W124 Front Springs

[television]

The spring issue is now bothering me.

I found a picture I took when I first got the car.

I changend the springs and it seemed to end up lower at the front, even though these were genuine MB parts ordered against the chassis number.

The new europarts spring makes it sit even lower at the front.

The old picture has the car sitting with the hight looking correct.

From a stability point and the spring rate, they should only ever be replaced in pairs, and I have always pointed this out on spring threads.

I have put out earlier the following.
For safety,springs should should always be replaced in axle sets. Replacing a single spring on a axle is potentially hazardous as it will set up an imbalance in the suspension and result in poor handling characteristics due to inequalities in the spring rates either side of the axle.

Malcolm

 

[kth286]

turnipsock

Also one of the problems with having the suspension suddenly too low with standard shocks is that the shocks will get ruined.

Low suspension needs shortened shocks such as Bilstein B8 Sprints.

 

[turnipsock]

I don't want the suspension to be low, I want it to sit at the correct hight.

I need to be sure I get the correct springs as it is a big effort to change them. The springs from the dealer made the car sit low.

I still haven't worked out if there are different part numbers for the springs or is it a one size fits all?

 

[television]

I don't want the suspension to be low, I want it to sit at the correct hight.

I need to be sure I get the correct springs as it is a big effort to change them. The springs from the dealer made the car sit low.

I still haven't worked out if there are different part numbers for the springs or is it a one size fits all?

Cant be one size fits all owing to different engines

malcolm

 

[C220GJS]

If you check the Russian site there are 7 different springs listed for your car and
4 different spring shims from 8mm-23mm, at the end of the spring listing is a section that tells you how to work out the correct spring for your car, can't understand it myself ,maybe you can .
Geo.

 

[kth286]

turnipsock

The top of the springs go into rubber pad sockets, and these come in various thicknesses as described earlier.

How many 'nipples' hanging down on your pads. It is either 1 or 2 or 3 or 4.

One nipple is thin and four nipples is thickest.

If yours is one nipple, a change to four nipple pads will improve matters and raise car.

First determine what you have.

 

[Ian Brown]

Go to the main dealers and get the proper springs for your car they are not that much difference in the price and remember to fit a pair.

 

[turnipsock]

Go to the main dealers and get the proper springs for your car they are not that much difference in the price and remember to fit a pair.

That is my plan.

However, I remain to be convinced that the dealers know how to get me the correct springs.

The last pair I bought were from the dealer and the car ended up to low at the front.

 

[Ian Brown]

That is my plan.

However, I remain to be convinced that the dealers know how to get me the correct springs.

The last pair I bought were from the dealer and the car ended up to low at the front.

Get new rubber pads incase the previous owner has changed them I done my 190D and the car sits perfect now. i just gave them the chassis No and they supplied the correct springs. Euro parts list the same spring for diesel and petrol and vardy in glasgow lists three sets for the 2.0 diesel.

 

[turnipsock]

I had a look at the Russian site to see if I could work out what springs and pads I should get.

It goes into some detail and I don't think the dealer would have tried to work it out. Anyway I have aftermarket A/C which wouldn't reflect if they went by the chassis number. I have also changed to original radio to an MP3 player.

If there are only three types of spring I guess that I will be the one for the heaviest car.

Can anybody work out what I should be buying? If you ask me, it's impossible to work it out.

 

[turnipsock]

Went to the dealer today (Hamilton) and told them the whole story, so they have order up some springs for me. They seemed to understand that the A/C made a difference and have gone for a spring for an A/C car.

Personally I think the heaviest spring is the way to go. I have most of the things that affect the spring selection on the car anyway.

I need to figure out the rubber mounts now.

The parts guy gave me the print out of the suspension parts, I said I could it of the internet anyway. He said that he told his boss that and the boss didn't believe him...

 

[C220GJS]

Guess his boss isn't a member of this forum, take a printout of something from the Russian site to show him when you go back for your parts.
Geo.

 

[turnipsock]

Guess his boss isn't a member of this forum, take a printout of something from the Russian site to show him when you go back for your parts.
Geo.

I did that when I went in to get some exhast parts, I had penciled in 2x and 1x beside the parts I needed.

The russian site makes things a lot easier for everybody.

 

[C220GJS]

It does doesn't it, though I think it surprises them when you phone up and can quote all the part numbers. We're not supposed to know these things.
Geo.

 

[big x]

The parts guy gave me the print out of the suspension parts, I said I could it of the internet anyway. He said that he told his boss that and the boss didn't believe him...

Just goes to show how out of touch his boss is. What a highly paid waste of space.
I work abroad quite a bit and it's always the same..German management in technical fields are bemused that Brit management are in general so dumb,can't speak any other languages,dress badly and can't hold any sort of conversation about art or wine !

adam

 

[kth286]

C220CJS

Car manufactures cannot keep stuff secret anymore - its recent legislation.

I actually have an annual subscription to the German Mercedes dealer EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogue) system, and I am an Independant Mortgage Broker.

It is the very same system the dealer networks use (totally unabridged).

 

[turnipsock]

It's getting clearer.

I picked up the new springs today, they looked and felt a lot heavier than the Europarts spring.

MA124 321 22 04 01 10030311 Front Spring

The overall size and shape is identical. The difference is in the 'guage'.

The new springs 15mm diam
The previous MB ones 14.3mm diam
Europarts 13.5mm diam

I started to dismantle the front suspension tonight, the car is so low that I couldn't get the trolly jack underneath.

Thinking back, I have always had trouble getting the jack underneath this car and the boot always looked high. There are certain bits of road that the suspension bottoms out but doesn't on the 230TE.

The rubber blocks have three rubber bits sticking out, by the way.

I guess we have an answer for the people that want to lower their cars.

(The dealers in Hamilton, gave me 10% off, I guess I might get on their xmas night out yet)

 

[television]

I hope it all goes well, I am like you and hate it if the car does not sit right, it should make a huge difference to the handling.

Malcolm

 

[TVRTASMIN]

If you check out this site it gives a number of spring possibilities depending on equipment fitted.

http://www.lesjoforsab.com/automotive/eng/default_eng.aspx?p=catalog&s=javacat


I recently ordered a set of springs from my local factors and they were for a car without extra equipment so were of a lower spring rate.

If i had fitted them the ride height at the front would have been lower.

 

[turnipsock]

I pretty sure I have the correct springs this time, the heaviest ones.

I haven't looked into the rubber bits yet.

I took the whole of the suspension off tonight. The wishbone mounts are slotted. The front mount was all the way in and the rear mount was all the way out. These can be set with the off centre washers. Does this sound right? or should I get it set up properly once I get it all back together?