Alternative springs for w163
 

Does anyone know the dimensions of the OEM springs on a 1999 ml320 and/or options for a taller replacement? Going to build an off-road toy out of one. I've read raising the torsion bars for the front, and running spacers on the rear with Ford F-150 shocks is an option. Ideally I'd like to find some springs that will fit that are taller.

Have a look at my posts in the thread below and ignore the original poster. The most direct route to what you want to do is adjustable spring seats and possibly aftermarket racing springs if you want to go stiffer.

There are going to be limits as to how high you can lift a stock suspension before you make a mess of suspension geometry / alignment / over angle ball joints. When you do lift it, be sure to have the control arm bushing bolts loose so they can rotate to the new position then tighten them at the new ride height. Most suspension bushings have bonded bushings that flex rather than rotate. If you go high enough, the suspension pickup points will need to be pushed down and differentials lowered to prevent overageling the drive axles.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/performance-paddock/342744-w123-racing-setup-serious-questions-within.html

😑 was looking for something a lot more hassle free

I don't think a unitized vehicle,would be good for rough pounding.Might bend,unless you build a frame under it.

What about just some universal rubber spring spacers and taller shocks and raised torsion bars?

So I did a little research and rummaging through various different threads. Looks like I can have blocks made to mount on the bottom of the struts, there's a company that makes coil spacers for the ML, but to save money I'm going to try some universal ones, and apparently I can use Ford F-150 rear shocks on the front.

Several years ago we had a customer through the shop that had Jurassic Park-ed an ML. It fell apart at an astonishing rate, even for an ML. Last thing I'd try to do with an Alabama trash can is use it for serious off-roading.