To get the "normal mercedes" smooth ride on a W126 you must put Bilstein comforts on it -- the HD ride VERY hard in comparison. I put them on my Volvo TD and have exactly the same thing you do -- transmission of very irregularity in the road to the body.

Also, who did the installation? Are they familiar with the correct way to install shocks with rubber buffers at the top? You must screw the nut (usually a locker type now, not the twin nuts of the past) down ONLY enough to keep the shock from rattling. With two nuts, you want a single thread showing above the top one, with a locker only the equivalent amount of thread showing (six or eight). If you screw that nut down until it's "tight" all sorts of noise will get transmitted to the body since you have removed all the compressability in the rubber. Take a look -- you can loosen them up and set to the correct position if they are overtightened. Rather common, actually.

You also need to check and probably replace sway bar mounts, buried up on the firewall. Bad mounts allow the sway bar to clank, making horrible noise that sounds exactly like bad shocks. A bear to replace, but necessary.

Check your front wheel bearings too, although if they are bad enough to make noise, you usually have other strange things going on like serious wander.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Oh, mad. I just went and looked under the SD. I was thinking of the rear subframe bushings! There are no other bushings up there. What about the bumper - is it mounted solidly? Have the lower control arm busings been changed? I'm at a loss what else could be causing you the problem at this point.

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Thank You!
Fred
2009 ML350
2004 SL600
2004 SL500
1996 SL600
2002 SLK32
2005 CLK320 cabrio
2003 ML350
1997 C280 Sport

BMW's just don't age well at all not only do they look obsolete quickly but they don't hold up well either. I drove an older 3 series that was one step away from the crusher it was overheating and we had to pull over to let it cool off during the test drive. The car had "DIY" wiring for the brakes and rear indicators run under the carpet. It still rode rather well though.

Not to mention most of their M cars are nice but don't quite match the level of the AMG Cars. Nice handing or not an E55 will eat an M5 for lunch any day of the week.

soft cheap shocks will not improve the ride.

Go with the bilsteins and never buy again for years and years.

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.

Did you miss the big grin at the end of my statement?

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2007 C 230 Sport.

Sometimes I miss everything!

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.

I installed new Sachs touring shocks all round a few weks ago. According to most posted opinions here, these are as good as or better than Bilsteins in the ride dept. That's a nice tip on tightening the front nuts, never knew that. I moved the 2 nuts so only a thread is now showing. Predictably, absolutely no noticeable change though.

I have new sway bar bushings on order, and will replace next week. I found a thread discussing how one member did this without removing the brake booster. I'm going to free up the fuse box and try to wiggle the old one out and the new in if I can. Not too worried about the passenger side bushing under the battery tray (and I did the leaf vacuuming on both sides too).

The wheel bearings are relatively new and set correctly (I had a post on this sometime back on using the dial indicator).

Bumper mounts are tight. The LCA bushings are not the least bit mushey, or hard either, as we checked with a pry bar last week. Besides, these are pivot points and unless really bad, I can't see them making noise or absorbing road noise either. The saga continues.....and I have another thread going on the wheel and tire forum re. tires that might help, but so far, no real help there either.

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

Just a quick update, and probably the end of the thread.....I installed the new sway bar bushings yesterday, and it made no difference. Neither did the new steering damper, although I didn't think it would (actually, I ordered it to get the minimum order to $75.00 for free shipping. I'm gonna put the old one up for sale, as it is perfectly OK).

So that completes the front suspension upgrades, and now the only thing left to monkey with is tires. I stopped in to book a front end alignment and had the tire guy take a look. He said there was one tire in front that was oval-shaped, so that would account for the imbalance at 80mph, and noted that all 4 were down to or just past the wear bars. THAT might have something to do with the hard ride, I think, so now it's off to explore brands and prices....already have a thread going on this in the tire forum.

I'm going to post a new thread on the sway bar bushing install on my W126, as I searched and only found 1 member who did the driver side without removing the brake booster. Stay tuned...

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

try replacing the diff mount at back of diff in center,very easy to do,made a big difference in my 300 se. i also replaced all the shocks and the car was still a little low in the rear untill i replace the rear diff mount,this item is missed a lot and the mount rubber degrades.Try using ***************,they have almost everything for your benz at the lowest prices i have found on the net.

