OWNER lowman (Norge)

Lowman · Aug 10, 2018

Klink said:
The thin center tube has only one function, and that is to hold the assembly slightly against the resilience of the rubber so that they can't work out of place in shipment,

i do dissagreeeee with you abit on that "statement"
At least ..i have a couple of cents for you

I do think that the centersleeve ALSO is making sureof getting rid of the "slack when you put the bolt through.If the sleeve is not there..there is more slack between the bolt and the bolthole..making the end points of the adjustment "less"..if that makes any sense.

With that said..you are completely correct on the "the bushings never fail" thing..as i do have the same opinion and experience.Because of them beeing of this "solid" design..nothing big can really happen to them...but on some occasions ..if they deteoriate because of oil or fuel contamination..or just age...becoming "porous /crackin in a way...it would be better with new ones

Lowman · Aug 10, 2018

RicardoD said:
What are your thoughts on front struts, I think you said you have rarely seen those fail as well.

if i can put it straight the way i see it...they DO fail.It is a myth that they do not fail.They are not any different than other shocks.These do wear no matter what people say.
Of course they may be working good and no leaks..but ..i would BET that you would feel a difference between a 150k mile or higher/whatever mile shock...and a new one.
Its just that over time...you wont notice performance changes that well on shocks..so unless they are completely bad(bouncy ride for an example)..or leaking..which is pretty obvious....the performance loss on the shocks isnt that noticable.

At least thats my take on it

cause i burp abit in my mouth when i hear people saying that they do not fail and so on..maybe they do not fail completely..but they do wear out like any other shock

Lowman · Aug 10, 2018

nocfn said:
I learned early on that MB rubber lasts 25+ years for a reason. I also learned that buying the right stuff on second time meant it typically was a PITA job to begin with, costing me more time, blood and treasure than it should have. Thanks Lowman for the post.

Definetly ..and that is very true for these era mercedes cars and earlier.
One thing i have to explain is...the price of parts here in Norway...or wait..maybe i dont have too

Pst

ne original LCA: 1000 dollars

Lowman · Aug 10, 2018

RicardoD said:
This is a long massive commercial about NOT buying cheap aftermarket suspension parts for our cars. Critical bits missing on the LCA and you can do permanent damage to your frame.

wait for it ...wait for it...part two is coming up in 40 minutes

Lowman · Aug 10, 2018

part two

This pretty much seals the deal ..or not the deal

Lowman · Aug 10, 2018

Eno said:
These are the OEM early LCA bushings.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

The A1243300675 is also for early style arm..but for later vin number..but still early style.Would love to know "the difference"..My car should have the 0675 bushings..So i have a feeling it is the 1991"s sporting the 0575 partsnumber..

did some digging.The 0575 parts number is applicable to even for an example a 200e...and it says that the 0575 is only applicable to vehicles without sport suspension..which is kinda weird.
I think i have to leave this subject before im going crazy.

gsxr · Aug 10, 2018

#05 and #06 LCA bushing kits have the same rubber bushings, but the hardware included is slightly different.

#06 bushings are specified on late Sportline models (shortly after facelift production began), apparently MB felt the Sportline bushings used up through mid-1993 were too stiff, so they softened the late Sportline cars slightly by using standard / stock bushings.

:matrix:

nocfn · Aug 10, 2018

An unklink opinion but if you want a used car feel, keep your 25 year old struts and mounts. If you want a new ride, finish it off by changing struts, mount and bump stop.

JC220 · Aug 11, 2018

From looking at the pictures of your Optimal bushings Lowman I would have to agree that the missing sleeve is a problem. This will leave some space between the centre bolt and the bushings. A gap that should NOT be there. I think the bushings were likely fine length wise prior to first use but when tightening the centre bolt, the inner ends shifted around (Within the gap that shouldn’t be there) and squashed together unevenly. That damage can be seen on your video where the ends of the bushings have been mashed together out of alignment. I think the shorter length you see now on those bushings may be as a result of this mis-alignment damage.

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Lowman · Aug 11, 2018

definetly it can be correct..but i have to disagree(abit

.)..as long as you see the difference between the Lemfoerder ones..and the Optimal ones..
To put it straight...i HAD a tightening torque issue on two of the bolts..holding the inner bushings.I could not get the specified torque..and i could "feel" the frame bending...which in my mind..that means that there is no "hold" in the bushings...which i do reckon is coming from the space between the bushings..

