I have a 1987 190E 2.6 that needs rear struts. The bottom of the two rear struts are caved in and cracked. How difficult are they to replace, and how expensive. I'm a weekend mechanic.

Where's the best place to buy the struts? Thanks in advance.

Your car has rear shocks. WE SELL PARTS!! That is how we pay for this site. Look no farther.

You can do the job at home with no danger. The hardest part is compressing the shock so it goes into the space provided.

You're right. Shocks they are.
 

The shocks are really bouncy and when you bounce the passenger rear shock it clunks really easily. This clunking sound also happens during driving. Since the bottom of the shocks are cracked, it seems like a no brainer.

I'm looking for an inexpensive replacement. Since you're in the parts dept., what kind of shock do you have for me? I looked at the parts section on this site (which I assume is yours) and found the range from $40 each to a little over $100 each. Is this correct?

When I buy the shocks from you, what tips can you give me on replacing the rear shocks, (never done shocks before).
Thanks.

I beleive you may be referring to the Camber struts, thrust arms, rear control arm strut, and rear axle tie rod (the links of the 5 link rear suspension). If you are a weekend mechanic you will capable of doing this job yourself. The parts can be purchased here at PartsShop. One of the hardest parts of doing this job is indentifying and purchasing the parts, as you can tell by your responses.
For the procedures on the rear suspension, I recommend the Haynes Mercedes-Benz 190 manual available at most large chain parts stores. It was written for 4 cylinder gas models, but the suspension, transmission, brakes and driveline will make it worth your while. The 201 Chassis cdrom doesn't explain things too well. Let us know what happens.

Shock or not
 

Is there an online reference that shows drawings/pictures of the rear suspension, so I can determine which parts I think I need? I'd hate to be in the situation where I have the car raised and disassembled, and then not have the right part.

Fairly easy to replace. Make sure you DO NOT RELEASE the new shock strap until you've place it in position. Trying to compress the shocks to get it into place can be a hell of a task. Tools required are your standard metric tools, jack stand and jack.

Check the thread on thrust arms yesterday. Arthur posted a link to an illustration of Mercedes Benz 5 link suspension. It is for a 124 chassis, but most of the parts are the same part # and are interchangable, and the design is identical.