It's done, it rides like a brand new W123
 

I had my Indy PK at Pyramid Alignment, Indianapolis re-bush and re-new the entire rear suspension on my converted 240D. What a fabulous job and improvement. All new bushings, new sub frame mounts, new Bilstein shocks and new rear coils with new caps. I put in new front torque rod bushings about a month ago, but decided that the rear job was just to much for me this summer. Next summer I am going to do the entire front end the same way. My two Mercedes are the only ones PK works on so I do give him all the information needed for the job. He did the job in one day and it cost me $392.00 in labor. Parts were about $250.00. I treat the little car right and suspect it and all those new parts will out last me. It is a great driver with that 617T and a 4 speed stick transmission. I also sent PK various write ups from the Forum, especially the one on rear bushings by ARMY. He didn't want the job at first, but now having done it he is as happy about it as I am. I currently have about 120 pounds (2 bags of landscape gravel) at the back edge of the trunk to settle it down - and it does a good job, rides well and looks good!

Seems like a very reasonable price for that much work.

Congrats!

What is the purpose of the 120 lbs of landscape gravel in the trunk?

That is an incredable price Jim, the Indy I was using charges $117 per hour last time I was there a few month ago.

When I did the 85 (dang, been 2 years coming up) it was like a different car. Now that I have that job under my belt, It probably could be done in a day providing things are not rusted together, it was just a R&R of the bushings and not steam cleaning and painting of parts like I did.


Charlie

So you think replacing the springs was worth it?

Congrats Jim - does your Indy have anything to add to the write ups? I for one am always willing to learn from the profs.

Thats just what I was thinking. For that price I wouldn't do any suspension work.

Well as I said, they are brand new springs. Did you ever notice that new cars and trucks sit a little higher. Springs do settle, they never ever grow. From day one, when they are in use, it is down hill. So for that reason, and also that the manufacturer knows that to get the typical vehicle to market, shipping is involved. By ship or by transport, vehicles are tied down extremely tight some times for a period of a couple of weeks. That is hard on springs. They never fully recover their length. And so it is with replacement springs. They are new. They need to be settled. The rear is up a little high. Perhaps I could find a couple of heavy weight girl friends I could drive around town in the back seat. That would help to settle those springs, probably a little faster then my 100 plus pounds in the trunk, but it will work. I think I will pass on the heavy weight girl friends and just stay with two bags of garden gravel.

No, he was very interested in your well written "go through" on the job. My car is extremely clean, totally no rust and all parts came apart very easily. All the bushings looked to be original, one trailing arm bushing was cracked, all seemed very old and dried. The sub frame bushing were extremely warn around the outside edge, the long pin screw looked like and came out like it was installed yesterday. I did give PK all the bushings in an extreme frozen condition and even though he had to take the car apart, I had the frozen bushings insulated well enough that at 2 PM the bushings were still hard frozen and he says all the bushings went in so easy. He used his "ball joint" press to push them in.

only 392 dollars for all of that labor?? woah, you got one heck of a bargain. i think it would easily be twice that (or more) at most other shops.

Congratulations on getting the car finished off!

I wish my latest coversion were done.;)

I get the impression Jim's a bit of a charmer; I think you've got to factor in quite a bit of mate's rates into the equation.

I got to see Jim's 240/300D today. What a lovely car! The paint looks like brand new factory and it has very beautiful red pinstriping on the side and on the refinished bundt cake wheels. Just a lovely lovely car!

Congratulations Jim!