But i do apreaciate your comment ,,it is a valid one.even though the damage in the two of the bushings..i cant wrap my head around it..seeing how that can happen when mounting them on the car.It is in some way not possible...but i guess everything is possible

I definetly see what you mean though

EDIT:GSXR mentioned something about the 202 bushings...that center sleeve type that acts like a spacer between the two bushings...i find that to be very likely..as the gap seems to be the same as a support sleeve would fit between the two bushings.

Rouven036 · Aug 11, 2018

JC220 said:
From looking at the pictures of your Optimal bushings Lowman I would have to agree that the missing sleeve is a problem. This will leave some space between the centre bolt and the bushings. A gap that should NOT be there. I think the bushings were likely fine length wise prior to first use but when tightening the centre bolt, the inner ends shifted around (Within the gap that shouldn’t be there) and squashed together unevenly. That damage can be seen on your video where the ends of the bushings have been mashed together out of alignment. I think the shorter length you see now on those bushings may be as a result of this mis-alignment damage.

+1 on that. I think that is the issue. The bushings inner race is bigger than the screw diameter. The pipe to be inserted is made of aluminum and can be easily crushed. It serves not to keep the distance but to center the inner bushing races so they meet centered and then the distance and preload will be fine and the frame will not be squeezed together.

Lowman · Aug 11, 2018

That may well be the case.i still find it Strange with the two brand Bushings beeing different length .the worst thing about the arms is the ball joint issue

Klink · Aug 11, 2018

nocfn said:
Klink should run for Mayor of Abstract Plains!!

In AP no mayor is required. It is a simultaneously self-ordering and self-disordering society…

Lowman · Aug 11, 2018

As the weather has been quite shitty the last week...it was fun to finally clean up the car..and go out for a nice drive in the sunny weather.
Came across this super clean w123 300d on the freeway

Then went back to work..cause i got a notice from the postal office..that i received a package

So now the front end resto can continue,,at least in a couple of weeks

gotta prepare the rest of the parts

Then i prepared a photoshoot.Was approaced by this guy running a web page and a facebook page today..about doing a feature/interview for this site...funnilyenough about bearded car enthusiasts..and he had seen my cars..and wanted to do a feature on me/my cars and my beard and my ocdness

Of course i said yes

So here are a couple of pictures that may go on print.dont know all the details yet.

And finishing of the day by takin the EvoLtwin out for a spin ..my goodness i love that car..even if it has a harsh racecar ride...boy im getting older

physically "laughs"

RicardoD · Aug 11, 2018

Lowman, right behind you again. I have my LCAs now and need to order new struts & mounts to finish my front suspension refurb. Looking forward to an overview video. Your cars look great. Love the Evoltwin.

Eno · Aug 12, 2018

I love the pic of hugging the .036 [emoji3]
I do the same also [emoji3]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Eno · Aug 12, 2018

Stefan, if I am not mistaken the Sachs shocks ending 069 number I used to have in my E250D many years ago.
I believe they are specific for E300 Diesel facelift.
Are you going to use them on your .036?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Lowman · Aug 12, 2018

Eno said:
Stefan, if I am not mistaken the Sachs shocks ending 069 number I used to have in my E250D many years ago.
I believe they are specific for E300 Diesel facelift.
Are you going to use them on your .036?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

that is correct.'the 069s are the ones specified for the 036" in the Sachs spec lists..as like many other of these cars.So im trying them out for sure

Looking forward to get it all mounted and painted up

I may get a Bilstein b8 set aswell at some point..but think they would be to stiff on the 036,

Lowman · Aug 12, 2018

one little thing about the bushings.
I scrolled through some pics in a thread about late style arms n stuff..and this one was posted by a777fan.
Is it just me..or do i spot a type of center sleeve in between the bushings?

gsxr · Aug 12, 2018

Eno said:
Stefan, if I am not mistaken the Sachs shocks ending 069 number I used to have in my E250D many years ago.
I believe they are specific for E300 Diesel facelift.

Sachs offers three different front struts that I'm aware of... 069, 070, and 071. I believe 069 is the approximate equivalent of "comfort", 070 is "HD", and I'm not certain what 071 is (mostly all W201 fitments).

The Sachs online catalog is available here: https://webcat.zf.com/?SPR=4
Click "advanced search" on left nav, and enter 115069 in the search. Screen shot of results attached.

