w140 rear suspension question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jejr · #1 06-28-2007, 01:49 PM

i have a really nice 1994 s500...white and silver interior...71k miles...
not driven a lot but here is the question.....

last year the ride started getting bouncy along with a thud when going over bumps. the bounce got really bad so i replaced the accumulators. that stopped the bounce but the thud still remained. now the ride seems really crappy like feeling every bump. not very smooth. also car seems to not sit quite high enough. what should the clearance be between the top of the tires and the rear wheel wells? now should i spend the big $$$ and replace the struts or should i look for something else maybe wrong?
if struts do get replaced should i do the front ones also?
maybe they are also bad?
i have had car for quite a few years and really never thought the ride was soft enough but maybe a harder ride is normal....
none of the struts have been replaced since my ownership.
car does "not" have ads.

maybe you guys can help...

thanks

A. Rosich · #2 06-28-2007, 10:56 PM

Do a search on W140 rear self-levelling suspension, there are lots of posts covering this issue.

Since your post does not specify your location, I will asume you have an U.S. spec S 500 with rear self-levelling suspension, so basically you should start looking at the accumulators, then at the struts, then the pump. A hydraulic fluid change would also be a good idea.

You do not need to change the front ones when changing the back struts. Hydraulic schocks does not even require to change both of them if one fails, just change the one that leaks. Accumulators, on the other hand need to be changed both.

jejr · #3 06-29-2007, 05:40 AM

hi
thanks for the reply to my question regarding s500 struts. yes it is usa version i am in pa. i ask about changing the front ones because of the terrible ride i am getting...figuring if all 4 replaced the ride should improve without question...that is unless the terrible ride is a result of something else.
the Accumulators have already been replaced and there is no sign of leakage on either rear struts.
also pump appears to be circulating fluid when you look down into it with car running.
my real question is will bad strut / struts in the rear cause that bad of a ride?

thanks

jejr

david s poole · #4 06-29-2007, 10:15 AM

make sure that the rear suspension ride height has been correctly adjusted [which very definately fell out of adjustment while the rear accumulators were bad] if it's riding high at the rear you have the same effect as bad accumulators.

A. Rosich · #5 06-29-2007, 01:42 PM

Yes, I would also check ride height as suggested by David. W140s have extremely good and forgiving ride, even if the shocks are not up the standard.

The real problem comes from the rear self-levelling suspension or the full hydraulic setup. When either system starts giving trouble, that is where the ride start to suffers, and badly. So I would basically asume there is a problem with something on your rear axle, it is just a matter of taking the time to find out what it is.