Hey guys,

I am about to replace my front and rear shocks on my 1980 300SD with a new set. I want to start on the front shocks. I opened the hood and I see where the shock towers are located in the engine bay.

Each shock tower has 2 nuts on the top. How do I remove these nuts? I used an adjustable wrench to hold the top of the shock tower while I attempted to turn the 2 nuts with a box end wrench. The box end is thick enough where it is actually locked onto both nuts at the same time. However, they are not turning..... I am confused? Am I doing this right?

Hold the bottom nut and turn the top nut till it loosens up then remove it completely. Then hold the top of the threaded rod and remove the lower nut.

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Jim

I figured it out. Went to the parts store and got a very thin 17mm. Held the bottom still while I unscrewed the top.

jtwoods4, hopefully you're following a safe step-by-step procedure for removing the front shocks on your 1980 300SD. I'm unfamiliar with your particular vehicle, but on some MB models it's critical to use a spring compressor or restrain the lower control arm so the spring doesn't fly out. The compressed spring stores a tremendous amount of energy that can cause serious injury or damage if it releases unexpectedly.

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Fred Hoelzle

Does the 1980 300SD require a spring compressor? I want to verify this before I proceed.