1999 e300 suspension question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

courtney · #1 08-08-2012, 01:46 AM

i am going to be putting replacement springs on the car all around

the front suspension has had a good portion of the parts replaced already

but if we have to take apart/remove a lot of the rear stuff to swap out the springs i was going to go ahead and replace those parts also to save on labor later, just have it done, etc

i know i need a rear control arm or a bushing set but what are the names of the other 3 "arms" back there?
and do all of these have to be taken apart or removed to swap the springs?

any direction/info would be great

sixto · #2 08-08-2012, 02:11 AM

The rear springs can be replaced by removing, or at least releasing the bottom attachments of, the shock absorbers. Don't forget to check the condition of the rubber spring pads while the springs are out. For most models MB offers a range of pad thicknesses identified by colored dots and/or nibs. One option is to replace pads with pads of the same thickness; that is, the same number of dots or nibs. Another option is to use different pads to level or adjust the height of the car. That might entail multivariate calculus if you're replacing the springs at the same time.

This is the parts list for a W124 despite all the 210 prefix part numbers. It's a good reference since the subframe design is similar through the 90s and into the 00s -

Not shown is the carrier bushing between the out end of the LCA and the rear wheel carrier. Those are the first to go. Then the torque arms.

Most of those arms are difficult to replace in-situ so consider dropping the subframe and replacing all there is to replace in one shot. Don't forget the 4 subframe mounts, sway bar mounts and differential mounts. And stay away from Uro brand parts!

Sixto
87 300D^2

courtney · #3 08-08-2012, 03:16 AM

thank you so much for this info

this is a lot more than i thought there was to do

so here is my next question

at 159,000 miles do you feel i need to do all this stuff?

or should i just do springs and then in another 30,000-40,000 miles do all the rest or whatever?

my shop does not think i need all this, they think just doing the springs is fine

i dont really think any of the shops are sure i even need springs but i got pretty big improvement with new shocks and still feel the car is not completely right

i just feel the car drops too low, it does not bottom out but feels like it comes close if i hit a good dip at 60-70mph???

to my knowledge the car has no suspension issues other than this

i was just going to do all the suspension pieces because we are in there, but from the list you are giving me this could be another 1000-1200 in parts it sounds like??
not to mention a lot more work......

so maybe i am biting off more than i can chew here, lol

engatwork · #4 08-08-2012, 07:29 AM

I'm sitting here wondering how springs can be worn out at 159k.

courtney · #5 08-08-2012, 01:54 PM

hmm, it seems like a lot of years and miles to me for springs???
these cars are pretty heavy

i dont know, since i never drove one of these new hard for me to say how it drove then

but it seems to drop a lot when going through dips

to me this car drives "boaty" enough as it is, so my thinking is every little thing helps

but i could be wrong, it is possible i could change them out and it wont tighten up any at all

maybe some others can chime in on when and if they have swapped out springs

nobody was really concerned with the shocks and one very reputable indie shop said there was nothing wrong with them and i would not see a change swapping those out

i did them anyway and there was a big difference there

also at 159,000 miles and 13 years it all has to be worn to some extent, so to me putting in all new suspension components front and rear would be a decent investment, it would be like new and at some point i am going to have to do it at all anyway

sokoloff · #6 08-08-2012, 06:47 PM

Unless the previous owner carried around a trunk full of bricks, I can't see any way that you need new springs on that car. My guess is that you've got suspension parts worn and rubber bits that have collapsed. Fix those and I bet you will be happy and have a few more $$$ in your pocket. My '99 still has the original springs and shocks and rides just fine. My '83 still has its original springs, but the rubber suspension pieces have had to be replaced.

KarTek · #7 08-08-2012, 08:17 PM

When I bought my car, it had 134,000 miles. It drove like you say, a boat. It would pitch and bound around long high speed curves.

All I did was replace the shocks with some Bilsteins and it turned it into a totally different car.

engatwork · #8 08-08-2012, 09:20 PM

I've got a '99 E300 in the shop right now that the original shocks are getting replaced tomorrow morning. The car is showing 274k miles. I'd be surprised if your springs are shot.

KarTek · #9 08-09-2012, 11:42 AM

For comparison, on my car the gap between the top of the tire and the wheel opening is 2" in the front and 1.5" in the rear.

engatwork · #10 08-09-2012, 01:16 PM

The '99 rides like a new car with the new Bilsteins all the way around. It had Sachs on it. In my opinion, NOTHING compares to the Bilstein shocks.

courtney · #11 08-09-2012, 04:02 PM

thanks evan, i will check the clearance on mine

i considered bilsteins but i was not happy with the ride with those on my trucks and i decided against them and went with sachs

i should add that i dont really think the shocks are worn out, i am just thinking they are maybe half way worn and that my ride would be better with new ones

i will definitely do all the rubber pieces and no reason not to do that first just to see how much of a change i get

is there any schematic/picture somewhere that shows where all the suspension pieces go and with names listed?

sokoloff · #12 08-10-2012, 02:39 PM

EPC will have blow ups of all the parts.

EPC-net Online

courtney · #13 08-10-2012, 03:51 PM

blah, it says it will not work with mac, sooo

any other sites like this, this would be great

sokoloff · #14 08-11-2012, 02:20 PM

Try this - https://www.getmercedesparts.com/oem-Mercedes-parts.html

I don't see the E300 listed, but it is generally the same as the E320. There are parts blowups there too that should help.

BTW, daughter is moving to Tuscon by the end of the month. I suspect I'll be making a visit sometime over the next few months. Maybe I'll run into you.