1997 SL320 suspension or lack off it. :-(

[vandergraafuk]

Hello Forum,

My car feels every small bump in the road. Its driving me mad as well as making the car very unpleaseant to drive. A few months back the front bottom wishbones were changed alongwith all the dampers. This all started as the car steering was apalling and needed to be corrected. I felt that this may have corrected the hard suspension issue as well. Not at all. Today I replaced the o/s/r tyre as it was more like a slick than a tyre. The really strange thing is that the tyre wear characteristics, the tyre looked tapered and was completely bald in the center with good amounts of tread on the outer edges. I always check tyre pressures at least every fortnight and they have been on pressure within a 1psi of each other. I use the manufacturers pressures from within the filler lid. The o/s/r tyre was not over inflated as would have been expected with this type of wear. I know that the suspension is based on 124 chassis. What could be causing the hard ride???

TIA

 

[television]

For a start if your tyres are worn out in the middle that shows that they are over inflated, this will also cause the car to wander and you will feel every matchstick.

My 129 SL was perfect in every way

 

[wgriffiths]

suspension problems

just reading about your issues with the hard suspension this is unusual with a 129 usually a bit soft if anything has any of the suspension components been replaced with non mb parts? sometimes you find a make do part such as a shock it will cover 3 or 4 models as for your tyre wear sounds like over inflation have the wheels been changed for amg rims?if the wear persists and your presure gauage is correct get a full geometery check done:

 

[television]

just reading about your issues with the hard suspension this is unusual with a 129 usually a bit soft if anything has any of the suspension components been replaced with non mb parts? sometimes you find a make do part such as a shock it will cover 3 or 4 models as for your tyre wear sounds like over inflation have the wheels been changed for amg rims?if the wear persists and your presure gauage is correct get a full geometery check done:

Mr Griffiths, please put your name and contact details in your profile.

 

[vandergraafuk]

Thanks for the replies, I think the tyre is a red herring but the suspension is very hard, the wheels are all standard and I don't believe that the springs have been changed for stiffer ones but can't be sure. I tried a test this morning whilst driving to work. I was noting how much the front dipped during normall braking. It hardly moved at all. Only really dipping when braking really hard even then not as much as i expected. I also tried with foot on brake real hard car in gear and flooored the accellerator to see if the baxck would squat down. It did not move either. So without a major look at springs i am confused.

TIA

 

[television]

The fact still remains that if you are wearing out the center of the tyre, they are over inflated, I doubt that the springs have been changed, these cars do not dip on braking

 

[vandergraafuk]

The pressures I adhere to are 2.0 bar fronts and 2.2 bar rears.

 

[television]

The pressures I adhere to are 2.0 bar fronts and 2.2 bar rears.

That should be ok if the gauge is accurate. What 129 is it 129063-64-67-67