Dollying w108 w shot hydraulic compensator, too much camber - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

fonzi · #1 05-14-2017, 10:38 PM

My friend just loaded a stick shift w108 on a dolly, and realized the reason it's only 5" off the ground in the back is because the camber of the rear wheels is way negative, so much that the tires could rub up top on the inner quarters. That plus the concern of bouncing/scraping on the ground and trashing the tires has us concerned about the 10+ hour ride home tomorrow.

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rwd4evr · #2 05-15-2017, 12:09 AM

Maybe a block of wood strapped in-between the mounts? Last resort. Of get a shop to weld up some brace action to lock it ass up more? But then it won't really have any suspension besides roll right?

fonzi · #3 05-15-2017, 08:11 AM

I'm thinking that maybe stuffing the wood into the springs might be the way to go. Since the compensator doesn't seem to have any way to toughen it up, if you put a block of wood in there, the suspension will have zero bounce and put lots of pressure on the compensator block and brackets. I think that maybe risking the springs is a better idea than risking the entire rear end. If you jack the rear end up so the wheel/wheels dangle, the springs should be extended so you could slide a piece of wood between some of the coils. Maybe it is easier said than done, but [MENTION=72013]drew56cus[/MENTION] said his height was good with strong springs and no compensator.

Example compensator:

It seems a little ironic that this car was picked up in... wait for this...

SAGINaw.

ScooterABC · #4 05-15-2017, 04:07 PM

Would it be a mistake to tow it backwards?

97 SL320 · #5 05-15-2017, 05:27 PM

I'd slit heater hose longways, let the wheels hang then put the hose over the regular suspension springs to gain height.

The hydro compensator needs suspension movement to pump up, if the car was sitting long term it will have sunk. It might pump up as the car is towed

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScooterABC

Would it be a mistake to tow it backwards?

Yes and it it only slightly better when using a regular tow truck.

A few things are happening here. When driving forward, positive caster keeps the wheels straight, when going backwards the wheel will want to turn full lock in one direction. Locking / tying the steering wheel minimizes this action.

Wheels are toed in to promote stability, when towing backwards the wheels are toed out in the direction of travel making things unstable.

The tow dolly has a pivot at the hitch and plate where the car wheels ride. Trailer sway is bad enough on it's own and even worse when there are two pivots involved.

ScooterABC · #6 05-15-2017, 05:58 PM

Maybe it's worth it to rent a car trailer instead of a dolly... 10 hours is a LONG way to tow a car with 2 wheels on the ground.

fonzi · #7 05-15-2017, 06:44 PM

Yes, I hear you on the real trailer thing. That certainly would have been the way to go. But I have to admit that I hate the heavy U-Haul trailers that feel like you were towing a tractor trailer.since we were dragging something out there and the time was limited we just went forward with what we had on hand which was a dolly that feels like absolutely nothing behind my Honda Ridgeline. Mistake? Yes I believe so.we are where we are so now the goal is to get The whole contraption home safely. I am the one who purchased the car so I made the bad decision on the dolly. It will be my ruined rear end in the event it is ruined.

I got some information that the differential was slightly hot to the touch and was almost difficult to hold your fingers on it for 10 seconds after going about 100 miles. This sounded bad and we were concerned about the differential oil and the bearing caster relationship. However I felt the differential of this Mercury that I'm driving right now with 120,000 miles on it and it has the same situation where I can touch the differential housing but it is very hot to the touch and I don't want to hold my fingers on it for 10 seconds. So trucking on continues.

The pictures above are what I received after some rubber spring shins were stuffed in the springs on each side of the vehicle.

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fonzi · #8 05-15-2017, 06:52 PM

Oh. I dollied backwards a V-8 r107 behind this dolly with my truck once. As soon as I hit 45 mph or higher the car would start swinging violently and trust me it was scary. The steering wheel was locked and tied off but there was enough play in the steering that it swung like crazy with all that weight hanging on the ground. You really need to have the heavy and over top of the dolly. And the steering would have to be tied off at the control arms or something in order to assure that there is zero play in the steering which I believe is nearly impossible especially with the toe in discussed above.

