W124 Suspension rebuild

[Niks]

So...the pot holes, speed humps and really rough roads have finally taken a toll on my suspension system, not to mention the salt thats eaten away anything rubber underneath my car.

Im hearing really bad creaking and knocking noises coming from under the front/rear of the car as im turning or even driving, to the point where im scared to drive it incase something snaps or gives way.

At this point im unsure what to do as I know its going to cost a lot of money to put right (and pretty much will throw any other plans I had for the car out the window).

How much of a job is it if I was to completely rebuild the bottom of the car, replacing most suspension parts with new ones (inc bushes and ball joints front and rear)?

Car is a W124 E280,

Thanks

 

[swannymere]

Bump, same info for a 1994 W124 E300D while you're at it

 

[Ian B Walker]

The front would cost about £400 to do. The rear (5 arms per side) about £600 and then you have the 4 wheel alignment and camber to adjust. at whatever price you could negotiate with your local tracking place. You must make sure that they can set the camber angles on the rear axle correctly.

 

[MBK]

The front would cost about £400 to do. The rear (5 arms per side) about £600 and then you have the 4 wheel alignment and camber to adjust. at whatever price you could negotiate with your local tracking place. You must make sure that they can set the camber angles on the rear axle correctly.

While your doing the rear arms you can do the diff mounts and sub frame mounts aswell.

K

 

[ray_hennig]

I assume that the £400 + £600 is for everything MINUS springs and dampers?

I should be interested in a list of what you'd replace and whether you're talking about genuine MB bits (if so, I might visit one day!)

The original poster said 'most suspension parts' so it may be worth clarifying.

RayH

 

[Will]

Trouble is, where do you stop!

Front wishbones (with ball joints and bushes complete), ARB bushes (what about the ARB itself?), front shocks, front springs, front shock top mounts - wheel bearings (?), front brake hoses - might as well look at the discs/pads/caliper seals etc. What about the steering parts?

That's before you look at the rear - subframe/diff mounts, multi-link arms, rear ARB bushes (and ARB?), rear hoses - maybe the metal brake lines if they're tired etc.

I think it's fair to say that it just isn't worthwhile unless you have an unlimited budget and are looking to fully restore a collectable car. W124s are quite tough and I would say that it'd be far better to let someone experienced make a judgement as to what urgently needs replacing, what can possibly wait for the near future and what is likely to last for a long time yet

As with many things though, a lot of the cost will be down to labour and alignment afterwards. It's a fair bit of work to replace that much stuff.

Will

 

[macscrooge]

My '124 produces a cacaphony of bangs and clatters from the suspension over the potholed (even more than usual) roads of Sheffield. I've been wondering what if anything to do about it, so I'd be interested to hear about any other '124 suspension rebuilds.

 

[shorty]

If the only problem with the suspension is knocking and banging noises then it would most likley be the ARB bushings and links that need replacing .
I replaces all the rear multi link bushings in my 210 last year , it cost me €150 for the bushings and i done the work my self , so labour was free !

 

[grober]

Trouble is, where do you stop!

Front wishbones (with ball joints and bushes complete), ARB bushes (what about the ARB itself?), front shocks, front springs, front shock top mounts - wheel bearings (?), front brake hoses - might as well look at the discs/pads/caliper seals etc. What about the steering parts?

That's before you look at the rear - subframe/diff mounts, multi-link arms, rear ARB bushes (and ARB?), rear hoses - maybe the metal brake lines if they're tired etc.

I think it's fair to say that it just isn't worthwhile unless you have an unlimited budget and are looking to fully restore a collectable car. W124s are quite tough and I would say that it'd be far better to let someone experienced make a judgement as to what urgently needs replacing, what can possibly wait for the near future and what is likely to last for a long time yet

As with many things though, a lot of the cost will be down to labour and alignment afterwards. It's a fair bit of work to replace that much stuff.

Will

I'm with Will on this one. You want to identify exactly which suspension steering parts are bad---may not be as many as you think? Front suspension strut bottom ball joints are a critical component as are steering linkage ball joints so these must be in A1condition. The rear suspension linkages rarely all fail at the same time and its often just the top link bushes that go. Anti-roll bar bushes and links can go but relatively cheap to replace.

