W116 Suspension and such - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

PanzerSD · #1 08-31-2007, 03:41 AM

Three questions.

My rear subframe mounts are shot. are new mounts readily available from dealers like NAPA..ect?
can I do away with alot of the mounting doodads and drill a hole thru a hockey puck and get it tight to the body? (farmers solution)

Springs:

to run coil springs in tandem to increase the spring rate, do they have to be identical? I have a set of progressive rate springs lying around I'd like to use.
from a 97 Camaro

PanzerSD · #2 08-31-2007, 03:42 AM

better make that four questions.

I have spring clamps. I'd like to lower the car a little while increasing the rate of the springs. if I machined a piece of steel half the distance between two coils and sandwiched it with the coil clamp, am I likely to break a spring?

kartoffelpanzer · #3 08-31-2007, 04:22 AM

Panzer-

You're talking about subframe mount bushings, correct? I replaced them on mine a few months ago, it was pretty straightforward. I don't know if NAPA has them, I believe I bought mine thru fastlane.

One writeup recommended replacing the long bolt that runs thru the center of each bushing; these were dealer parts only and pretty expensive. In taking mine apart the old ones looked fine and I probably could have re-used them.

I don't know about the springs, sorry. Sounds like a cool project!

JPMOSE · #4 08-31-2007, 02:54 PM

Rusty sells them at a reasonable price and they are OEM:

http://catalog.worldpac.com/buymb/022406/wizard.jsp?header=http://www.***************/header.txt&footer=http://www.***************/footer.txt&partner=buymb&clientid=buymbparts&baseurl=http://www.***************/&cookieid=2640VVBQ42640VVK8Y&year=1979&make=MB&model=300-SD-001&category=All&part=Subframe+Bushing+Kit

I would do it right and not cut corners...but that's my opinion.

cth350 · #5 08-31-2007, 04:42 PM

One of the reasons we like mercedes cars is because the ride is incredible.
One of the reasons that the ride is incredible is that we maintain things like the suspension to factory spec (yeah, right).

Feel free to take short cuts, but you will not have anything like the ride you could have and you probably won't save much in the end.

-CTH

Emmerich · #6 08-31-2007, 05:23 PM

Suspension bushings are wear items, good for 110,000 mile give or take. I replaced my rear sub frame bushings, I think they were $125. Easy to do if you have a lift. Like the other guy said, its not worth it to go cheap.

PanzerSD · #7 08-31-2007, 08:53 PM

Yeah, I guess you're all right, my car leans like a sailboat when I go around corners...