99 SL500 strut mounts

[Carlos Serrano]

After researching strut mount replacement on a 129, I decided to give it a try all by myself, an hour later 2 brand new mounts were bolted to my car.
No; I did not remove the wheels or brakes or anything but the strut mounts, the hardest part was to pull the dust cover back over the new mounts, that drove me to a cold beer afterwards. A floor jack, a Phillips head screwdriver, 22mm combination wrench for the strut nut, 7mm allen socket to stop the shaft from spining and a 14mm socket on a 3/8 drive ratchet with a 6in extension for the three nuts fastening the mount to the body.
I remove the shaft nut first and the clamp, turn the steel piece enough to clear the tabs on the mount,remove the three nuts on the mount, jack the car no higher than it will take to get the front tire off the ground,the strut shaft will be below the hole on the mount, push the shaft downwards with the screwdriver,reach under the fender, grab the mount, angle it downwards towards you, remove the screwdriver and she will be in your hands.reverse the procedure for the new ones, I used one hand to guide the strut towards the mount hole, grabbed it low enough my hand was clear of the top of the strut and the mount.I notice that moving the top of the strut however slightly moves the tire considerably, front, back in or out, so a broken mount allows your tire to move with the pavement My other hand lower the jack very slowly.
There is no more loose feel changing lanes and no more drifting on uneven pavement