i have finally gotten a sportline front sway bar and new bushings installed.

BIG FRIGGIN WOW!!

the merc finally handles. it's a big difference, very little body roll now.

highly recomended. for around $200.00, i think it's hard to beat

next couple of projects new rear sway bar bushings [only].
i'm not going to change the rear bar for awhile because it's much more labor intensive.

i also bought a new hood pad and horsehair seat pad.

psyched from wv

peter

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*92 400e 124.034, SOLD

*92 300e 124.030, SOLD

Peter,

How's the understeer? With a stiffer front sway bar (with the same rear bar), one would expect the car to understeer more.

I just dropped the rear subframe on an AMG W201 last weekend to extract the rear sway bar and lowering springs to transfer to another W201. There's some massive torque on those subframe mount bolts! Doing the front swaybar and bushings is a piece of cake compared to just getting the rear bar out!

i can tell there is more understeer. i don't think it will be a problem.

i bet it will be noticable with a trunk full of stuff and or in the snow though.

the ride seems a bit stiffer, but much nicer than before.

overall i am very, i mean VERY pleased with the results.

when i stated mod was around $200.00, bar and bushings and labor. i didn't have a good place to change this myself.

peter

__________________
*92 400e 124.034, SOLD

*92 300e 124.030, SOLD

Put in a thicker rear one and the car will be much more balanced.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

I actually took my Sportline front bar out and put my stock bar back in. At about the same time I replaced my rear Sportline bar with a 500E bar.

By doing this I have shed a BUNCH of the understeer. I do feel the front end sway, but that doesn't bother me. Taking away some of the understeer made the car more pleasant to drive on the winding farm roads where I live.

If I could get a bar stiffer than the 500E for the rear, then I might consider putting the front sportline back in.

ebennz,

Did the Sportline front bar really cost you $200? As I recall, I bought both Sportline bars for around $100 from the dealer in about 1998. It's amazing if they have gone up that much in price. If that is the going price I will put my Sportline set up for sale.

Have a great day,

I actually took my Sportline front bar out and put my stock bar back in. At about the same time I replaced my rear Sportline bar with a 500E bar.

By doing this I have shed a BUNCH of the understeer. I do feel the front end sway, but that doesn't bother me. Taking away some of the understeer made the car more pleasant to drive on the winding farm roads where I live.

If I could get a bar stiffer than the 500E for the rear, then I might consider putting the front sportline back in.

ebennz,

Did the Sportline front bar really cost you $200? As I recall, I bought both Sportline bars for around $100 from the dealer in about 1998. It's amazing if they have gone up that much in price. If that is the going price I will put my Sportline set up for sale.

The rear bar is really not that bad if you have a way to get the rear safely in the air (jackstands) and something to lower the rear suspension a little (floor jack.) You only have to remove four or six bolts that go up vertically. Before that remove the sway bar end link connections and the center mounts. Once the rear is lowered a few inches, the bar will snake right out.

Have a great day,

larry

i paid 110.00 for the sportline bar.
bushings, shipping and labor [& tax] at 'stealership'. all said and done about $200.00 u.s.


wbain5260- yes, i know the car will be better balanced with a bigger rear bar.
do you know how much it would cost in labor to drop the rear subframe?
it's 300.00, i am not spending now.

peter

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*92 400e 124.034, SOLD

*92 300e 124.030, SOLD

If you go to a dealer for rear bar installation, they will charge you flat rate. I have no idea what the flat rate is.

The last rear sway bar change I did was with a lift and transmission jack. I did not time it, but I would guess that it took less than 45 minutes.

If you can find an independent shop that will do it, I would think that it should certainly be under $100 labor.

Good luck,

Bobby: do you miss your 190E 2.6 with a 5-speed manual tranny ?

Larry: how do you like the ratios with your 300E's 5-speed manual tranny ?

Do either of you know the gear ratios for your respective trannys ?

I'm contemplating putting in a 5-speed manual tranny on my C36 powered W124 wagon with either a 3.27; 3.07; or 2.87 rear end.

I've narrowed it down to four manual trannys:

1) 300E 5-speed;
2) 190E 2.6 5-speed;
3) 190E 2.3-16v 5-speed close-ratio (5th gear is 1:1)
4) 300SL (R129) 5-speed

Comments, suggestions, etc ?

Thanks in advance,
:-) neil
1988 E36T AMG
1993 500E

With the car on jackstands, a floor jack to steady the differential, and bottle jack to assist with the lower arm, it might take a couple hours for a shade tree mechanic to R&R the rear. The hardest part is getting the subframe mounts aligned properly to accept those HD bolts. If it can be done for $100, it is clearly worth the money to have it done at a shop.

not to derail this thread but just to answer Neil's question ...

I still have my 5speed 190e2.6. I don't know the exact ratios of my transmission, but know that 4th gear goes about 35kph/1000rpm and 5th at 43kph/1000rpm. The 4th-gear ratio seems to be the same as that in its automatic counterpart (for which I have the gear ratios, in an old Road&Track test drive).

Ratios for the Getrag 5-Speed in the 2.3-16

I 4.08
II 2.52
III 1.77
IV 1.26
V 1.00

Best I can tell from literature, the 300E 5 speed ratios are:

I 3.86
II 2.18
III 1.38
IV 1.00
V .8

As long legged as this car is geared, I believe those numbers. The '86 and '88 300E's had different manual transmissions, so this might be wrong for my '88. This car would really benefit from a 3.69 rear gear IMHO.

Also, if you are selecting a trans for a performance application, the one from the 2.3 16V would be stronger because it is straight through in top gear. The ratios would also be better with a tall rear gear.

Have a great day,

I think I know the basis for the quote, they looked at the rate to drop the subframe only; which consists of a whole mess of unnecessary work to R&R the rear swaybar. I was at my independent this morning and he checked the job description for me, and sure enough, in addition to releasing the sway bar links, it calls for removing the exhaust system, undoing the emergency brake cable, disconnecting the rear brake lines and re-bleed on replacement, removing the drive shaft, releasing the rear shocks, and possibly undoing the fuel lines. There's a separate time estimate for the rear sway bar, which is less than half an hour, but the "note" on the estimate says that you have to add the subframe work. The subframe only has to come down a matter of inches to R&R the sway bar.