The 069, 070, and 071 are all specified for 4/5/6-cylinder models, not V8. Also, none of these have the internal rebound limit/stop spring used on the E500E struts. Photos attached of the OE strut labels for reference.

Early 500E strut (M12 pinch bolt):
MB 124-320-43-30
Sachs 82-4904-553-237

Late 500E strut (M14 pinch bolt):
MB 124-320-50-30
Sachs 82-4904-553-235

However, when searching by car/chassis, if you look up the 124.036 it does show the 115-069 struts... but when you look up the 115-069 strut, it does not show the 124.036 chassis! The 124.034 does not show any struts at all. It appears to be an error in the Sachs online catalog. Anyway, the 069 is not the exact replacement for the OE Sachs unit (553-237 for early 500E). It will bolt up fine, but has longer total extension since the 069 lacks the internal springs, and the valving is likely different as well. I have new 069's my wife's 1994 E420 and they work fine, but are a bit soft IMO. Got them on clearance sale.

Lowman · Aug 12, 2018

Thank you for info .

Lowman · Aug 15, 2018

Some pics of the stereo "build"
I decided to go along and not bother sourcing original amplifiers..and just run all 6( 10 ) speakers through the Continental headunit.
The two front speakers run through a splitter,so "each "side of speakers up front take only one channel.since the headunit is 4 channel only.
I ran new speaker wires from the back and up front to the headunit.Ran the speaker wires in the original plastic guide under the carpet..I could not stand the thought of having speaker wires just put under the carpet on the side of the sills.Now they are tucked nicely down inside the plastic guide.

I also recently installed the last bit of kit..the tweeters..made some brackets,so i could mount them in the speaker hole in the dash.Going to source some more soundproofing material..so i can "fill" the speaker hole to deaden the sound abit around the tweeter.

The speakers in the doors i upgraded to 6.5 inch ones..and went all the way..and modified everything to fit inside the original speaker box.Even kept the original filter/splitter inside the speaker box..just to preserve the "weight and look" of the whole thing.The most important thing was to keep the originality ..beeing able to use the original speaker wire connector,and not having to cut a hole in the door card..for "bigger and better" speakers.
Pics for you

Hid the filter/splitters behind the kick panel on the passenger side footwell.

Tweeters installed.
First and last time i use that "metal band" for any type "repair",even though this isnt considered a repair..but a "build"..so i guess for this application it is allowed

.But it worked out pretty well i think.It helps painting it black..with "gold/yellow "plated screws

Jlaa · Aug 15, 2018

Well done running the new speaker wire inside the plastic channels!

What speakers did you have in the dashboard prior to this installation? Was there no ~4.5" speaker with tweeter inside there?

BTW, your English is fantastic given that Norwegian is your primary language - it is certainly better than my Norwegian is (I know zero Norwegian) --- the technical term for those splitters in English is "crossover."

Lowman · Aug 16, 2018

Jlaa said:
Well done running the new speaker wire inside the plastic channels!

What speakers did you have in the dashboard prior to this installation? Was there no ~4.5" speaker with tweeter inside there?

BTW, your English is fantastic given that Norwegian is your primary language - it is certainly better than my Norwegian is (I know zero Norwegian) --- the technical term for those splitters in English is "crossover."

thank you so much mister J :hugs:

Well..there was the 4.5 inch speakerss mounted ,upgraded Alpine speakers.I ran these for a week or two after finalizing the installment...but i wanted the front speaker kit/set to be "as designed"...thats why i went on and installed the tweeters that came as a part of the front kit.

The sound was actually great before doing so i could easily kept it like that.But my mind just came back to..."gotta install the tweeters...Gotta install the tweeters"
and so i did..and the sound went from great..to even better.A tad more crisp..so im super happy with this Polk kit.

was quite a job fitting the speaker cables through the plastic channels..but now when i see the pics...i know that i should"ve taken out the whole carpet...completely..and cleaned the floor under the carpet :doh:

Lowman · Aug 17, 2018

Here we go again.
Got my new Lemfoerder LCA"s
And i do question the authenticity of these arms.At least the balljoint...and to some extent the bushings...so what is really left thats Lemfoerder..bummed out really

BUT the positive..is that the tolerance issue does not exist on these LCA"s...my ORIGINAL Lemfoerder balljoint fits right in..luckily.
Check out the pics

The logo here IS confirmed a genuine Lemfoerder logo..even though initially i was questioning it looking like this..and not with the "Owl" inside the triangle..but i found out that the L and triangle is a genuine logo.

