I was flipping through this months Mercedes Enthusiast magazine and saw a full page add for a store called Euro Car Parts (www.eurocarparts.com). I went to their webpage and saw that it was selling a lowering spring kit for the W123 300D (1983). Do you guys think this is worth while? It is made by Ventura and claims to lower the car by 40mm. I would be interested in these coupled with wheel upgrades if it didn't upset the suspension geometry too much. Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think. They're not too expensive at 100 British pounds.

www.eurocarparts.com

Alex

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

Hmmm, lowering springs? I think my car is steadily loosing the battle against gravity as it is. I suppose if you like the look, go for it. The car isn't really sporty enough, imo, to warrant a suspension upgrade like that. Be forewarned however, it will likely ride like crap after lowering. I've known many to do it and all were hard on the kidneys afterwards. I think the nice ride is a benefit of these cars.

Frank.

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'82 300SD

Save your money for the rear springs, I have a really fine set that have evenly sagged at least 40mm and I'll sell them to you cheap!!

If you do lower the car using different springs, won't you have to use different shocks because the shocks are gas charged and help raise the car?

If no one in this forum can help you with your question about handling after lowering your car, then try the wheels & tires forum because there is a lot of info about lowering M-B's and using different wheels there.

Good Luck!
Tom

__________________
America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
Technical Advisor to Am. Honda;
Supervisor of Maintenance largest tree care co. in US for offices in Tex.

I don't want to sound hard on you but if you had any idea of how much work MB put into trying to get your suspension just right you would not consider doing anything except trying to keep it as close to original as you can keep it. Look at the Service Manual,Chassis and Body , Series 123, Volume 1. Pages and pages of charts giving the combinations of long springs or short springs on the front and combos of the rubber mounts depending on such small amounts of weight differences as whether a power steering pump is mounted, etc .... Check that out before you consider doing something just for looks... everything in a suspension effects everything else... remember, this company had 100 years experience with suspensions before it made your car....I have the evenly sagged front springs to go with Tom's rears to complete your set.... Greg

OK Greg, we have the matched set of sagged springs so Alex can lower his W123!! Now all he needs are a set of new wheels - anyone have a set of mags they don't want? I hope you realize that this is all tongue-in-cheek Alex!! However, Greg does make some really good comments about the suspension work M-B did to make this car handle like it does. My, very cheap, $0.02 worth.

Tom

__________________
America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
Technical Advisor to Am. Honda;
Supervisor of Maintenance largest tree care co. in US for offices in Tex.

Tom, " Thank you for your support " ( from the Bartles and James ads ...LOL.... Greg

Yeah, I guess it was just a passing thought. It'd be a real shame to tamper with what Mercedes originally intended. I am curious as to what the result would be if they were installed in a 300D. It would probably ride like crap and overtake the tires (on stock wheels) and cause them to wear pretty rapidly and unevenly. I'll save my money for a new steering wheel.

Alex

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

Alex, I don't want to sound to hard on your but if you knew how much effort MB put into making that steering wheel just the right size and texture,etc you would leave it stock...Remember,etc,etc, LOL....Greg

Actually MB only had 75 years worth of experence when they designed the w123.


Why would you lower a w123 in the first place, kinda takes away from that massive, aggressive look the w123 has.

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/119226-1982-300d-sale.html#post852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

I thought Mr. D or Mr. B had a vehicle out in the early 1880's ? I thought I could fudge a little because most early car builders had experience with horse drawn wagons first... sorry...but who is looking down on 75 years of quality learning experience ? My point still stands....LOL

LOL, true, technically DaimlerBenz was only 75 years old, but your arguement is valid.

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

I have driven a 123 (a 280 gasser coupe) with fat tires on aftermarket wheels. Hated the nervous handling. Stick to stock - buy the best tires you can afford. Get a set of Bilstein shocks if you want an improvement in handling. They are quite hard at first, but seem to soften up after two months or so.
Regards

I found some more w123 lowering springs

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=23015&item=2404600126&rd=1

www.vogtland.com makes the springs. I just dont know how to get them to the states.

I thought that HK made springs for w123s...

Austin

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Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

Omegabenz, Did you read this thread before you posted ?

" I just dont know how to get them to the states. "

That is Kharma trying to tell you the same thing... you Don't want them ....due to its impact on the steering geometry of the suspension... it was made to be a specific height... and you should try to keep it or get it as close to that as you can....

I posted it for those of us that want lowering springs so when they search for them they can find them. and Yes I read the post, so give me some respect.

I have 17s on my car, and they ride better than 14s my opinion

__________________
Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.