R129 Front Suspension Replacement

[Torrean]

Looking for some guidance on which manufacturer I should opt for when replacing the front coil springs and struts on a R129 3.2, 2000. Any manufacturer to avoid?
Thanks

 

[LostKiwi]

Mercedes are the only ones I would use for the simple reason there re so many variations on r129 springs that 3rd party ones are hit and miss as to whether they will give the correct ride height/ride quality.

MB have a very complex system of springs and spring pads that determine ride height according to equipment fitted.
For a 500 for example there are 12 combinations that can be fitted.
Most third parties will offer only one spring and rely on it being right 'on average'.

 

[Torrean]

Thanks for your input LostKiwi

 

[LostKiwi]

Thanks for your input LostKiwi

No problem. I'm doing a front end rebuild on mine at the moment too

 

[Zonergem]

For damper struts there's Sachs, Bilstein and then MB themselves. For my 1992 500SLs Sachs damper struts were about £110 a corner, Bilstein £135 and MB £260. I suspect Bilstein are the OEM for MB.

I chose Bilstein B4s based on reports from others about handling.

Damper strut top mounts can be had from Febi Bilstein for £50 each on eBay or from MB for £75ish. I went with MB.

Springs I suspect should be MB only - as LostKiwi says there are many combinations based on a weight calculation.

But having come this far, why wouldn't you replace the Lower Control Arms? You get the bushings and the ball joint done that way, and the marginal cost of the labour (or your time) to do this job is small, since the springs are out anyway. Lemforder are £150 a side for my car, other makes run cheaper but will probably fail more quickly.

Then there's the steering damper, steering idler arm bushing, maybe engine mounts, transmission mount. Then time for a proper alignment from someone who knows their stuff, unless you want to start on the rear suspension first? After all, having dropped £1000-£1200 on parts for the front it would be a shame not to get the full benefit....

 

[Torrean]

For damper struts there's Sachs, Bilstein and then MB themselves. For my 1992 500SLs Sachs damper struts were about £110 a corner, Bilstein £135 and MB £260. I suspect Bilstein are the OEM for MB.

I chose Bilstein B4s based on reports from others about handling.

Damper strut top mounts can be had from Febi Bilstein for £50 each on eBay or from MB for £75ish. I went with MB.

Springs I suspect should be MB only - as LostKiwi says there are many combinations based on a weight calculation.

But having come this far, why wouldn't you replace the Lower Control Arms? You get the bushings and the ball joint done that way, and the marginal cost of the labour (or your time) to do this job is small, since the springs are out anyway. Lemforder are £150 a side for my car, other makes run cheaper but will probably fail more quickly.

Then there's the steering damper, steering idler arm bushing, maybe engine mounts, transmission mount. Then time for a proper alignment from someone who knows their stuff, unless you want to start on the rear suspension first? After all, having dropped £1000-£1200 on parts for the front it would be a shame not to get the full benefit....

Hi Zonergem,, I went fort the Bilstein shocks, Bilstein top mounts and Lesjofors spring and will be changing the lower control arms at a later date. The Lesjofors spring matched the existing MB shock with no change in ride height, so all good. Thanks for your response.