has anyone ever lifted theyre w123?
 

i have a 240d and i live in the countryside and i am constantly rubbing the bottom of my car as im out and around. i want to lift it 2" and put it on 225/70-14 and it currently has 185/60-14. the tire switch will get me roughly a inch and a half and i would like to go 2 inches on top of that, can i do this simply as i have done on multiple trucks or am i looking at a whole different ballgame?

I wonder if w123's bound for less-developed countries used different springs or spring pads to offer an increased ride height. South Africa?

I started a thread on the Diesel Discussion section of this forum, as a fair number of w123 owners frequent that area.

Any local suspension shops around where you are? There's a place that specializes in springs/shocks in my city that will do custom jobs. Their clients are probably more in the line of pick up truck owners with leaf springs though.

If you look in the W126 FSM there are different specs for ride height and castor for vehicles that were sold to countries with poor road surfaces.

I don't think, however, there are many different suspension parts other than spring length and the height of the rubber spring mounts.

The rubber spring mounts on a W123 come with 1, 2, 3, nubs for the front and 1, 2, 3, 4 nubs for the rear. You can find the specs for these mounts on www.febi.com (for example)

For spring specifications there are several threads on this forum.

60 series tires are too low on that car. I suggest at least a 195/70R14.
You might be able to fit a 205/70R14 or a 195/75R14. Regardless of what size you choose, you might want to inspect several different tire-brands, as within a specific tire-size, there can be a significant variation between different brands.
As for raising the suspension, unless you're dealing with sagged springs, any significant height increase at the springs will mess up your camber settings.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Take a look at this current thread:-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/282258-increase-ride-height-w123.html

I have 205/70-14 on my 300D, they do have enough clearance. also, when I replaced my springs, I gained a little hight because the old ones were sagging. I wouldn't mess with the ride height (in either direction). If your road is that rough, you probably need a different vehicle.

MB also made a skid plate for the underside of the 123. They sometimes come up on this site and E-Bay.
Regards

The '82 240D I got last year came with huge, dry-rotted 70-series Firestones that looked so tall, they made the car look like an off-road vehicle!
The 'same-size' Michelin replacements actually wound up being over an inch smaller diameter. Hence my suggestion to visually inspect any tires you're considering to change the ride-height of your car.
I rarely take my car off-road, and don't have any problem with the occasional rut or pot-hole.
FWIW, it does have new shocks.

Happy Motoring, Mark

I live in the boonies too. We have to be really careful with our 240, but for us it's not so much the ride height as it is that pesky oil pan the sticks down so low. Seems like it's only about 2 inches off the ground, and I've got new shocks too.

Lifting the rear will result in positive camber... which would make for "interesting" handling :eek:

-J

from what i have gotton is that i need to go ahead and change my springs alot with the tires. also from what ive heard 205/70 is well within range of my 240d. im putting the tires on next week and then i will be ordering the springs. if that is not enough i will do a little more research and figure out what best to do. i also drive 60 miles interstate to work so handling is pretty important also. thanks guys for all the responces and thank you army for that thread

Keep in mind that installing larger tires (205/70-14) will increase your final gear ratio by a couple of percent. That will give you a little lower rpm on the highway, but will also hurt your acceleration a little. It's not a big deal on my 300D, but you may feel a little difference on the 240D.

The w123 wagons had a semi off road height increase available from the dealer- and they did indeed look like a 4X4. Sorry no link.

The ten-year-old 205/70R14 Firestones that came on my '82 240D were HUGE. They were over an inch larger diameter than the spare 205/70R14 Michelin X I had in storage. I believe within a spacific tire-size, the Michelin Xs tend to be a low-profile tire, but my goal was to optimize handling, not increase ground clearance.

If your goal is to increase the ride height, you need to inspect the tire before you buy. The 195/70R14 Michelin Xs I got at Sam's Club were very close in diameter to my 205/70R14 spare. My speedometer/odometer error with the new tires is less than 1% - measured against the highway markers on my first trip in that car.

For a significant increase in ride height, you may have to go with a different make than Michelin, or maybe try a 75 series tire.

Happy Motoring, Mark

I'd love to meet someone who can physically pick up a w123. We have some darn heavy cars.

In all seriousness through, was there a high suspension 300TD option? I have a pic of the Mercedes Benz roadside assistance program with a TD raised off the ground higher than normal.

today i had 205/70-14 general altimax tires put on and its sits a good bit higher. probobly at least 1.5 inches. plus either tonight or tomorrow i will make my own skidplate since my oil pan is a magnet for dents. looking for a 300d springs from a junkyard to put on but none available around here for now.

I have a factory skid plate I will sell for what I have in it. About 100 plus shipping. It is new and in the box.

I took off the axles, diff, sub frame, trailing arms, fuel tank and I stripped out lots of the interior - even after all of that I couldn't "bench press" the back of the car off of the axle stands... like you say darn heavy cars.

They are quite light for their size, actually.

Depends on the ass in the seat :D

I wouldn't call them light for their size, i would say they're about right for a big sedan with a lot of steel. 3700ish pounds depending on trim. A modern loaded Toyota Camry with a big V6 is about 3500 lbs nowadays.

W123s really aren't all that big by today's standards.

walgamuth u caught me too late. i made one out of sheet metal and 3/4in pipes from the radiator support to the crossmember. took her out back to see how it did and it worked quite well

Hd springs
 

Does anybody have the part numbers for the HD springs For a 300D? (the coils not the shocks). PM me, I really want these!

Chapter 32-010 in the FSM

Probably not available from Mercedes anymore - after market versions are sold quite a bit here in Europe as Taxi springs.

Some info on this BW thread.
Any Pictures of W123 Roadside Assistance Wagon? - Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/atta...hicle-snow.jpg

Try spring rubbers. Like they use in nascar.

240D was 3000-3100 lb depending on options, I can't imagine the 300D sedan being much heavier.

A lifted w126.
 

Just put some w116 springs in it.

thread/ :laughing:

wow, old thread!

pertaining to the original question, 300D springs are longer. i needed to replace the tired springs in my 240 and wanted more height for snow driving, so put 4 300D spec springs in. car gained 3 inches, ready for off road. the 300D spring is about an inch taller to begin with, add that to new spec springs, and you have huge gained clearance.

Has anyone had any further luck in adding lift to a W123? What have you done?

see post 25 and seven. There is a pretty comprehensive thread here too which I believe was referenced above by same poster as post 25.