Still trying to get a smooth quiet 'Mercedes' ride from my W126
 

I've never experienced what I'd call a quality ride from my '85 380SE. It has always seemed to magnify every irregularity in the road surface, seems to telegraph and amplify the smallest bump, in short, a harsh, noisy, and very un-luxury-like ride, especially for a Mercedes. Most of the racket is at the front end.

I do 90% of my driving in this car around town in summer, and the other 10% an occasional highway trip at average 60 - 80mph. I hate thumping and banging over every little pothole, manhole cover, and pavement crack!

So, I just finished putting on 4 new Sachs touring shocks, 4 front subframe bushings, and a new idler arm kit. All the front end ball joints and control arm bushings, including the 2 caster joint bushings, are new within 3 years, or have tested tight at annual safety inspection.

After all this work, the resulting improvement in ride quality is marginal, and that may be just me imagining/justifying the effect of spending nearly $500.00 for little or no improvement. It's 'tighter' but not 'quieter'.

The wheels, which a previous owner installed, are aftermarket alloys, and currently are running Michelin All Season Rainforce MX4 tires, 205/65 R15. I run pressures per the MB recommendation, 28psi/30psi.

Is this behavior normal for the W126 sedan?

What tires might be the quietest, most noise absorbing for this car?

Am I missing something critical in the suspension R&R? I'm going in for a front end alignment next week, wonder if this will help? Honestly, my '88 Mazda 929 rides quieter and smoother than this piece of s**t, with no new parts and bargain tires, and I'm going nuts trying to figure out why!

What you're asking is of course subjective, but I think that in essence I agree with you. The 123/126 suspension was "old" technology when the car was new, compared to the more modern suspension, and superior ride, found in the 124. When the suspension is well sorted I find the ride to be well controlled, but some bumps seem a bit harsh - and this is with Bilstein Comforts. I know Sachs was an OEM supplier, but I don't know how stiff the ride is on the Touring shocks. Even so, I don't think you ever can expect the ride to be as well mannered as with a car with a more modern suspension.

As far as road noise is concerned, once I replaced the door seals, my car is quiet at any speed. I currently use Continent PrimierContact, and am satisfied with their comfort/handling/noise trade-off.

Mine is the same way. I think its just the nature of the car, for whatever reasons. The ride is ok at high speeds, though.

My 123 car is a better riding car around town, by far. My old 116 car felt the best, by far.

the 124 car with the 5 link rear was a huge step forward in all aspects. A 140 car with the 5 link rear makes the 126 feel like a jalopy.

My 126 car has always disappointed me a far as suspension goes- it rides harsh, but rolls like a boat in turns. Bad wheel hop over bumps, too.

This is after new shocks and a front end rebuild.

How heavy are your aftermarket wheels?

If they are say eight or ten pounds heavier per wheel than stock you will get a much harsher ride.

I suggest you weigh a wheel tire combo and post it here so we can compare it to our cars.

Tom W

Thanks for the feedback all. More opinions please..... Now, as to your questions Tom, I actually went right out to the driveway, dismounted a wheel, weighed it, and also an old Bundt 14" I have with a Michelin 185 HR 14 XVS-P tire on it, and snapped pics. I take my forum participation seriously.

The aftermarket combo on the car weighs 40.5 lbs on my digital scale. The original-style combo is 38.5 lbs. Not a big difference, and they're both alloy. I assume you are looking at unsprung weight here....

We have been working on a 126 also and it exhibits the same symptoms as you describe. An inquiry and search turned up the possibility of bad guide rod bushings. I am currently trying to get hold of the owner to let us give it a try.

I just switch to 4 goodyear integrity tires on my W126 300SE and ride is now smooth as a baby butt...but tires are "S" rated....for low speed operation only...

I replaced these too, with no noticeable ride benefit at all, except, of course, that each one went south at the ball joint about a year apart. That cured the annoying 'thump' most noticeable at low speed, but the ride was still harsh, and this was before I put in the new front sub-frame bushings.

Lead, an 'S' rating is I believe 112 mph/180 kph, well within the range of driving I'd ever do on the roads around here.

Yes unsprung weight. It kills me to see some folks putting huge wheels on cars. The unsprung weight will make it ride like a log wagon.

If it were ten pounds different I would say yes, but this is not enough to make a big difference, though the shorter sidewalls will stiffen it too.

Tom W

Didn't the 85's come with 14" rims and tires?

The Bundt rim you have is the right size rim, but the wrong size tire....too bad, or you could swap and see if that makes any difference.

Yep, I love the W126 but they ride like crap. Total crap. You can replace every suspension part under the car(I did) and they still ride like crap.

You feel every bump, yet during hard corners the suspension is soft.

Its a 1970's design and technoligy has moved on.

The W140 rides as the W126 should ride. I'm still amazed that a W140 with 18in wheels and low profile tires can soak up bumps far, far better then my W126 can. A modern high end luxury car rides and handles many times better than they do.

But I have figured out what my W126 rides like, an M3.:D Just without the "sport".:D

Nah I have run many tire and wheel combo's on them, makes no difference in ride. Unless you go real low profile, like a 35 side wall it doesn't really matter.

Interesting, I absolutely Love the way my 126's ride...just firm enough so I know what's going on but not so much so that the finance complains during 500+ mile days.

I run H&R's in all my cars, bilstein HD's up front w/ the SLS in the rear, or on my AMG, HD's in the rear too..

All of them ride on 17 X 8' AMG wheels with either PS2's or Bridgestone PP tyres. I keep my pressures in the 32-36 range.

All my suspension bushings/mounts/tie rods/guide rods/control arms are for the most part fresh...

I find my 140 a bit too numb, but it is great for burning up the miles at lose your license speeds..

Jonathan

you think your w126 amplifies the bumps in the road..

what do you think my w201 does:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...s/5a7c787e.jpg

I don't know if there is much you can do after all you've done. Our 2000 Accord with 100K miles is worlds ahead of my W123 in terms of comfort, quietness, and handling (1000 lbs lighter)... The chassis is a lot stiffer as well, which helps take the load off the suspension.

I don't think 201s ride too bad, as far as I know their suspension is the same as the W124 is it not?