Replacing Shocks and other related components w124 E320
 

Hello,

I've been experiencing floating on the highway...When i hit 90kmph + it feels like the car is floating.

My mech says the shocks are leaking. I've been looking at the bilstein HD's from my research on the forum.

What i'd like to know is what other things should i consider replacing since we're going in for the shocks...

The car has about 219 KM around 130K Miles all is original still.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Unless they are worn & have excessive play....I would leave the front end alone.

so would you say that the mech's diagnosis is correct?

The floating on the highway make the car so loose it feels like theres no control of the ride at all. I'm too afraid to corner with any speed.

I know the bump stops need to be replaced for sure.
how do i tell if they are worn...?

:confused:

take a look at your upper strut mounts, if you see any cracks, replace them. I've seen them crack and shoot through denting the hood, Also take a look at your ball joints, they're known to cause creaking and banging noises

I'll take a look at the strut mounts and ball joints this weekend.

Can all this point to the lack of firmness and road feel in the ride and the floating too?

The floating feel is often struts & shocks. A crude test is to push down on each corner in an attempt to bounce the car, looking for the correct damping which makes it return to normal ride height without bouncing. Not conclusive, but if the struts (front) or shocks (rear) are that bad, it should feel loose and you'll be able to maintain an oscillation.

Lifting each corner is best to determine what if anything is loose. Play in steering components can be dangerous, and visual inspection as well as the push-pull test for play in each joint is really necessary at this point. A good mechanic will check it over thoroughly.

How is the tire wear?

My crude generalizations:

Floating, boat like ride is due to rear shocks going out. If they are really shot you might be able to isolate this by pushing down on each corner.

Ball joints, tie rods, drag links tend to clunk or knock on uneven pavement or hitting a driveway.

As mentioned, also change shock mounts at this time. Changing shock mounts later is a real chore. You'll also probably need new boots to replace your old shredded ones.

glenmore
1881 300CE
2000 C280