c280 "comfort shock" available?
 

I just got off the phone with phil looking for a comfort shock for my 1994 c280. he is doing research as neither of us see the information we are looking for on the shock. All the information i see says there is only a hd or sport shock for the car but i have seen a few posts and a link to a bilstein page here that lists a "B4" bilstein comfoprt shock for this car. Has anyone seen anything on them? thanks for the help

msethk

For the W123 at least, when Bilstein says "comfort shock," they mean "OEM." And there is no "sport" that I remember - just "HD." Hopefully this gives you a start.

HDs aren't as firm as most make them out to be. I prefer the feel of those on my 300SEL over the Comforts on my 560 and SD.

Now Sports are valved pretty diff and are made for drop springs, I rock those on the 745i with H&R springs. They're quite stiff, but this is what I wanted.

thanks for the responses... i really like the more comfortable feel, especially on long drives. I have plenty of back problems and the smoother the better. I think i will end up with the hd's if no comforts are available. I know i could probably get them from the dealer but i'd bet that would double the money.

HDs are significantly more firm than the OEM Sachs, but the MUCH better rebound control and lack of float, with increased feel and control, make for a much better experience. There IS a comfort shock, but most aftermarket suppliers only stock/push the HDs and Sports, because that's where the market is. Check bilstein.com and poke around; I promise you they have them.

FWIW, after 20k miles, my HDs did soften up a bit

Bilstein may have them but they sure don't show them in their catalog - only HDs and Sports. Very strange. I'd give them a call and ask them to explain.

This help ?
http://www.bilstein.de/cms_website/english/Home/
Click on the " B 4 ", as that is the standard shock.

As I recall when doing the shocks for my 1998 C230 the OEM comfort shock was only available from the dealer and was made by Sachs.

For less money I went with the Bilstein HD's, but with 100k miles on the car a softer more luxurious ride would have been nicer when cruising with a passenger.

On many highways the expansion joints do send more of a jolt through the chassis in comparison to the original shocks as best I can compare.

This help ?
http://www.carparts-cat.com/webkat.asp?SID=0209226108121865018004&ROOT=1

Nope - link doesn't work.

It's corrected above. ;)
Btw. the translation for Bilstein terminology is:
B 4 shock = our Comfort
B 6 shock = our HD
B8 shock = our Sport.

Well, the OEMs are indeed Sachs, but the term "comfort" is a Bilstein marketing word. The Bilstein Comforts are the CLOSEST to the factory damping. When I bought mine online a year ago they were on the website......perhaps they aren't stocking them anymore. At any rate, I have 45-series rubber and HDs, and it's firm, but it's precise. If you have 16" wheels or smaller, I think you would find the HDs quite comfortable and a big step up from OEM, if you're worried about harshness.

I got mine from eshox.com, $320 shipped.

I found the b4's on the website before posting the thread, just dont understand why i cannot find them at any vendors. would I be able to just buy the b4 "comfort" somewhere and install them. I didnt realize the sachs were factory, i thought that car was bilsteins. maybe i should consider sachs-boge.

These?
http://www.***************/search/product.aspx?sid=lfq03ny4fsvsww32ynidda55&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195466@C280&year=1994&cid= 27@Suspension%20System&gid=7556@Shock%20Absorber

OEM has always been Bilstein and Boge. Friends in Germany swear that in Germany they are considered equivelents - but for some reason Bilsteins have the better reputation here in the U.S. That reason is probably that Bilstein has worked at it. But there is no good reason not to buy Boges, especially if they have the shock you're looking for.

My experience is that the OEM Sachs are well made and long lasting. My car is still on the originals and they still work very well. My indie uses both Sachs and Bilsteins depending on what the customer wants and sees no quality difference.