Shocks - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

1994s500 · #1 07-12-2003, 02:58 PM

CAN I USE BILSTEIN SPORT SHOCKS FOR A '94 S500? OR JUST THE HD's? HOW BOUT KONI RED SHOCKS? THANKS

1994s500 · #2 07-12-2003, 09:49 PM

I have sport springs on my '94 S500, and they feel really "bouncy." I am planning on purchasing shocks but i think that I can only install Bilstein HD's for this car. I wonder how much bouncier the ride will become after installing the shocks. Or are there any shocks other than the Bilstein HD's for the W140's?

Please help. Thank you.

MRPerformance · #3 07-13-2003, 01:24 AM

S500,

I've installed HDs on a variety of street cars with sport lowering springs (such as Eibach and H&R) and I've been quite pleased with the results. In my mind the HD is the perfect damper for a street car using slightly lower, stiffer springs. FWIW, I replaced the factory shocks on my Sportline with HDs and couldn't tell any difference so I figure the factory Sportline damper is in fact an HD.

As others have stated I believe the main difference between the HD and Sport shocks is the stroke length, but I believe the Sport shock is more appropriate in applications using significantly shorter springs. I expect the HD would be suitable for your purpose but I have no direct experience with your chassis.

HTH,

///MikeR
'93 190 2.6 Sportline

1994s500 · #4 07-13-2003, 02:38 AM

Thanks Mike. Appreciate any reply. I'll have to call Bilstein and ask them about the HDs with sport springs. or ask the other aftermarket shops around here.

ksing44 · #5 07-13-2003, 07:42 AM

I put this comment in another post, but it seems to fit here too. I wanted to add something related to my experiences with the Bilstein HDs. I am starting to think that the Bilstein HD shock may actually be the best shock to combine with the Eibach Pro kit springs. I always hear Sports if you drop and originally I was sorry that I listened to what I have been thinking was the wrong advice when I got the HDs. For one thing, the drop is actually less than an inch, after correcting for the asymmetrical drop in the rear with bigger spring pads in the back, so the whole thing about shorter stroke length is really not a big deal with the Eibachs. In addition, and I think more important to ride quality, is that the HDs actually help to support the car by pushing up to help the springs. I have seen this on friend’s cars that add the HD shocks to stock springs. Their cars actually increase in ride height. This added support for the springs, seems to contribute to the "progressive" part of the spring compression in a car with Eibach progressive springs. My car is really very comfortable during normal driving and yet when pushed hard into corners, the more extreme forces overcome the progressive component of the ride and my car handles like it is on rails. The HD shock has plenty of performance and durability to control the stiffer springs. I have also heard quite a few complaints about loss of ride quality from the Sports, so I am really starting to think that I will not be looking to get the Sports in the future.

I’m pretty sure Bilstein will say Sports for a dropped car, but many of us use "lowering" springs that really don’t lower the car very much. The car doesn’t end up "slammed", unless you start cutting coils or buy springs that were intended for using at the track. If you are slammed, then the Sports are definitely the right shock. With the minimal drop that many of us experience, I am quite confident that HDs are just fine and, as I said above, based on my experience the HDs may be the better choice.

1994s500 · #6 07-14-2003, 01:45 AM

I have H&R springs on my car. Will it work out with Bilstein HD's?

ksing44 · #7 07-14-2003, 06:51 AM

H&Rs on an S500 must be awesome. For my car, a 1995 E320, there may be at least three different types of H&R springs available. I think they range from a kind of progressive spring with just a bit of lowering, like the Eibachs, to extremely stiff springs with dramatic lowering that was made for the track. If I had to guess, I would say that an S500 should have been upgraded to the less severe springs, since it certainly was never intended to be track racer. If this is the case, I’m sure the HDs will work just fine. Everyone seems to agree that the damping rate of the HDs is close to that of the Sport shocks, so they will be able to take the punishment that a stiff spring will produce. Furthermore, if the S500 isn’t slammed, then the normal stroke length of the HD shock should not be a problem. I’m certainly not an expert and I have only used the HDs, so my point of view is one sided. I can really only say that I am pleased with my Eibach and HD combination.

I have read comments about cars being "bouncy", or "whoopta whoopta" with the HDs, but then again I have read that some people think they are too "harsh". I think I can feel what others may be referring to as a bouncy ride when driving on country roads, but the HDs definitely control rebound over big bumps at any speed and provide a controlled "squat" during hard cornering. I think the "bouncy" feeling is just part of the price you pay for the firmer springs, stiffer shocks, and smaller profile tries. It is all part of having more "road feel". You can feel every thing on the road. It isn’t a bad feeling it is just a fact. The alternative is a "harsh" ride. I know that simply riding with more air in my tires gives less bounce and a more harsh road feeling.

1994s500 · #8 07-14-2003, 01:36 PM

I just found out/heard, that the W140's V8 came with Bilstein shocks. Since bilstein only make the HD's for the W140's, so im guessing that my stock shocks are the HD's. So now, i might just have to change my control arm bushings and correct the rear suspension cells, instead of buying new shocks. Whew. hopefully the front shocks are still in good condition, which i think they are cause the MB dealer didnt recommend for the shocks to get replaced. I'll try Enrique's shop since Im hearing a lot of good feedback for him. this other shop, closer to me, charges $140 for labor to change both control bushings, but the parts also will cost me $140.