W/S212 front spring question.

[DSM10000]

Therefore 3 hours per side is a very long time! I think we’re in broad agreementerms of time it seems a lot but do you think £150 for 1.5 hours labour is excessive? I think it's average if it includes VAT?

In terms of time required it seems a lot but do you think that £150 is excessive for 1.5 hours labour? We don't know if that included VAT?
The MB independent I used last charged £85 per hour.

 

[Jobsworth]

Maybe I am too cheap? £65+vat ph

 

[colinallcars]

Maybe I am too cheap? £65+vat ph

My local, general garage is £85+VAT /hour

 

[Jobsworth]

My local, general garage is £85+VAT /hour

Maybe this is why I am run off my feet all the time

 

[DSM10000]

Maybe this is why I am run off my feet all the time

To put it in perspective , my MB Independent was charging £65 /hr for Mercedes vehicles and £60 /hr for other marques in 2010.

 

[Smart320]

My local garage , not specialist, is £72 ph + vat , that’s in Wales where salaries are lower than in SE , £65 + vat seems very low

 

[350cls]

View attachment 171897View attachment 171898View attachment 171899
First measurement, road to arch, second measurement centre of wheel to arch. I am not confident measuring top of tyre to arch. It’s too wobbly trying to find horizontal point across the tread.

Looking at the clearance you have from arch to tyre, id say you have two and a half times the clearance I have. I can't get my hand in in flat to sit on top of the tyre without it cathing the wheel arch. Mine is an SE suspension model which should have the highest amount of clearance from top of tyre to arch. The springs are either lowered springs or they are shot?

Still in two minds to have a go at it and order a set of the manual spring compressor kits. Might have an asked around on Monday to see what another garage quotes also.

As said earlier the car rides really well and is not crashy or makes any unusual suspension noises only when you hit a recessed manhole cover, deepish pot holes that are unavoidable with incoming traffic or like certain speeds humps. The continuous speed humps are bad also. It's like I said the spring seems it's on its lowest tolerance level to take the force of the impact. Could it be the struts that are shot?

 

[350cls]

Can someone confirm the exact size strut nut I will need to remove the holding plate from the strut rod?

 

[Trickythemerc]

Google Laser strut nut tool for your particular chassis. You will an allen key to hold the damper rod while you wind the nut off. My CLK needed Laser 5544

 

[350cls]

Google Laser strut nut tool for your particular chassis. You will an allen key to hold the damper rod while you wind the nut off. My CLK needed Laser 5544

Thank you, much appreciated

 

[Trickythemerc]

I think the Laser tool could be the 5581

 

[350cls]

 

[350cls]

Passenger side has always had that small bit more clearance from top of tyre to wheel arch. Hard to see drivers side with the sun/shade hitting the top of the tyre. As said took children to school this morning drives fantastic only until hit pot holes or raised iron works or ressesed iron works in the road and speed humps. Does seem a lot lower than other SE models I have seen pictures of. Does this then clarify it's on lowerd springs would you say.

 

[colinallcars]

Y

View attachment 171958View attachment 171959

You’ve been advised on a couple of occasions to measure from a better fixed point, either the centre of the wheel or the ground to the arch. Any reason why this can’t be done?

 

[Petrol Pete]

You might need one of these , MB struts are not all the same.

 

[350cls]

Y

You’ve been advised on a couple of occasions to measure from a better fixed point, either the centre of the wheel or the ground to the arch. Any reason why this can’t be done?

What will it prove, I can see visually mine sits lower than every other SE model. Just to give a measurement. It's obviously on lower springs going on all other pictures I've seen. If I give a measurement what you going to tell me?

 

[350cls]

 

[350cls]

Strut nut is 21mm socket T50 torx

 

[350cls]

Jobsworth suspension from Rd to Arch is running about 30 35mm above my ride height?

Surely the springs I have purchased will increase my ride height when they are installed on the car if they are the non sport springs?

 

[SpikyMikey]

Random picture from the web: 2010 E250 SE.
On the face of it, the front ride hight doesn't look much different to yours