Recently I decided to replace the front struts on my 2006 E320 CDI. I wanted to save some time by having the new struts fully assembled using new parts so I would simply swap out the old for the new ones. These struts are typical Macpherson type struts. When I removed the originals from the car I noticed that the driver’s side did not have the base washer installed, (211-323-00-52) but also that both base washers were installed on the passenger side. These washers come individually the car calls for 4.
Seeing this I initially thought the struts had been apart once before and were reassembled incorrectly. I had assembled the new struts with one set of base washers per side as shown in the Wis document.
I really gave this no more thought until today when a car identical to mine came in to the shop, and it also had the struts setup the way mine were. Has anyone else noticed this?

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1967 250 S
1967 280SE
1968 250S
1971 280 SE
1973 220
1974 280 S
1975 450 SEL
1976 220 D
1979 300SD
1983 300 SD
1985 230 TE euro
1986 280SL
1986 500 SEL euro
1986 190E 2.3
1990 300 SE
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2004 C230 K
1987 560SEL
1987 300SDL now in canada
2005 C230
1998 C43 AMG Sold to DON
1993 190E 2.6
300TD Former daily driver Totaled
current:
R320 CDI
Ram 2500 Cummins

I have not taken apart a W211 (as I dont own one yet)

but this similar setup is on ancient Hondas too (80s accords etc) - I recall the driver side front strut on that car when factory equipped with the showa branded items had an additional washer to sort of preload the spring - just like the spring pads on W123, 4 and 6 etc.

You might want to find some more detail on this as it maybe some fine tuned part or a mistake etc or its broken off.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Not Macpherson struts. These are coil overs. MacPherson Struts contain both the spring and shock and also solidly attached to the spindle so they rotate with the steering wheel. The w211 front suspension is double wishbone where the lower wishbone is split in order to move the lower pivit point out into the center of the tire (aka scrub angle). It's a really neat design. 4matic cars lose the split lower wishbone which negates most of the advantages of this design.

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