I'd be interested in knowing how you do the drivers side sway bar bushing. I have a new one sitting in the bag that I never put in. Looked like a big project, and the old bushing is still soft. I changed the one under the batter though, much easyer to get.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Front Sway Bar Bushing Install W126

I should have added that it's a real benefit if your mitts aren't big....

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

Something I recently did on my 1984 was replace the door seal weatherstripping. Did the felt window run channels. Did both inside and outside window brushes. Also 4 mil plastic spray glued to the doors before reinstalling door panels.

All this made a HUGE differnece in noise and quietness. Made a differnce in ride quality, car is quieter over bumps, rough pavement, ect.

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1993 Mercedes Benz 300D 2.5 205K (ex wife's)
1984 Mercedes Benz 300SD 320K (SOLD)
2004 Mercedes Benz C240 75K
1995 GMC Sierra 2WD 5.7L 188K
1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD 239K (SOLD)
1987 BMW 325i 220K (SOLD FOR SALVAGE)

609 Certification

By now you have probably put on your new tires , and realize that when I say that I read in Road and Track, (I think in about 1972), that tires loose about 70 to 90 percent of their flex after two years - that I am telling the truth.
The only two things that you missed , are the most critical to ride.
And that would be tires, and springs.
I found my son-inlaw a 91 190E 2.6, that had a blown motor, and had been sitting for 2 to 3 years.It rode like a truck.We ordered 4 new Continnentals, from Tire Rack, that were on sale for 40.00 a piece.He was ecstatic.Despite the fact that all the shocks are original,(and shot), the car rides 10 times better.He is a Mercedes neophyte, and has no idea what a FINE ride is.
The other thing is for you to consider the duty of a cars springs.They move up and down,at irregular distances, in variing temperatures,wet and dry,through more duty cycles than we can imagine.They are going to wear out.No, they ARE worn out.
Your Boges will work fine, for a while.Bilstiens will work superbly, for a lifetime.
With all due respect to the gentleman who said leave the shock bolts loose.
take a look at how many threads were showing when you take,(took), them off.They were friggin tight.
DO NOT try to drive a car , and operate the clutch, while adjusting the seat.
To operate a clutch, you need two fixed points of operation.For a shock to operate, you need two fixed points of operation.If you loosened them, tighten them back up , before you elongate the mount point holes.
Just two cents from a noob,but you and I know what I mean.
Now try the springs,(very technical, takes options into account, best ordered from MB USA, if you want the best ride.Will it ride like a 500S,no, give them credit - there is 21 years of design improvement.But if you get them, you will be VERY impressed with the improvement.
I just bought new Conti Extreme sport contacts from Luke at tire Rack , for like 70.00 each delivered, for my 86 560 SEL.
By the way, a steering damper keeps the two fronts working together.I have seen cases where a car would hit a bump, and the resulting back and forth, from the fronts going up and down independently, would be so bad that it would nearly shake you loose from the steering wheel.
Michelins are hard, thats why they last so long, but you don't want them to last past about two years - do you.

Nope, no new tires this year. At over $700.00, installed/balanced/road-hazard insurance/etc., I'm putting this off until next year. I'm sold, so far, on Goodyear Comfortreds, but the door is open to other's experiences with W126 tires. But, I have to say, your observation about flexibility may have been valid in the 1970's, but I can't recall ever hearing this before, so doubt it is true today, but what do I know....

With all due respect, there is no way I can justify the cost of a gamble that replacing the front or rear springs will significantly improve the ride on this car. I have to disagree that springs loose enough of their elasticity over time to actually 'wear out', like shocks, but I'm not an expert. I'll have to take your word on the longevity of Boge/Sachs vs. Bilstien. Time will tell here I guess...

He didn't advise to leave them loose, just not to crush the rubber washers so far that they would loose all their elasticity. I don't follow your seat adjustment/clutch advice, but the upper shocks mounting nuts are tight and nothing is gonna move except the shock internals as designed.

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

My project is the front end this week. Inner and outer tirerod ends completly junk. I did these on a previous 126 and it was a night and day difference. No more low speed thunk thunk over bumps. Best bang for the buck...It would be nice to have a greaseable tirerod end.. but thats a different day.
My 300 sel has kyb's and they are stiff as hell but wash out around corners... must replace with either stock or konis....progressive springs are a possibility next month.. maybe a ad hoc coil over system just for the fun of it.....