Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-22-2014, 04:12 PM
likes sleeping in cars
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
Posts: 14
Front coil springs and ride height, tire size

I am just about finished with the mechanical's on the new to me 87 300d wagon. I have done it all, everything I found here on the board and then some.
I will need a headliner and a few interior pieces ( a fellow member is helping me out ) but otherwise...well, I thought I was done...

The car has good tires on her, supple, deep tread, no checking but I am getting fender rub on the drivers front when cornering/braking at the same time.
I read the thread about broken or bowed front springs, mine look good if not a touch crusty. The ride height looks within specs for an unloaded wagon.
Then I noticed my tires are 215/65/15 and most '87's are running 205's.
They do stick out a little, maybe 12mm from the fender lip but only the left front rubs, right at the tread/sidewall edge. There are some very small cuts (about 2 mm deep) into the rubber and rubber on the fender lip/plastic fender well.
Any one else run a 215 and have interference issue's? Should I swap over to 205's and call it good? These 215's do look too big.

And thanks to this site...I fixed
The OVP (which fixed the tach, et al)
Door locks
AC
Heater
Fuse box
Brakes
SLS

And that was just yesterday before noon...

After all of that I drove 240 miles round trip along the Coast in her, averaged 26 mpg, temperature gauge was never above 85, no funny noises, no odd smells (maybe leftover chipmunk crap burning off) and the power...wow.
I am impressed and will keep this wagon going till she won't go any more.
Thanks board, I wouldn't have bought this wagon nor been able to get it straight if not for the collective knowledge here.
I would be driving a lowly Volvo...

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-23-2014, 04:02 AM
Stretch's Avatar
...like a shield of steel
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere in the Netherlands
Posts: 14,461
If you are getting rubbing on one tyre and not the other you could have trouble with either the body working being incorrectly positioned or wear in the suspension components. If there's nothing obviously wrong with the body I'd check suspension components. There's a fair amount of rubber bushings on many Mercedes suspension systems that need a bit of help after 20+ years.

Apart from the cuts in the tyre are you getting any uneven wear patterns? Vibration / wobble through the steering wheel when driving / braking - the feeling that if you went faster around that bend you'd roll over even though you are travelling well below the speed limit?
__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-23-2014, 10:45 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: The slums of Beverly Hills
Posts: 8,065
The correct stock tire size for your 87 is 195/65R15. If you want to go 10mm wider without rubbing and maintain the same circumference you need to get 205/60R15. The tires you have now are way too large.

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Tire-Size-Calculator
__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-23-2014, 11:41 AM
likes sleeping in cars
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
Posts: 14
Hey thanks for the chart! I have checked everything else, ride height is right, springs and suspension bits are all good so it has to be the PO put on tires that are simply too wide. It isn't horrible but that sound and cutting up a tire just isn't my cup of tea.
They fill up the wheel wells much more compared to other 124's.
Off to the tire shop I guess.

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page