Spring Color Codes
 

How important are spring color codes?

My '87 300D rear springs have yellow, red, and white marks in the middle of the spring.

I ordered new springs. One has yellow, red and white, and the other has yelow, blue, and white. Both are same part number.

I ordered them from the dealer who said they'd need to match the pads to the spring colors. When they came with different colors, I called to verify, and they say it doesn't matter.

Is it okay to put these in my car, what do the color codes mean?

-brian

It does matter!! The blue spring is slightly stronger & requires a spring pad that is thinner(1 size) than the red spring requires.

I will contact the seller about this discrepancy again.

What do the color codes on the BOTTOM of the spring mean? If they are the same color but the ones in the middle are different?

Thanks a bundle,
Brian

The only colors that matter to US are blue & or red!

Can you verify I'm getting the right parts? Car is '87 300D made in ~8/86.

Front 124 321 22 04 with 3 lug pad
Rear 124 324 11 04 with 3 lug pad

With your information the seller did not question me, they are replacing the blue spring with a red one, and I'd like to make sure everything is Okay before I install.

-brian

All of those part numbers are correct!! For that model.
However if you are replacing the springs because the old ones were sagging, I would go with the 124-324-16-04 rear springs with 201-325-09-44 spring pads.

I installed new dealer shocks and they dropped car 1/2" all around (measured from ground to fender cutout, I don't have control arm angle tools). Old shocks were Bilstein Comfort shocks with 72Kmi suggested weak by local MB mechanics (car very sensitive to winds, jumps over at bridges). Folks around here say shocks shouldn't change height. New springs appear to be approx. 3/16-1/4" taller than old springs. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Brian

(Rear links 10 months ago, fr lower control arms 2 mos, steering linkage tight & <1yr , wheel bearings tight 4 mos, just installed shocks/struts & now installing rear subframe mounts, springs are last to be changed)