has anyone changed the steering dampner on thier 124? If so Is it a DIY job with common hand tools. Also where is it location.

I don't know exactly how it works on a W124, but I can definitly tell you that it is a DIY yourself job. I did it on my C280. Hopefully someone else can give you directions.

Definitely a DIY. If I remember correctly all you need is two 17mm wrenches or sockets.
The dampener is attached to the draglink. Just follow a tie rod and you'll see a small shock. It runs horizontally with the draglink and tie rods.

Vinamg

Yeah, nothing to it.

Ken Fuller
1990 300E
145K miles

How do you tell if yours is going bad?

My understanding is that your car gets a little "drifty". A lot of things can cause that though. Some have said that if you have over 100K on your car, you need to change it. I've also heard of dramatic improvement in handling. I changed mine last year -- could tell absolutely no difference. What the heck though, it was only 30-40 bucks and it gave me an excuse to get my hands dirty.

Time/money well spent
 

Brother of The Benz, momentum
We've all spent money foolishly, but this is well spent.
If you're not in a hurry, the Steering Stabilizer can be mail ordered for approximatly $25.00.
This is one of the few minor corrections you can make and really feel the improvement.
DIYourself and enjoy.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

You will experience some "shimmy" on bumps and lateral suspension loads, ie. hitting a bump while turning would produce an uncomfortable vibration in the steering wheel. The little shock damps out low order vibrations associated with sudden loads on the suspension.