Why does my 300d look like a swingaxle bug?
 

Normally the rear end should sag, but mine looks like this \--/ with its butt in the air. Replaced the monroe shocks on it with Bilstein comforts, but no change. What should I look for? I find it hard to believe that anyone would have replaced the springs previously.

positive camber... weird... how bad is the camber? Someone might have put thicker spring pads and or stiffer wagon springs... or worst... front springs in the rear


these cars are odd... There are soo many spring combo's on the W123.. Cars with sunroofs had stiffer front springs than cars without. wagons etc etc

Oh, its bad. I guess I will need to pull the springs out an measure them. Anyone have a reference to the various springs? It does have a sunroof.

don't pull them yet...

check that all of the suspension components in the rear are bolted in properly and such.. Is this condition with a full tank of fuel as well?


which 300D is this in


300TD (which is a wagon.. not turbo diesel 300) if its the wagon.. the SLS might be adjusted wrong

or the

300D the sedan?

aren't the front springs like approximately 5 inches in diameter and the rears more like 6. i think you would hear the springs moving around and/or have them move to the point where they would work their way out. you would have to have a real idiot to have them put front springs in the back. not that it couldn't be that way... i mean the world hardly makes since.

as far as possible causes for your problem, other then completely different springs... hmm..

check the rear differential mount. if it is bad it will change the way the car sits. thicker rear spring pads shouldn't do it. i recently installed 3 nubs, and i installed a rubber in coil "coil deleter" both of witch lengthened the over all spring by what i would guess is about 3/4 of an inch. and my wheels don't tilt like that.

maybe someone installed 2 sets of spring pads. i would think your overall spring hight would have had to have been more the 1.5 inches taller then stock. i mean its gotta be way outta whack. stiffer springs wouldn't do it, i wouldn't think because the overall height of the spring wouldn't change.

if you can get under there with a digi cam it would be interesting to take a look.

Its the D, 123 sedan - come on, I have 3 of the 4 models - I know what the letters mean:D
Same issue regardless of fuel load and it is actually a bit higher on the passenger side. When I changed the shocks, the springs both looked fully seated - nothing looked out of the ordinary from underneath the car.

There are a ton of folks who just can't stand not have that extra "T" for turbo.
TDTDTDTDTDT........:rolleyes::rolleyes:
Glad you have it correctly.
What part of the DFW area are you in?

Lewisville/Flower Mound area

COMPLETELY NORMAL.
Even when you lower the car, it will take a drive, 10 feet should do it, for it to settle.
The pic is the rear of my CD after jacking up with the differential, lowering back to the pavement. Same with the front.

Thats the problem - I've changes the shocks, driven it 100 miles and bounced on the back bumper, but it just won't settle down and behave.

Ah, I'll post a few pics of my '84 CD. A sedan may have different springs, but you may be able to see the two red paint stripes in the third shot.
Only thing I can think of are non stock, for that model, springs, can you tell if they've been there a long time? Any rub marks that may indicate they've been swapped out?

How many nubs on the spring pads? The springs should have primary color markings on them. The FSM has a comprehensive section on this.

You really shouldn't use the diff as a jack point.

Strange, AFAIK the only things that could lift the rear up to much would be the springs.

Thanks, but I've doing it for years on all cars I've owned, SO FAR, no problems.

Why is that a problem??? I thought the FSM says its ok?