So I fixed my drivers seat today. I'd pool noodled it before and it was ok for a couple of years but I noticed it has been sagging. So I went on eBay and found a new seat cover made by World Upohstery. Apparently they were bought out and they were selling off odds and ends. I got the cover for the bottom seat cushion In Tex for $140. I also noticed a guy in Germany was selling wire springs for W126 set pans. Given the high cost of new pans I decided to buy the six springs for $75. I disassembled the very crushed down springs and installed the new ones. They were very stiff compared to the old ones.

It was a hard job because I had to uncrimp all the spring clamps and remove the old springs from the seat pan by prying up lots of tabs. It took an hour or more. But once it all went back together I got in the car and sat so much higher I smacked my head into the doorframe! . I had to adjust the mirrors. I'd ridden in W126s in the 80s and my seat now felt like new.

I'd thought all this stuff like springs and covers were readily avail but maybe not. I think I got lucky. If you can find real replacement springs get them. It is far better than junkyard parts or pool noodles.

The other interesting fix was my 300sd suffered from headlights in the sky syndrome. I never thought the back sagged, it's just that the front had a lot of space in the wheel well. People here suggest cutting springs. I tried thin spring pads and that helped a little.

I never liked the camber angle on the passenger side. It looked like five degrees positive. The drivers side was zero. On a whim I thought heck, I might as well see what zero camber or one deg neg would do on the passenger side. The car went way out of toe after I changed e elliptical bolt setting. I used a carpenters angle gauge to roughly set it at neg one deg.

Once I had the toe all sorted out I noticed the car dropped 1"!

Wow. The car looks normal now. I guess the previous owner or my spouse rammed a curb. Anyhow, thought I'd mention this. I notice quite a few SDs on Craigslist with headlights high in the sky. I'm not into the low rider look so it's good to have the car poised like the original sales brochures.

Forgot something- I replaced an upper control arm on the passengers side that was very worn. Perhaps somebody aligned it with the worn out part and when I put a new one in I threw the camber out. People do silly things like this to save on new parts.

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79 300TD “Old Smokey” AKA “The Mistake” (SOLD)
82 240D stick shift 335k miles (SOLD)
82 300SD 300k miles
85 300D Turbodiesel 170k miles

You probably don't have to do it anymore.....but it is super easy to grab a seat spring box at any junkyard, just grab the passenger side....I just paid 12$ for one that is in perfect shape....much easier then trying to unclamp single springs.

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X2 on replacing the pass side Spring Box. W126 fit into a W123.
Be sure to have a Drill motor battery and some leads to move the electrics.


Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

X2 on the drill motor.....PITA to attempt to get the seat spring with out one....ask me how I know

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Kobyashi, where did you find the springs? On German Ebay?