W108 280SE 3.5, Rear susspension from W124 ? video

[erio]

Hello

I have a Red Pig Replica based on W108 280SE 3.5.
Its a 200KM V8 fun car for track days
The shocks are standard sport custom made, read NIVO is out.

The biffest problem I have is no LSD, and the rear susspension that when I lower it i het a lot of negative camber
Becouse of the rear diff construction it will be very difficult to put LSD there, and i am thinking of rebuilding W108 suspension to something newer:
W124 300 24V has the same gear ratio 3,46
maybe W116, or W126 or W107 or W140

somethnig with standard axles and diff, preferebly ASD or LSD
this carier part is from W124 300 24V with 3,27 or 3,46 ratio
140 350 29 23

Question , if anyone tried to upgrade W108 suspension ?
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2btuHTxFaI

[Tony H]

It's been done on "another" forum. Search around and you will find it.

[vandor]

Looks like fun! :-)

[GGR]

Looks like fun!

You know you can easily fit a 500 or 560 M117 motor in there. Engine arm brackets will be a straight fit. More displacement and lighter aluminum engine block means more usable power, lighter car and better weight distribution (even better if you fit the battery in the trunk)!

What have you done for the brakes?

Regarding your current rear axle: you can fit a 5cm spacer under the center mount in the trunk. This will lift the center of the axle and reduce your negative camber while lowering the car.

Regarding your lack of LSD: I would put back a center spring in place of the NIVO that you took out. In the original design of the swing axle that spring is there to push on the inner wheel in a curve to reduce traction loss. Don't put a sway bar in the back as it will counter act the action of the center spring. It may seem counter-intuitive but that's how these swing axle work.

Upgrading to W124 rear axles has been done. I think you can get the W124 body valance and weld it on the W108 floor pan and then fit the rear axle.

Keep us posted!

[vandor]

>You know you can easily fit a 500 or 560 M117 motor in there.

May not be as easy to find one in his neck of the woods (Poland?) as in the US :-)

[erio]

easier than you think, the neighbour country is germany for the love of God

[erio]

Tony H please elaborate, what another forum, link perhaps on email erio at poczta dot onet dot pl?
as a reward you can watch the dragrace and onboard from last weekend
Dragrace SEC, 2xW123 280ce, W108 + onboard U

[Tony H]

Originally Posted by GGR

Regarding your lack of LSD: I would put back a center spring in place of the NIVO that you took out. In the original design of the swing axle that spring is there to push on the inner wheel in a curve to reduce traction loss. Don't put a sway bar in the back as it will counter act the action of the center spring. It may seem counter-intuitive but that's how these swing axle work.

Something that has always puzzeled me: The air suspension cars do not have a center spring and have a rear anti sway bar (at least the 6.3) How does it work and why is it different?

[GGR]

Originally Posted by Tony H

Something that has always puzzeled me: The air suspension cars do not have a center spring and have a rear anti sway bar (at least the 6.3) How does it work and why is it different?

Well, I can't really give you a satisfactory answer, as I don't know for sure myself. I read about the ponton and the 190SL that the role of the center spring was to push the inner wheel down in bends so as not to loose traction. All the references I read about the center spring on later chassis like the 108, 111 etc. was about keeping the car level under load, though I'm not sure how this would work either. I can understand it for the hydraulic center thinghie, but not really about a spring. As per the air suspension, I guess the air spring work differently enough to allow for the different set up. It also looks like that there were never rear sway bars fitted at the same time with center springs, which makes sense as they would work opposite and counteract each other.

[GGR]

Originally Posted by erio

as a reward you can watch the dragrace and onboard from last weekend
Dragrace SEC, 2xW123 280ce, W108 + onboard U

You guys are having fun!