Lemfoerder?

"Lemfoerder"?

Lemfoerder to the left..and "Lemfoerder" to the right

"Lemfoerder"?

Lemfoerder!

Lemfoerder to the left..and "Lemfoerder" to the right

Lowman · Aug 18, 2018

Here is my video people.
I hope you like it for what it is

Lowman · Aug 22, 2018

Email received from Lemfoerder today, 22.8.2018
Will post it later..spoileralert...no clear answer was given,and the possibility of actual getting counterfeit parts was actually a suggestion...
Anyways....i sent them an email back..with pictures and link to the video.
But i will post the reply later

emerydc8 · Aug 22, 2018

If it does turn out to be a counterfeit part, I think Lemfoerder should send you a free set of control arms just for noticing the differences and doing such a good job of showing them what's going on with "Lemfoerder" parts. Is it significant that the spelling on the plastic bag in your video shows Lemforder and not Lemfoerder?

Hakie · Aug 22, 2018

The correct name is Lemförder.
The (german) Ö has to be pronounced as “eu”.

gerryvz · Aug 22, 2018

Lemfoerder is the Anglicized spelling of Lemförder. It’s that way with any German word with an umlaut.

:gsxr2:

Lowman · Aug 22, 2018

In Norway we have the letter Ø instead of that o with the two dots above it

Lemførder

nocfn · Aug 22, 2018

reminds me of Fargo

Lowman · Aug 22, 2018

emerydc8 said:
If it does turn out to be a counterfeit part, I think Lemfoerder should send you a free set of control arms just for noticing the differences and doing such a good job of showing them what's going on with "Lemfoerder" parts. Is it significant that the spelling on the plastic bag in your video shows Lemforder and not Lemfoerder?

Thank you..yes im super exited about this aswell.I just have to get to the bottom of it now that ive started.So looking forward to hearing from them again.
The writing on the bag says "Lemforder " with the two dots about the O...so..as far as the bag and labels go..it is correct.

By the way..ive gotten a tip about the balljoint beeing wrong for this application..and i agree very much with the guy suggesting it.It is of a push load design..and not Pull load design...hence the plastic insert not enclosing the inner balljoint completely up towards the top end of the balljoint housing.That makes perfectly good sense when you look at the two different balljoints.

Here is a picture where it shows clearly..that the Lemfoerder balljoint to the right..has the plastic surrounding the balljoint on top..or towards us..making it able to take the pull force that the balljoint on our Mercedes cars is exposed to.The left balljoint..that was the one that came in the Lemfoerder LCA...does NOT have any plastic support on top (Towards us),making it prone to squeeking/and such.

Lowman · Aug 22, 2018

Here is the email i got from Lemfoerder today
I just copy paste the email..as i am not Computer inclined..and couldnt be bothered finding out "how to" copy the email direct.
But here it is

Dear Stefan,

Thank you for you interest in our products and your question.

Caused of the fact that is a serial part, the vehicle manufacturer logos are ground in the aftermarket.
Your question can’t be answerd easily because a hundred percent statement is not possible.
The markings on the parts can…but mustn’t….an indication of the origin/quality.
In order to rule out future issues like this please buy our parts from offical local partner of Lemförder/ ZF Friedrichshafen AG / ZF Aftermarket.
Otherwise it’s also possible that you buy counterfeit products!

We have some offical dealer/partner in Norway – f.e. AutoTrio, Kolberg Caspary Lautom, Hellanor, Sörensen og Balchen, Romnes.
All of them stay in contact with us and it should be possible for you to order it by them because all parts still active in our range.

We can’t give any guarantee for products if it’s not from an offical dealer.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have any further question.

Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards / Med vänliga hälsningar / Med vennlig hilsen[FONT=&quot]
Jochen Brunnhuber[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]Vertriebsreferent Norwegen, Schweden / Area Sales Manager Norway, Sweden[FONT=&quot] [/FONT](BIE31)[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]ZF Aftermarket[FONT=&quot][/FONT][/FONT]
ZF Friedrichshafen AG

END:

So i did send them a reply back...with picture and link to my video..Hopefully they will reply with a better answer this time

Lowman · Aug 23, 2018

A little video for you all...while we are waiting for reply from Lemfoerder

I hope you like the little small talk in this video

Lowman · Aug 24, 2018

So people,here is the reply you have been waiting for "laughs"

I have now "finalized " the conversation with Lemfoerder..as they replied pretty much very quick.
I dont want to post all the emails..cause there was quite alot back and forth....but i will post these three emails ,cronologically.

