Weird strut replacement

[samiam4]

. Here’s the deal- these are new v36-0185 Bilstein replacment struts for a –93 W124.

I set the car up and the ride height was correct. Drove the car and suddenly the camber was noticeably different because the steering wheel no longer centered.

Humm? I look at I’ve got 2-3 inches of extra clearance between the tire and wheel well. So, I do some internet search and several other ppl-mainly W201 owners have experienced a similar situation-maybe 20 in the past 3-4 years. Very small considering Bilstein claims they are selling 4,000 replacements a year in the USA.

I take it to the dealership. Sitting right next to my car is 94’ W124 and it has a huge amount of suspension travel and the struts are WAY softer. We even compare it to a AMG which is softer also. Something is wrong… no reason to align the car, take it home.

Call Bilstein and I talk with 3 different customer service ppl. East and West coast customer service claim to have never heard of this. I talk with the technical assistance man. He’s much more helpful and agrees- nearly impossible to install wrong. Pulls up the drawing on the computer and rattles through some specs. Much more reassuring, but no advice other than warrantee the struts and hope it solves the problem.
I go out to remove a wheel and find the production date and lot number.
But, decide to pull it in the driveway first. When I do this, I back up the car and it settles by 2-3” to the correct ride height. I pull forward and it returns to the high position…..

I loosened the lc bolts and the strut upper nut and re-torque while the car is in the lower position. Doesn’t seem to make a difference.


Got any ideas??

Michael