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ScooterABC · #9 05-15-2017, 06:56 PM

Why exactly have you acquired this car?

fonzi · #10 05-15-2017, 08:01 PM

It's a sunroof stick shift w108 with a pile of parts including euro headlights and two sets of bumpers, all for about the price someone might expect for the clutch pedal and the headlights. My friend was willing to make the haul to go get it just for a few of the parts. Apparently it's a very restorable car.

I made a commitment to buy it, and i followed through on my commitment.

@rwd4evr hooked it up apparently by cutting a groove in two rubber blocks and pipe strapping them together around the extended compensator rod.

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ScooterABC · #11 05-15-2017, 10:02 PM

Cool.

Idle · #12 05-15-2017, 10:43 PM

For future readers of this thread.....

Years ago I owned a 6.3. With the air suspension. In the trunk were some rubber blocks. I soon found out what they were for.

They were for when your air suspension blew out. One air bladder cracking and the entire system went down. As in down to the ground.

So the rubber blocks were to be placed between the axles, or A-frames, as necessary to keep the car off the ground during towing.

So the solution to this problem exists. I no longer have the car or the blocks but some nosing around on the M-100 board might turn up some info on this process.

And on a side note... The 6.3 has no hydrocompensator. All the leveling and springing is done through the sensing valves that control the air suspension.

fonzi · #13 05-16-2017, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idle

For future readers of this thread.....

Years ago I owned a 6.3. With the air suspension. In the trunk were some rubber blocks. I soon found out what they were for.

They were for when your air suspension blew out. One air bladder cracking and the entire system went down. As in down to the ground.

So the rubber blocks were to be placed between the axles, or A-frames, as necessary to keep the car off the ground during towing.

So the solution to this problem exists. I no longer have the car or the blocks but some nosing around on the M-100 board might turn up some info on this process.

And on a side note... The 6.3 has no hydrocompensator. All the leveling and springing is done through the sensing valves that control the air suspension.

I think I remember hearing/watching about those in one of **************'s YouTube videos. It's good that they plan ahead with that stuff, but a damn shame that they knew it would go bad. Maybe it's just a testament to how MB of the era were made to be rebuilt like airplanes, not throwaway vehicles like so many modern cars.

Since you can clearly see this car is an SE, I'm sure you know it doesn't have the 300sel suspension. I'd like to have a good one some day, but...

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Idle · #14 05-16-2017, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fonzi

I think I remember hearing/watching about those in one of **************'s YouTube videos. It's good that they plan ahead with that stuff, but a damn shame that they knew it would go bad. Maybe it's just a testament to how MB of the era were made to be rebuilt like airplanes, not throwaway vehicles like so many modern cars.

Since you can clearly see this car is an SE, I'm sure you know it doesn't have the 300sel suspension. I'd like to have a good one some day, but...

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Oh, I was not trying to imply your car did not have the hydro. I was just leaving a message for those who might read this in the years to come who were wondering why their air suspension car didn't have one.

The air was standard on the 6.3 but it appears it was an option on all 108 or 109 cars. I have seen two 108 3.5's with the air.

And for some reason the rubber blocks are missing from most 6.3's out there. In that case wooden blocks are used and apparently they work well. I am sure they just don't have the cushion the rubber blocks do but using them wold be better than dragging the car along with the suspension gone flat.

fonzi · #15 05-16-2017, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idle

The air was standard on the 6.3 but it appears it was an option on all 108 or 109 cars. I have seen two 108 3.5's with the air.

I thought the definition of a 109 was basically a 108 with the air suspension. There are 3.0, 3.5, 4.5 and 6.3 versions of the 109, all of which have the special suspension. I pulled up the epc for a 280sel 3.5, and don't see any options for full hydro suspension, just the hydro compensator.

So I'm guessing those were 300sel 3.5 cars, 109's, not w108s.

There was a Japanese w108 car in Florida a little over a year ago that had for full w109 door trim on it which I found interesting. I think it was a 3.5.

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