How could I tell if the "steering shock" needs replacement on my 1986 560 SEL? How would the car react when it needs to be changed?

I too would like to know the answer to this for my 84 300SD, I recently had some front end work done from the dealer (control arms, tie rods). I was also told to replace the steering shock, but I am sure I replaced it along with my regular shocks three years ago.

Could it actually have gone bad this quickly, or is the dealer trying to replace an unnecessary part?

Mr. Wood (Webmaster):

The above text: "is the dealer trying to replace an unnecessary part" is just the sort of statement that seems to lend itself to your sometimes warning contributors to avoid referring to the quality of work performed by dealers or independent shops.

Where can contributors and readers view the guidelines that it appears you are relying upon when you decide the comments in some posts are in some way possibly reflecting upon the quality of work performed by a dealer or independent shop?

I can understand someone who works for a dealer interpreting "is the dealer trying to replace an unnecessary part" as a dealer engaging in work that is unnecessary and merely profiting the business.

Thank you in advance for your clarification (as I have also sought in the General Feedback forum).

Pat Burke

Please refer to my response to your question in the General Feedback section.

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Bill Wood - Webmaster
MercedesShop.com, LLC

In the interest of staying on the technical topic at hand, the "steering damper" acts like a shock absorber to minimize some of the harshness you might feel as a twitching through the steering wheel. It slows down your steering's reaction to road irregularities, and works quite well when in good condition. With my cars, I treat these relatively cheap ($25-$45) parts as maintenance items, and change them out every 50-60k. They take maybe 15 minutes to replace with common hand tools. To check yours, simply un-do one side and slide it through its range...if it goes quickly with little resistance, it's blown.

Good luck, and hope this helps. Michael
'92 500E
'88 300TE

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[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 08-20-1999).]

Thanks for the response. I am sorry if I offended anyone with the previous comment, however, I spent > $1000 in suspension repair, and its frustrating when you don't get an explanation of why something needs to be changed (especially if you had recently changed it yourself), dealer or independent shop. Instead I received an invoice stating I had "declined" to change suggested parts. Overall, I am generally quite satisfied with the local MBZ dealers in my area, with this exception.

Theaverage life of a steering damper is about 60K. To test it just pull the bolt out on one end and try to push it back and forth a couple of times. If it seems soft or moves with little to no resistance it's time to replace it.

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ASE Master Technician, Lead Technician for Deutsch American Inc. Over 6 years of Import experience-specializing in German Automobiles.