I posted a while ago about one of the spring perches rusting on my 97 E420. It looks like the previous owner had it repaired at a MB dealership, but their repair was to apply some thick silicone/rubber/? stuff along the contact points on both sides of the spring perch. the silicone is coming off on one side and I can see rust underneath.

I know a skilled local welder, so I wonder if I can have him take a look at the car and weld the contact points again for a good price, instead of paying $1000 per side at a local bodyshop? I don't see what else might be involved in this repair other than some skilled welding craftsmanship. Correct me if i'm wrong..

You should find out if the repairs were, in fact, made by an MB dealer. They'll stand by their work. I get about one or two 210's every month with rusted out spring perches. So far, MB has paid to fix them all, no questions asked. Many of these cars are high mileage pieces of junk with no service history, and a few have had several different owners. In the eyes of MB it doesn't make any difference. Our MBUSA approved body shop fixes them up good as new and down the road they go. Before you reach into your own pocket, give your dealer a call.