It's highly unlikely that the squeak is coming from a shock absorber. More likely a rubber part or a shield flapping around.

In my humble opinion, shock absorbers are one of the more oversold items around. People that advocate replacing them regularly are the ones making money off them. Rarely, if ever, does one "wear out". They may leak due to nicks from rocks hitting the shaft or dirt wearing through the seal. This is why there is typically a boot over that part.

True, the "real" way to test a shock absorber is on a shock dyno. These beasties are rare!! I've only ever seen one and that was in the Koni trailer at a Can-Am race at Lime Rock. Twenty some years ago. The vast majority of us settle for the old jump on the fender routine. Pulling it off the car and running in in & out by hand is a waste of time. Hulk Hogan isn't strong enough to move that piston fast enough.

My opinion: if it hasn't leaked, it doesn't need replacing. OTOH I've seen some that all the juice leaked out of so long ago, that the shock was dry again. Turn it upside down & the piston would fall to the other end. Its mate on the opposite side of the same car, was fully functional. They both got replaced.

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Norm in NJ
Next oil change at 230,000miles

Bilstein or Sachs shocks (the OEM ones on Benz) are always high pressure nitrogen compensated, meaning that there is a separate piston in the bottom (or top in the case of older F&S shocks) that keeps the oil under pressure and prevents air getting in as the fluid slowly creeps out of the piston seal. The result is very long life as you never get air in the operating part.

What happens instead is that the rod piston eventually starts to hit the compensating piston as it rises from fluid loss. This causes the car to ride VERY hard and the shocks to knock badly. This is when you know they need to be replaced.

KYB are similar, but they don't last as long and are somewhat harder than Bilstein HD shocks, so you may not be happy with them.

Both my W124 chassis cars have the original shocks and struts, both have more than 200,000 miles. Ditto on my brother's W126. I put a pair of used Bilsteins from a 1967 230S on the 280 SE, rides like new.

Don't bother to replace them unless you have typical "bad shock" ride, tire wear attributable to bad shocks, or they knock too much.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!