Self Leveling Shocks or not

[amerostyle]

Hi Everyone,

I think its time to change my rear shock absorbers, since i have a clunking noise specially rear right side ( a mechanic also confirmed its the shocks).
The thing i was wondering about is can i install new shocks that arent self leveling? is it even a good idea? only reason is the big dollar difference. SLS shocks cost about 500 dollars a pice while normal shocks cost a almost a tenth of that...

i took a picture of my shock and as you see the OE number is 1243204213 with a big 9.




what would you choose?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-W1...8&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&sd=170717214154&rt=nc

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-W1...a&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&sd=361269875828&rt=nc

how big driving smootheness difference is there?

best regards

 

[nocfn]

I have two mb with different chassis and both have SLS. I suggest you use the system as engineered, and buy the strut to keep the system. To run without them, you need to delete the system. On the E500E the tandem pump is an issue I cannot reconcile. A durable system requires little mx but after 23 or so years, a replacement is needed. My 91 C126 just got new struts a month or so. Should last another 15 or so.


MO-bile [emoji629]

 

[Dbreid]

Keep the self leveling shocks!

 

[Glen]

I haven't priced them this year, but you should be able to get them for less than $400 each, which I realize is still expensive. To delete them you will need different rear springs and either rig the system to continue to circulate the hydraulic fluid or replace the tandem power steering/SLS pump with a standard ps pump, plus the lines under the car.

 

[gsxr]

Dan is right. Don't remove SLS unless you are building a track-only race car. Just replace the SLS shocks (and spheres too, if possible). You will probably never have to replace them again. Removing SLS comes with a different set of headaches, as Glen describes above, plus it reduces value of the car, and the results probably will not be all that great.

 

[Dbreid]

I replaced mine (kept SLS) and it was EASY and made a nice difference in the ride. The only sting is the cost of the shocks themselves, but the rest of the parts are actually cheap, and replacement (if you have the spring compressor, which can be got on eBay easy for cheap) is a breeze.

 

[Bogeyman]

Shocks are $346 each on Husker Parts http://www.huskerparts.com/parts/in...rcedes-Benz&action=oePartSearch&siteid=215771

 

[amerostyle]

thanks a lot for the quick info guys, since i live in sweden the best place to order from is germany.. it seems like sachs shocks are the only ones to choose http://www.pkwteile.de/sachs/782024

by the way, is it worth replacing the front shocks at the same time? they are not self leveling correct?

 

[vatc5637]

. . .

by the way, is it worth replacing the front shocks at the same time? they are not self leveling correct?

Correct, not self-leveling. Personally, I would not replace good working, non-leaking front shocks unless I thought that they would soon need to be replaced anyway, or I wanted to change the ride character of the car (OE to sport firmness for e.g.) Experts?

 

[Glen]

Correct, not self-leveling. Personally, I would not replace good working, non-leaking front shocks unless I thought that they would soon need to be replaced anyway, or I wanted to change the ride character of the car (OE to sport firmness for e.g.) Experts?

+1
Only replace front shocks if necessary.

 

[-Mackan-]

My front shocks has 260000km on them and they are not bad yet. But I do need to replace at least the right rear one as it makes a clunk while going over sharp bumps. I wouldn't order new front shocks if they aren't leaking. Var ju skapligt pris på bakdämparna där ifrån den tyska sidan du hittade!

 

[gsxr]

If you are replacing one rear shock... I would replace both. Especially with 260kkm on them! Do the job once and you're set for the next quarter-million kilometers.

 

[-Mackan-]

If you are replacing one rear shock... I would replace both. Especially with 260kkm on them! Do the job once and you're set for the next quarter-million kilometers.

Yes i Would replace both at the same time, my front end got a overhaul this year, so next year will be 2 new rear shocks

 

[amerostyle]

allright then, i am ofcourse intending to change both rear at the same time. still thinking if its worth buying OE mercedes shocks or the sachs ones. Went to mercedes benz shop here in stockholm and asked what one rear shock costed, in dollars around 620 dollars, compared to sachs 420 dollars. Maybe its worth the extra bucks knowing i probably never need to change them again...

 

[Taxi Driver]

Hi there, Your name? A word of advice, Do Not Upset the balance of the suspension, SLS+ OEM front shocks, are set to enhance, ride/handling and comfort.

Maybe you were thinking of something like the Koni's here, adj. and sporty, just what is going on to my 400E as it does not have the SLS it will be easier
to match up with the rear shocks.

See the difference, shorter OEM because of the rebound inner spring and that is only a feature of the Sachs ones, they are costly but worth it. Roger

 

[henrycg]

How do you know if the rear SLS shocks are alright and functioning and how high the front and back of the car should be off the ground with a good set of shocks? My 500e feels like jelly compared to a stock w210 e55.

 

[amerostyle]

Hi there, Your name? A word of advice, Do Not Upset the balance of the suspension, SLS+ OEM front shocks, are set to enhance, ride/handling and comfort.

Maybe you were thinking of something like the Koni's here, adj. and sporty, just what is going on to my 400E as it does not have the SLS it will be easier
to match up with the rear shocks.

See the difference, shorter OEM because of the rebound inner spring and that is only a feature of the Sachs ones, they are costly but worth it. Roger

Thanks, my name is Amer by the way! nice to know youre also located in Stockholm!

where did you buy your shocks?

 

[Taxi Driver]

Hi Amer, Mercedes Benz Stockholm, and as a MBclubmember c:a 5% off don't remember the price. Roger

 

[jaymanek]

The shocks themselves are just fluid filled struts, you shouldnt notice a lit of difference in ride by just changing SLS struts.. I had to change mine due to squeeking noises.

The damping work is done by the Spheres which should be changed regularly.

 

[amerostyle]

The shocks themselves are just fluid filled struts, you shouldnt notice a lit of difference in ride by just changing SLS struts.. I had to change mine due to squeeking noises.

The damping work is done by the Spheres which should be changed regularly.

i also have squeeking noises, but only low speed over bumps. The spheres you mention, should they be replaced simultaneously with new shocks?

is this the "sphere" you mean? http://www.german-spob.de/start.php...&language=eng&seite=neu_art_details&p_name=ja

 

[gsxr]

is this the "sphere" you mean? http://www.german-spob.de/start.php...&language=eng&seite=neu_art_details&p_name=ja

Yes, that is the sphere. If they are original, I'd replace them at the same time as the shocks. Otherwise you may be replacing the spheres in the near future.

 

[nocfn]

If you are knocking, and your spheres aka bull balls aka accumulators.... Are original, consider changing them. Chicken or the egg, but bad spheres are bouncy. No bounce but clunks can be struts, and spheres are soon to follow. I changed out spheres with no bounce, and the struts followed, because spheres were cheaper, fix. Turns out to be egg then chicken. If you change this stuff out, change out the strut bushings too as they get hard too at the frame.


MO-bile [emoji629]

 

[nocfn]

Sorry, gsxr types faster lol


MO-bile [emoji629]

 

[amerostyle]

starting to realise this benz hobby is some expensive business, sure worth it when i plow through cars model year 2015

 

[7delta]

FWIW.. most parts are not all that expensive. I haven't found them to be much different than parts for Japanese or American vehicles. Differed maint on any vehicle is expensive. I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman from Berlin who is here working for Seimens. We got talking about cars.. and what have you. And parts costs came up and he said parts for Mercedes are less expensive than other cars. He says that's why you see a lot of Mercedes taxis over there.
Budgeting and good planning are a must.