I have never done this on a 124, in fact I'm not sure if I have ever done it on any MB. But I have used this method on many US model cars with the same suspension arrangment. Sometimes it's easy, somtimes its hard and requires a little help from a cheep external spring compressor and pry bars, sometimes it becomes absolutly scarry.

I recall a time where one of my co workers was installing the front springs on a 330 Ferrari. We had a guy Gusseppi, very familiar with these cars right from Italy watching what he was doing. He dident speak much English but between his hand motions and broken English he could usually get his point across. He walks up to this guy and says "My friend" then he points at what he was doing on the Ferrari, cupped his hands over his jewels and said "And thena I will a havea to go witha your girlfriend tonight".

Then he ran back into the machine shop whipod some tool up in about 10 minuts and installed the spring like it was nothing.

John Roncallo