruff rider. I love my SL. I just need to get her to be smoother..

any advise?

please...


Thank you


Matt

[Strife]

This is (theoretically) a sports car and you can't expect it to be as comfy as even a Taurus (which I find very comfy).

Although I replaced a lot of stuff on my car, the biggest bang for the buck on the ride quality (aside from the shocks, one of which was totally leaked) were the subframe mounts, mostly the fronts (which were horrible and visibly shot).

Most people think Bilstein shocks are the best.

I found that the original size tires gave me a better ride than wider tires.

My car was also a creampuff that rarely saw rain and never saw snow, but time doesn't care how well rubber parts are taken care of.

If you actually hear "banging", have it looked into immediately!

[mattcara]

subframe mounts. i will remember that.


i thought i would be good until 100k, then i was going to have springs, bearings, motor mounts, the works done.

ive owned many cars, and i think i will take it in sooner, it just rides too hard, i agree with you about rubber parts,, i must have something warn out.

my car sits in the garage more then it drives.. i look at it everyday tho...LOL

thanks for the advice.


Matt

[speedy72t]

Koni adjustable shocks might be an option and have you checked the tire pressure? maybe it's too high? I believe the 560 came with Bilstein HD instead of the earlier comfort setting. Lots of possibilities but what you may be feeling is the normal ride of a sports tank.

[mattcara]

LOL

I have wanted a 560SL ever since I saw one.. I have owned it since last fall.
it was well taken care of and I have continued to pamper it.

i did all the filter fluid changes and put on new tires. just stock all weather ones. I know its a sports car. but please. it handles like a school bus! LOL

its no porsche, but i love it to death and will never sell it. It a smooth convertible sunday car.. thats it..

i just need it to drive smoother.. i live in the city and the streets are bad here. it bangs over pot holes too much, you really think the koni shocks are better?

[speedy72t]

Koni over Bilstein could start a serious flame war but it is absolutely possible. One they are adjustable and two Bilstein shocks have great control but they are HARSH and always have been. Just make sure everything else is right first. My Audi was pounding like a truck and I though for sure the shocks must be out of it. Turns out I had a bad ball joint hammering my guts over bumps.

[mattcara]

this is what im afraid of. i will have to do the mechanical detective search..lol..

oh well... it goes with the territory..

[RickM]

Originally Posted by mattcara

this is what im afraid of. i will have to do the mechanical detective search..lol..

oh well... it goes with the territory..

The subframe mounts did little for me. I didn't even notice a difference afterwards. New springs and Bilstien Comforts transformed my ride.

[Tomit1]

The front subframe mounts do a lot, but I think the R107 does vibrate and deform when riding over potholes and bumps, that is a car property for old convertibles. Mine does this and so does my friends. On a good road it goes nicely.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think for non-smooth roads you allways get this harsh vibrating rides and that is part of riding a R107

[YuCrew]

Remember your rubber parts are approaching 20 years old, regardless of mileage. I can say that after replacing engine mounts, front subframe, tie rods and front sway bushing, the handling is much improved (steering coupling next) on a 1984 380SL with 83,000 miles. One engine mount was compressed so much I thought the replacement part was wrong. Good luck.

[Roncallo]

My 1988 560SL has a firm ride, never does it bang. It holds the road very well for its weight. It has a performance tuned ride not a luxury car ride. The firmness of the ride is controled by the spring rate and shocks. More so the springs than shocks. It is very easy to look in performance catalogs and find people that will custome wind a spring to just about any rate you want. Any you can probably get this done cheeper than buying a new set of springs from a MB dealer. The problem will be that you will have to experiment.

John Roncallo

[Steve Gutman]

A couple of my shocks were blown. It was a lot better with new shocks. The sub-frame bushings in the front helped harshness and the rear ones (with the differential bushing) gave the biggest improvement in tracking and handling. Ride comfort is much better with the 205/70/14 tires but grip and stabiity are better with 225/50/16s. Over rutted roads the tires and shocks make the biggest difference. The rubber dries out and gets soft. Replace all body rubber and the car will feel better too. Good luck.

[mattcara]

thanks guys. im going to have it checked out..

my car looks brand new. and i want it to drive like new too...