Since its founding in late 2008, 500Eboard has become the leading resource on the Internet for all things related to the Mercedes-Benz 500E and E500. In recent years, we have also expanded to include the 400E and E420 models, which are directly related to the 500E/E500.
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my impression is if the 420 has SLS (automatic ride height) then they'd be compatible.
I'm thinking you should rebody an E63 with the 124.036 body. That would solve your engine, transmission and shock problems! kidding, seriously only kidding.
The W124 E420 did not have SLS offered in USA. Standard shocks are not compatible, the 500E has hydraulic rear shocks.
You'll need a 500E rear shock. Check with David Hendy or fredtga, they both have used rear 500E shocks for sale. Nothing else is equivalent, you need either a new one, or a used 500E rear shock.
How did it break? I've never heard of one breaking before... even leaks are pretty rare.
The E500 uses hydraulic struts in the rear, NOT shocks. The nitrogen SLS spheres located in the spare tire area in the trunk, are the "shocks" that dampen bumps and rebounds. If one or both of these are bad, they car will feel extremely harsh and rubbery. You will be bouncing up and down in your seat when you go over speed bumps and also down the road.
There is a simple test to see whether accumulators (spheres) are bad. Press down firmly and rapidly on a rear corner of the bumper. The car should go down a couple of inches in a firm, smooth, damping motion. It should bounce once slightly and then return to rest.
A bad accumulator will not go down in a smooth manner, if hardly depress at all. It will feel very firm, rubbery with little to no smooth up and down motion.
You have to use the specific SLS struts + accumulator combination to achieve the dampening effect, unless you remove the system (which has been discussed here as well). Removing SLS is not advisable. Replacing the accumulators is a fairly easy and common job to do. Replacing the struts is not difficult but they are quite expensive. Lucikly the struts don't fail very often, and much of the time you will see hydraulic fluid leaking externally on them when they are failing (sometimes fluid leaks internally too).
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