I am looking for a HD front sway bar for my E420!!! I just got off the phone to Eibach and seems they don't have them for the 124 !! Bummer!! Does anybody here know where I could find a set of HD bars for my car? I got new shocks on the way and I would like to change bars at the same time! Any sugestions out there??

Smokie

Get some 500E bars.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

Here is everything you ned to get started:

http://www.w124performance.com/images/W124_sway_bars/

You can thank " gsxr " for this.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

Hey thanks fellas ! I called Rusty down in atlanta and I have a brand new set of oem MB bars and bush for a 500E on the way!! $622 shipped little more than I would have liked but Big Blue she worth it! On the twisty roads we have here she gonna be fun to drive! Still not sure about springs yet ! afraid to lower car any more because of tire rub! Thanks for all of your input !! great help!!


Smokie

Don't stiffen up the front bar. If you do you will make it understeer even more. Use a 500E bar in the back and leave the front bar stock. I think the 400E already has a little stiffer bar in the front than the other 124's due to the added weight of the V8.

Many people think that if you get rid of body sway, you are making the car handle better. That is not necessarily true. What you want to achieve is handling as close to neutral as possible. On any car stiffening the front bar adds understeer. Stiffening the rear bar removes understeer. If the body sways, that's no big deal as long as you are getting out as much understeer as possible. Most all production sedans of any manufacturer have built in understeer for liability reasons. Unskilled drivers won't get into trouble driving an understeering car. They will feel the front end plow and back off. The 124 MB is no different, so your goal is to get out as much understeer as you can.

Believe me on this, I have been through all sorts of bars on my 124 and the stock front bar with a 500E rear bar, takes out about as much understeer as you can get out without having a car that jars your teeth out.

See if you can get your money back on the front bar. If you put it on, you can expect the car to plow more than it already does.

Enjoy,

Out of curiousity, why do companies like Eibach always sell their bars in kit form front + rear? Is this just to make more money?

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

I don't get so much "plow" as I do body roll! I really want to flatten out that roll! I had a Audi 100 before I got Big Blue and that car was very nimble for a stock suspension.

Smokie

I have practically new Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks and brand spanking new Michelin MXV4 S8 tires 195 65 VR15 and the ride is much improved. The body roll is less noticeable. I still don't like the existing body roll though. I'll be getting some Eibach springs soon. I'm going to wait and see how much that helps first before I run to buy the sway bars.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

You got it! They sell sets to make more money. They do this by praying on those who don't understand that better handling is more important than less body roll.

There is a GREAT book that explains the principles of handling and how the parameters are effected by such things as spring rates and antiroll bar rates. It is an older book, but like laws of physics, these principles don't change. The book is: "How to Make Your Car Handle." It is published by HP Books.

If you want to have a car that handles better and is more fun to drive IGNORE body roll and concentrate on getting the car as close to neutral handling as possible. This is NOT achieved by stiffening the front sway bar.

Have a great day,

Why did you buy your parts from Rusty? Did you know that MercedesShop is funded by our Fastlane parts sales?

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Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster
My Personal Website
1998 Mercedes E430
2010 Toyota Sequoia
My Photo Albums

What is your personal opinion on matching up Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks/struts with Eibach springs for my 1989 300ce? I already have the Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks/struts on my car and thought the Eibach is the way to go for the springs. Will this be considered a good way to improve the handling?

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

Changing springs is mostly personal preference. I personally prefer to neutralize my handling with sway bars if possible. Changing spring rates can certainly be a great way to neutralize handling but at the expense of sometimes teeth jarring ride.

I believe that the combination of heavy duty Bilsteins and a 500E, or even stiffer rear bar is the right combination on the 124 car. I have comforts on mine and like it even better. Shocks play into the handling equation very little as far as oversteer/understeer goes. They do play into handling from the standpoint of keeping the tires in contact with the road surface. Thus, shock and spring choice will be greatly dictated by your road conditions. If you sometimes drive on rough road surfaces WHILE CORNERING, then shocks will play into the equation.

Good luck,

Larry, for a w202 4cyl car, what would you suggest? The car has factory AMG 17x7.5 which worked wonders for handling, surefootedness, AND ride (heavier wheel/better road contact due to gravity?), but the car does lean quite a bit initially in turn in, and the OEM comforts with 87k allow the car to bounce laterally over bumps in turns. My next plan is Bilstein HDs around 100k, but what about away bars? Worth it and, if so, any suggestions? (C43, etc)

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

I went with Rusty because I did not see any 500E parts listed or for that matter any swaybars on the Fastlane online cat !! links and bushings yes but no bars!

Smokie

For future reference, you can call Phil at Fastlane and ask him for whatever you don't see listed. He is by far one of the nicest people in the world to talk to and is extremely helpful. If he doen't have something, he will probably direct you to a place that does. Good luck with your purchase, and please keep us posted each step of the way.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz