My 1985 300TD Turbo Wagon has the VERY EXPENSIVE hydraulic/self leveling shocks on the rear. As all 4 shocks are shot, can I replace the rear shocks with just regular shocks? Has anyone done this?

As always, thanks for your help.

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Yuba City Jack
1985 300TD Turbo Wagon (250k+, odometer broke)

I believe you can do that conversion but might take some work since you will have to remove the hydraulic pump/ ait cells, etc... and such

You probably can. I have heard of people doing this and having a very unpleasant ride however. Is the car excessively bouncy now?

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2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4wd
1991 Lincoln Town Car Executive
1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1988 Mercedes 300SEL
1972 Chevrolet Caprice Kingswood Estate 9-passenger wagon
1973 Pontiac Grand Ville
(Prior MB's: 1974 240D, 1985 380SE, 1984 190D, 1993 400SEL)

The rears are hydraulic struts not shocks, if it is a little bouncey the accumulators are probably bad (very common usualy$75 ea with an hour of labor for both). If the struts dont leak they are probably fine.
The front are conventional shocks, you will find that the rear springs are calibrated for those struts providing residual pressure (lower ride).
I suggest fixing rather than removing!

Wow , got price shock at what the fix would be on mine, not pleasant when you find out your vehicle needs major suspension surgery when normal shocks are so affordable. I guess thats what really gets at wagon owners like myself, a more reasonably priced alternative is not available.. The majority of people have not gone the route of transplanting a different setup and Im guessing this is why.

The 1979 wagon, which i have ,if im not mistaken , has the same wheelbase as the coupe ,and the sedan. Taking and changing the wheel base for one particular body is expensive in assembly production and if youve every seen pictures of Mercedes assembly ,they flip the bodies around from their tube jacking post points on the body.The suspension , I imagine ,uses this system due to amount of overhang from axle to rear bumper.This problem was probably found out at its road performance testing in intial trials . Combinations of shocks with weight and load test were conducted to find its best middle ground .Since this was going to be a hauler too,great engineering with a lot of extra cost went into making this system an effective performer. Im sure this is why were still looking at a sizable cost for repair of it.

leveling system as you note has some complexity. but if in correct working order is supurb. the ride is silky and cornering as good or better than the sedan. i would fix it if there is any way i could afford it.

the coupes have a shorter wheelbase. 4" i think.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.