Springs often break if badly corroded but unless they are deffo broken they can go on for years.

The W124 suspension is pretty tough so don't go throwing money at it till you identify what's wrong.

I'm not saying to economise on safety but weigh up the market value of the car versus the cost of a complete suspension rebuild.

 

[kth286]

The front would cost about £400 to do. The rear (5 arms per side) about £600 and then you have the 4 wheel alignment and camber to adjust. at whatever price you could negotiate with your local tracking place. You must make sure that they can set the camber angles on the rear axle correctly.

Rear camber is not adjustable on 124.

Rear toe is.

 

[Niks]

Thanks for the replies, some of you are right in terms of finding out exactly what needs replacing. I had a look under the car this morning and it seems that there is rust on the actual frame where the control arm connects to it.

I already have the springs (going back to original MB ones and selling the rubbish Eibach's which I currently have on the car) and the shocks (Sachs Supertourers).

I'll have a look to see what parts the suspension is made up of and then decide what really needs replacing. I know for sure its better to get all the bushes and mounts replaced while im at it.

The rear camber is not adjustable on the 124, only the toe as one of the members has mentioned, but the camber and toe on the front is.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Rear camber is not adjustable on 124.

Rear toe is.

apologies, getting myself confused...........again

 

[BlackC55]

Thanks for the replies, some of you are right in terms of finding out exactly what needs replacing. I had a look under the car this morning and it seems that there is rust on the actual frame where the control arm connects to it.

I already have the springs (going back to original MB ones and selling the rubbish Eibach's which I currently have on the car) and the shocks (Sachs Supertourers).

I'll have a look to see what parts the suspension is made up of and then decide what really needs replacing. I know for sure its better to get all the bushes and mounts replaced while im at it.

The rear camber is not adjustable on the 124, only the toe as one of the members has mentioned, but the camber and toe on the front is.

If you are getting creaking then I would suspect the ball joints as these are common for this.

Get it looked over by a professional and they can offer the best advice of what to replace. You could do it step by stepto spread the cost?

 

[Niks]

Thats true, I could get it done step by step but that means I'll have to keep giving the car in every month to get something different done. In one go will be better and then its peace of mind for me knowing its all done.

Olly, what shocks and springs do you have on your E280?

 

[BlackC55]

Standard shocks (AG) and apex springs (cheap and cheerfull!)

I have sold it BTW.

The 202 I had had Bilstein shocks with the Eibach springs and it was fantastic.

 

[WDB124066]

I am going through the process of doing this myself. Couple of things to think about.

I would imagine a big difference in handling once all the rubber & perishable components are replaced and the aim of the exercise is to make the car handle like it should.
There is not a lot of point in my mind just replacing some. Nobody will really be able to tell you if an installed rubber bush is working properly. How do they know, how do they measure.....! They can’t, so they look for offset, sagging, cracking or play, all of which are advanced states of decay. But bush performance is effected long before these advanced warning signs.
It only takes one bush not to be working properly and you lose the effect of replacing the ones that you thought were going to make a difference. Therefore, replacing one or two in a high mileage car is absolutely false economy, in fact you’re not really going to get the full benefit of what you have replaced at all.

The shocks should be done at the same time, they wear out just like bushes, (although they can be tested) but not necessarily the springs. They don’t just snap like other later model E class ones tend to, and if they sag a bit so what, everyone wants their car a little lower don’t they??

You do not need to do front and rear at the same time if your budget needs to be spread over a few months. But until both front and rear is done you are not going to get the full benefit.

Up front, do all rubber bushes. Test the metal ball joints and do BOTH if one is not right.

In the rear the 5 link bushes (20 in total) should all be done at once and at the same time as the rear subframe bushes & diff mount bushes. Subframe bushes are very important, do not let anybody tell you yours are fine. They are not fine after 120,000 miles – trust me!! Do all of them, not just the front ones or the back ones, ALL of them. You need a special tool to do it and if they don’t have the tool then there is nothing wrong with them Sir – is there!

Rear anti roll bar droppers should be done too.

Rear camber adjust kits can be installed in one of the rear links, camber can be adjusted.

It is not cheap but in my mind don’t even bother to fix anything unless you are prepared to fix the lot or put up with a car that is not performing as it should.

