Chris:

Bilsteins are valved much differently that US style shocks -- much softer on compression, much stiffer on extension.

The result is that the wheels can move up easily, but will not drop very fast, and large irregularities like railroad tracks just cause a "thumpity thump" noise with very little motion of the body, unlike American shocks where the impact will shake the car to bits.

Ditto for chuckholes -- with Bilsteins the wheel won't drop into the hole, so you don't get the "pogo stick" effect when it hits the other side.

Vastly superior handling, since the tires don't leave the road anywhere near as much.

Comfort Bilsteins are quite soft, ride very nicely, but do not really affect handling as much as you might think -- MB uses nice big antisway bars instead of very stiff shocks to control body roll -- to the point that the W115 chassis cars were TOO flat -- I've known several people to have a tire dismount on the front outside wheel under extreme cornering! Later models have lighter rear antisway bars to produce some roll oversteer at handling limits -- safer than knocking a tire off the rim!

Someone put Monroe shocks on the rear of the 280 SE -- caused terrible ride and miserable handling, as the rear would literally go airborn over railroad trackes, etc. I put a pair of used Bilsteins off a 1967 230S on it, and the difference is amazing -- rides right over rough stuff everyone else has to slow down for with only tire impact noise, no bounce, no flying up in the air, etc.

If you can manage the Bilsteins, do so. If not, the KYBs will be a great improvement, although they are more like Monroes than Bilsteins.

I would also check tie rod ends, ball joints, and rear suspension links. If you get lots of noise from the rear, thumps on accelerations, and sensitivity to crosswinds, you need new thrust and torque links back there before you do anything else. This may fix a lot of the problem.

Funny pedal how?

You cannot turn MB rotors, you toss them a buy new ones, they only give you about 3mm total wear. They are cheap ($45 for the fronts, $20 each for th rears??? Check FastLane) and are only good for two sets of pads (60,000 miles).

High, hard pedal is sticking calipers, usually rear. Will need a rebuild kit (seal and dust boot, plus cleaning) because someone put new pads on worn out rotors, the backing plate hit the antirattle spring, and the pistons stuck. The heat from the drag fried the dust boot, and the piston is now stuck from the dirt and corrosion in the upper bore. Seen it on EVERY third hand Benz I've ever looked at!

However, if you have ABS, the pedal feels "mushy" -- you get more braking effect by moving the pedal down, but it doesn't feel like you are generating more pressure -- this is normal, if somewhat strange for a while.

Peter

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!