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  #1  
Old 06-26-2005, 07:43 PM
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DIY shocks/struts...any suggestions?

I'll be swapping out the stock shocks/struts on my w124 for Bilstein sports and will be doing it myself. Just wondering if you guys have any tips or precautions to save me any possible headaches/repairs if I happen to mess it up. One serious question though, are the shocks and springs independent of each other? In other words, the shock/strut does not keep the spring compressed right? Just want to prevent a spring from flying out from the car when I remove the shocks. Otherwise, the swap looks pretty straightforward. thnx in advance.

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  #2  
Old 06-26-2005, 08:11 PM
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Maybe you've already researched this - but aren't Bilstein Sports supposed to be for lowered springs? And Heavy Duties for existing springs? Not sure about this but it's worth checking on if you haven't already. Someone here will know. The job itself is no big deal - a search should turn up quite a bit of info.
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  #3  
Old 06-26-2005, 09:14 PM
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yeh i have the hd's right now, but just installed vogtland lowering springs. hence, the switch to bilstein sports. thanks for the heads up tho.
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  #4  
Old 06-26-2005, 09:18 PM
LarryBible
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This is an easy job as long as you have a floor jack and jack stands. Support the car on jackstands under the subframe under the firewall area just behind where the subframe turns up.

Support the lower control arm with the floorjack with the wheel removed.

Good luck,
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  #5  
Old 06-26-2005, 10:15 PM
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thanks larry.

is this a simple replacement process? i.e. is it just undoing the upper nuts from the struts in the front and the shocks in the rear, undoing the lower bolts, and swapping in the new components for the old ones? the upper strut mount in the engine bay is part of the car right? i simply undo the bolt from the piston rod, pull out the strut, and slide in the bilstein sport? some of the posts that i searched on this forum seem to hint that i need to take out this strut mount.
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Old 06-26-2005, 11:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryBible
This is an easy job as long as you have a floor jack and jack stands. Support the car on jackstands under the subframe under the firewall area just behind where the subframe turns up.

Support the lower control arm with the floorjack with the wheel removed.

Good luck,
This is not a good idea. Place jackstands under the front control arms and let the weight of the car keep the springs compressed. I wouldn't trust a floor jack to keep the springs compressed any more than I would crawl under a car only supported by a floorjack.

Duke
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  #7  
Old 06-27-2005, 12:18 AM
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excuse my ignorance guys, but this being the first time ive worked on a mercedes, im a little cautious. so you're saying that the front HAS to be supported by some means to keep the spring compressed when i remove the strut. so the strut holds the control arm in place and consequently keeps the spring "in place"? secondly, are the rear shock assemblies similar in design as the front struts? in other words, will i have to keep the rear compressed as well when i remove the shocks to prevent a spring from flying out? sorry for all these questions. only other car ive done suspension work myself on is a vette, and those leaf springs are completely independent of the shocks and have no chance of taking my head off.
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Old 06-27-2005, 12:35 AM
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I would use the floorjack under the control arm but with a twist. I would not wrench on the floor jack to raise the control arm, but rather support it from drooping further than it does naturally with the shock still attached.

Go to autozone, advanced auto parts and the like, and ask them to borrow an external spring compressor. Once the control arm is supported on the floorjack, and before you disconnect the shock, place the spring compressor on the spring, and just tighten it till its snug. You do not want to compress the spring further to remove it, but rather use that as a safety measure, so if for some unseen reason the control arm does drop the spring can not expand violently.

A jackstand under the control arm will be very hard on the ball joints etc, you do not want this part to be weight bearing without a shock to stop it from compressing beyond a certain point.

Take care,

George


Just my thoughts on the matter.
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Old 06-27-2005, 01:25 AM
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On the front end, the struts are the only limit stops for the front springs. If you remove the struts with the weight off the wheels, the springs will fully extend, probably flying off their mounts at the same time.

On the rear end, the shocks also serve as limit stops, but you can unbolt the shocks and the sway bar link will keep the springs from fully extending.

At any rate, the rear shocks are way easier than the front struts. I did this about a month or two ago, and posted my experience here:

W124 sedan rear shock procedure

You'll need a floor jack, jackstands, ratchet and breaker bar, 17mm wrench, 17 and 10mm sockets.
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  #10  
Old 06-27-2005, 09:10 AM
LarryBible
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Duke2.6
This is not a good idea. Place jackstands under the front control arms and let the weight of the car keep the springs compressed. I wouldn't trust a floor jack to keep the springs compressed any more than I would crawl under a car only supported by a floorjack.

Duke
The floor jack is simply used to SUPPORT the control arm. What's the difference whether it is supported by a jackstand or a floor jack as long as you don't actuate the floor jack?

Actually when I think about it, I don't think I supported the car on jackstands. I simply placed the floor jack under the control arm and raised it enough to remove the wheel. Then I removed the nut on the top of the shock shaft and the bolts from the spindle and removed the shock leaving the strut mount in place.

It's really not that difficult doing it this way. The hardest part is getting the front shock compressed to get it in place. I can't remember how I did that. Maybe I have to retract my statement about actuating the floor jack. Maybe I raised the shock into position with the floor jack after bolting the bottom in place. I don't remember, but I never used a spring compressor. I've replaced them three times, but the last time I might have done on my two post lift, I don't remember.

Doing it on a two post lift with a transmission jack would be easiest. With a transmission jack to raise the control arm it would be much easier.

When I'm doing something like this, I just analyze as I go and do it.

Good luck,
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  #11  
Old 06-27-2005, 09:51 AM
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Jacks can slip, slide out, leak down, or the user could inadvertantly release pressure.

If you jack up the car then lower it onto stands under the control arm the weight of the vehicle keeps the springs compressed. The only things I can think of that might knock it off are being run into by something heavy like another vehicle, or a BIG earthquake, and depending where you live the latter may not be an issue.

Jackstands under the control arms are inherently much safer and well worth the extra minute of work.

Duke
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  #12  
Old 06-27-2005, 11:17 AM
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I would also check the upper shock mounts and replace if necessary.

Haasman
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  #13  
Old 06-27-2005, 11:33 AM
LarryBible
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Duke2.6
Jacks can slip, slide out, leak down, or the user could inadvertantly release pressure.

If you jack up the car then lower it onto stands under the control arm the weight of the vehicle keeps the springs compressed. The only things I can think of that might knock it off are being run into by something heavy like another vehicle, or a BIG earthquake, and depending where you live the latter may not be an issue.

Jackstands under the control arms are inherently much safer and well worth the extra minute of work.

Duke
The problem with a jackstand under a 124 control arm is that you have such a small area on top of the jack stand that it might try to pop out inward because of the angle of the LCA when wheel is hanging. In the case of the 124, you can even let the LCA down as far as it will go with the shock removed and it won't hurt anything. The spring won't even try to pop out.

I understand and appreciate what you are saying and I appreciate the fact that you are advocating this in the name of safety, but I think you're overkilling on this particular situation.

We used to have a frequent poster about five years ago who was like our self appointed Safety Officer. If I remember correctly he went by "DieselPower." It was very valuable to have someone always preaching safety and was very appreciated. Your stepping in for him is appreciated.

Have a great day,
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  #14  
Old 06-27-2005, 01:52 PM
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quick question...

just a quick question from a suspension newbie:
apparently my '87 300E has struts up front and shocks abaft. so... what exactly is the the difference between a shock and a strut??

thanks,
camille
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  #15  
Old 06-27-2005, 02:04 PM
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A "strut" is typically part of a "mcpherson" style suspension design and combines the dampening element of a "shock" with the mounting and load elements of a suspension strut/arm.

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