Just my two pennies worth........

 

[Niks]

yea this is why I was initally thinking of redoing everything all in one go. How long do you think this whole process will take?

I would like to know how many bushes, mounts and ball joints are there in total from front to rear?

Also, I have two options available as far as springs and shocks go. 1st is do I revert the car back to the original shocks and springs to obtain original car height? or 2nd, keep the car lowered but go for a new set of aftermarket springs and shocks?.

If I decide to keep the car lowered, then its the case of replacing my current Eibach springs which gives me 40mm lowering (a bit too low for my liking and thats with the 4 nib spring shims!) and replacing them with MB Sportline springs with the correct points and hope for 25mm lowering all round.

The other question now is, bearing in mind my car is a Standard Chassis and not a Sports Chassis car, will the new bushes/mounts and ball joints be able to cope with this 25mm lowering?

How about Anti Roll bars up front and rear, is this something I will need to change as well?

 

[ray_hennig]

I sympathise with you Niks ...

I like the idea of a complete overhaul too. These cars are nearing 20 years old but can have lots of life left in them, especially if corrosion is not an issue.

I consider repair costs on mine not in the light of resale value but in the light of what the car's worth to me. Also, I plan to keep the car forever, assuming I can continue to afford to run a 'reasonable' car. With that in mind, costs should, perhaps, be balanced against depreciation of a newer vehicle and that's going to be in the 1000s per year.

So, a complete overhaul of 20-year-old suspension parts, giving it a new lease of life, may well be worth £1000 or more. And getting it done all in one go is more convenient and may well open the door to a little haggling for discount.

Watchathink?

RayH

 

[Grahamcol]

I like the idea of a complete overhaul too. These cars are nearing 20 years old but can have lots of life left in them, especially if corrosion is not an issue.

I consider repair costs on mine not in the light of resale value but in the light of what the car's worth to me. Also, I plan to keep the car forever, assuming I can continue to afford to run a 'reasonable' car. With that in mind, costs should, perhaps, be balanced against depreciation of a newer vehicle and that's going to be in the 1000s per year.

So, a complete overhaul of 20-year-old suspension parts, giving it a new lease of life, may well be worth £1000 or more. And getting it done all in one go is more convenient and may well open the door to a little haggling for discount.

Watchathink?

RayH

I agree with all of this, it really is all down to what the car is worth to you rather than its market value and if the car's otherwise sound definately get it sorted. Good luck

 

[WDB124066]

yea this is why I was initally thinking of redoing everything all in one go. How long do you think this whole process will take?

W=> Two days for the lot with someone who knows what they are doing.

I would like to know how many bushes, mounts and ball joints are there in total from front to rear?

W=> You need to get a picture of the front and rear suspension and count them off (if you need one let me know & I may be able to find one). There are quite a few on the suspension alone, mainly at the rear. Steering has a few ball joints too.

Also, I have two options available as far as springs and shocks go. 1st is do I revert the car back to the original shocks and springs to obtain original car height? or 2nd, keep the car lowered but go for a new set of aftermarket springs and shocks?.

W=> I personally think the cars should have been set to the Sportline condition as standard and then lowered some from there for "sports drivers", but this is just my preference.

If I decide to keep the car lowered, then its the case of replacing my current Eibach springs which gives me 40mm lowering (a bit too low for my liking and thats with the 4 nib spring shims!) and replacing them with MB Sportline springs with the correct points and hope for 25mm lowering all round.

The other question now is, bearing in mind my car is a Standard Chassis and not a Sports Chassis car, will the new bushes/mounts and ball joints be able to cope with this 25mm lowering?

W=> I would have thought so. The factory Sportline cars had stiffer bushes - I'd fit those. They also had a different front lower control arm with welded in ball joints. I do not know if it is entirely necessary to fit these if you lower your car, but you should ask at least. They are expensive.

How about Anti Roll bars up front and rear, is this something I will need to change as well?

W=> What you have now is acceptable I would have thought?? If you want to to stiffen the body roll up or relax things a bit then you can do that by changing the bar/s. I dont think you need to do it as a matter of course when lowering though unless you go so low and large with the wheels that it needs to sit flat in corners, but I'd have thought that was for an extreme case only.

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