#1
"In the beginning we sold it without Lemförder logo, but in the future we will sell it again with the Lemförder logo.

So it’s very difficult to give you a final answer.
Our advice for the future - please buy Lemförder/SACHS and all other ZF products from a offical Norwegian Dealer.

Thank you in advance.
Best regards

Jochen

#2

The specialist told me it is an original one….. and they will use your video for internal explanations and trainings!
I should give you the info ….. GOOD JOB J

Best wishes

Jochen

#3

Good Morning Stefan,

you wrote so many mails……one day we will become friends ;-)

I will forwarded all your mails to the specialist quality and product management.
I am working in sales. Therefore I don’t have the knowledge like them or like you.

….but I would like to say “THANK YOU” for your engagement and interst.

Normally we don’t have deeper contact to the end user/ final consumer,
but it’s very important for us to get the feedback like yours from the market.

So, I will inform my colleagues and if they have any question to your information the will contact you
directly.

Thanks a lot for your input.
Have a nice weekend.
Best regards

Jochen

END!

So as you can see....they confirmed it is an original Lemfoerder arm...one thing they did not "directly" reply to..was that" That its good that the Lemfoerder arm is original,and not beeing a fake part..but on the other hand it is concerning that they have put both an unoriginal Lemfoerder balljoint in the LCA...AND that this type of balljoint does not fit this application...with it beeing a push load design" balljoint.
This was never answered.I will update if i ever hear from the specialists that Jochen refers to.

I did however check with a national dealer of Lemfoerder..and they had a set of these early type LCA"s in stock..and i emailed them back and forth..and i finally got some pictures of the ones they have in stock..and these Lemfoerder arms have both LEmfoerder balljoint....AND they are made in Italy...NOT Taiwan like the ones i have.

So for now..its the end of the story.
I kinda liked the fact that Lemfoerder wanted to "use my video" for investigation and training.Pretty cool

Lowman · Aug 27, 2018

hey people

I have no finally restored the front suspension the way i wanted for a long time.
Some parts are new..and some parts are restored.And i think i will let the pictures talk for themselves for the most part

Here we go

Sandblasted the steering arm

Sandblasted most of the steering knuckle..but also used a wire brush.Some rustpores remained..but i didnt bother with it to be honest.It will hold up pretty well i think

Painted the suspension parts with Hammerite.A tough paint..which withstands the outdoor harshness.Even though my car does only see sunshine and rain..and no roadsalt

Also nice to do the work myself..and not ship parts away to have them powdercoated..even i have to admit that would be awesome.But its not happening this time

Before

ugh...

Rust

I really wanted new dustshields..but they are stupid expensive ,250euros here in Norway,for one piece.So i decided to refurbish them

Sandblasted most of the dustshields

Primer

Complete suspension taken down

Painted,with semigloss black paint.Not perfect..but alot better than it was for sure

I also found an Abs sensor under 25years worth of grime and dust

Before

New original end stop.Lovely shiny bits

Autoglym vinyl and rubber care works a treat

Love that product..and it doesnt harm rubber obviously.

Done.Looks abit glossy..but that is just me overdoing it at first..then let it freshen up the rubber..and it can be easily rubbed off,,and leaves a fresh surface.

The nerd in me said hello..and i wanted to replicate the "Quality control markings" that the factory do..So the inspectors knows that each bolt has been tightened with the correct torque.Obviously all bolts here are torqued to the correct specifications

Thats better

New bolts on the dustshield.Getting ready to put the hubs back on..

Not proud of these at all.They were the last parts i "painted" before i had to get the car back on the wheels..so it was a hasty job..where i couldnt settle putting the rusty hubs back on..so i just ground off the worst of the rust...primed it..and slapped some paint on...so they are not perfect in any ways..but at least they are not rusty color,and no loose rust flakes.Bearings have been out..completely cleaned..and lubricated with Mercedes original grease..and also got some new sealing rings to go on.

Hubs back on..wheel bearings adjusted.Best adjusted when discs are on..to measure slack and play...unfortunatly no pictures of this procedure.

A little underview picture

Lowman · Aug 27, 2018

Continued

The next pictures are just of the end result.Detail shots from here and there.I tried to achieve a certain factory new look to the whole thing..appart from the swaybar bracket..and i think i came pretty close to a nice factory look.
I hope you like it as much as i do.

