W210 rear coil springs
 

I have a 1999 e300 with 116,000 miles. When I load the car up for a trip with luggage, wife, and two kids (17 and 18 years old) the rear of the car sits obviously low. Would it improve the car's stance to replace the rear springs and spring pads with new stock springs? My thinking is that the springs on the car have 116k on them and they are tired. This car does not have hydraulic leveling on it.
Thanks for any imput.

Lack of regular shock replacement will wear springs prematurely, in other words, seems early in the life of the chassis for spring replacement. Are the original shocks still on the vehicle? Just replaced my shocks at 252K and they were original :eek: - I can load my trunk with literature and have a full tank and the back-end dips pretty low. I considered replacing the "pads" - my model calls out 3 different thicknesses up to 18mm - but I think if I have to get that far into it, I will replace the springs at about $80 a pop.

Coil springs
 

The shocks are probably original.

The vehicle is going to sit level with no load in the trunk and about 1/2 tank of fuel. If you then add 800 lb. of load, no springs in the world are going to keep a level attitude. Either you start out high in the rear and end up level.......or you start out level and end up with a sagging look when you apply the load.

I'd increase the thickness of the spring pads until the unloaded height is just barely acceptable (high).

There is probably nothing wrong with your springs.

Most of us have replaced shocks at around 150-200K. Mine delveloped freeway bounce on the rears at 190k so I replaced all four.

I know of no one who has replaced springs.

Thats good to know - pads for my vehicle are about $7.

I just replaced my rear springs (500K miles) because the last coil of one was broken.