Here i just finished off one of the ten"ths of 4wheel alignments,and adjusting the whole suspension.I really despise that job..and relly never get to enjoy that part of the job..as i find it hard to do it proper..its so time consuming..even though the 4wheel alignment machine we have at work are awesome...adjusting these era Mercedes suspensions are a pain in the ass.But the car looks good though.One fun fact though..is that my car raised the riding height by half an inch when putting on the new shocks.Which by the way is not 500e spec shocks..but rather "standard" Sachs shocks.I havent tested out the car proper yet..but i do feel a difference,,abit to soft like GSXR mentioned in an earlier post...but again..i feel the suspension has improved alot.So my old shocks were definetly not up to par in a way.The new ones have a lot smoother feel to them,as it did have a tad to "harsh" dampening on abrubt bumps before.Now it is just silky smooth.So..i will testdrive it abit..and see how it goes.I am considering trying to open my wallet and get new original 500e shocks...and i have confirmed with Sachs today..that they do not sell aftermarked versions for the 500e..Original supplier only..which sucks.I got quoted 560 dollars a piece at my local dealer.ouch

sheward · Aug 27, 2018

That is awesome resto work. Dare I say better than new?

drew

Jlaa · Aug 27, 2018

lowmania strikes again! You would have cleaned up in class 6, easily, at Monterey Legends of the Autobahn this past weekend. Solid work man. Dare I ask - how clean is your kitchen sink?

a777fan · Aug 28, 2018

Excellent mr. s! [emoji1319]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RicardoD · Aug 28, 2018

All my parts are on the way for my front suspension refurb project Lowman, including mb Oem struts. I have only replaced struts on a Porsche and have never done this much suspension work. Wish I had you looking over my shoulder.

Whats the the general Sequence of suspension removal?

emerydc8 · Aug 28, 2018

nocfn · Aug 28, 2018

Lowman, if you ever got married this mania would definitely be cured. Very nice results, you have nice details that go on forever. We can enjoy the Chronicles of Lowmania for another season.

One request - post the video like you do and the link as well, for some reason it isn't showing on mobile devices of mine.

gsxr · Aug 28, 2018

RicardoD said:
All my parts are on the way for my front suspension refurb project Lowman, including mb Oem struts. I have only replaced struts on a Porsche and have never done this much suspension work. Wish I had you looking over my shoulder.

Whats the the general Sequence of suspension removal?

There should be some info on the front end work on this forum & others... main thing is to first use a proper MB-style coil spring compressor to safely remove the front springs, before you unbolt anything related to the LCA or strut. Tip: When removing the springs, mark the location of the clamping plates relative to the spring itself. You'll want the plates in the exact same position during installation, if possible, otherwise it may take a few attempts re-positioning the plates.

:banana1:

cole67 · Aug 28, 2018

lowman said:
One fun fact though..is that my car raised the riding height by half an inch when putting on the new shocks.Which by the way is not 500e spec shocks..but rather "standard" Sachs shocks.

Same results using Bilstein sports about 8 years ago. Didn't like the gap created between tire and fender. It's come down maybe an 1/8 of an inch since installation. Wish I had purchased originals at the lower price of about $380 back in the day...need to get before they become NLA.

gsxr · Aug 28, 2018

I've found that new front struts, of any brand/type, generally will increase front ride height by 1/4 to 1/2 inch (5-10mm) as measured from fender lip to wheel center compared to old, worn struts.

It seems the difference is the new struts have higher pressure remaining inside compared to the old ones. The ride height will gradually lower over time, but it may take 3-5 years before there is a measurable reduction.

YMMV, etc...

:tigger:

nocfn · Aug 28, 2018

I agree gsxr, new mb struts and mounts did raise me up, but it settled after an hour or so of operation

gsxr · Aug 29, 2018

nocfn said:
I agree gsxr, new mb struts and mounts did raise me up, but it settled after an hour or so of operation

When you initially drop it off the jack or lift, it will look way higher. But after driving a short while, it will settle... but will still be higher than with old (i.e., 10+ year old) struts. You need to check with a tape measure, it's not always easy to see a 5-10mm difference.

Also, this seems to only affect struts, not shocks... dunno why.

:tumble:

nocfn · Aug 29, 2018

I haven’t any stance issues. I am a W126 owner, meaning before I lowered the car properly, I had heard “hey man, is the engine in your car...” many times.

:jono:

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