W204 Shock absorber change. Looking for field experience

[roberthatwork]

Recently went for servicing and was told that my front absorbers are breaking down. Workshop quoted me $1300 incl labour. Is it reasonable? My ride is 09 W204

 

Is it just to replace the front shock absorbers or all 4?  Sounds on the expansive side.

[solar]

so for stock springs and shocks.. what is the range should one be expecting for all 4 inclusive labor?

(of course... don't need to quote c&c... i don't think anyone would go to them unless claiming under warranty  )

[jtang]

http://www.sgmerc.com/topic/7149-eibach-and-bilstein-performance2-for-w204/page-3

B12 is the best. Fits W204 keen drivers' bill .....& your wife won't complain.

[giggss]

so for stock springs and shocks.. what is the range should one be expecting for all 4 inclusive labor?

(of course... don't need to quote c&c... i don't think anyone would go to them unless claiming under warranty  )

shock and spring is wear and tear? Can claim under warranty one meh ?

[solar]

shock and spring is wear and tear? Can claim under warranty one meh ?

 

yes, i claimed the shocks at 50k.

[giggss]

yes, i claimed the shocks at 50k.

wow.. and I am thinking of lowering springs at 40+k..... hmmm.....

[fluidspin]

Hi folks!

 

Other than Goldenlink and Eng Soon, any other stockists to recommend. Thanks!

 

Going for the Bilstein B4s so if you know anyone who has this in stock, please let me know?

[CarCrazy]

Cheapest should be Tye Soon Ltd. They are at Toh Guan East, Tye Soon Building and a branch in town, Waterloo Centre.

 

Golden Link is usually the most expensive.

 

Eng Soon is only dealing with BMW and Mini parts. Not Mercedes parts.

 

Another shop for Mercedes parts is PAS at Sin Min Block 28 or Block 30. You Google.

[fluidspin]

Cheapest should be Tye Soon Ltd. They are at Toh Guan East, Tye Soon Building and a branch in town, Waterloo Centre.

 

Golden Link is usually the most expensive.

 

Eng Soon is only dealing with BMW and Mini parts. Not Mercedes parts.

 

Another shop for Mercedes parts is PAS at Sin Min Block 28 or Block 30. You Google.

 

Thanks and I do agree on GL being most expensive. Was quoted $105+GST for front brake discs. Bought it and then later when Eng Soon fella called me back, he said $68+GST. Damn it...

 

Eng Soon carries mainly BMW parts but have some Mercedes components too.

 

I will try Tye Soon later. Probably just head down to Toh Guan East.

[fluidspin]

Changed to Bilstein B4s earlier this week. But somehow it feels crashier tan before. On the original stock springs.

You know when you go over small bumps on roads and stuff, you feel the car displaced uncomfortably. Basically firm feel and crashy. I'm so disappointed now cos I had expected it to be more comfy than my original shocks. I can feel that it's firm especially when going over speed bumps cos when it rear wheels clears the bump you don't feel much springy. Like one slight bounce and that's it. I'm not expecting a up and down effect but it's firm lah.

Next week will send to workshop to get it checked out. Hope it's something detectable.

[Joy2world]

After changing absorbers, my ride is very bouncy at the rear? Anyone has experience with that? Will it help with an alignment ? 

[Reflection]

Assuming you're using shocks designed for the car, a number of things can affect the ride quality.

1) Type of shock

A Bilstein B4 is basically a factory equivalent shock for the car, and is closest in terms of ride quality and performance.  Going with the Bilstein B6, you'll get a firmer ride with different damping specifications closer to a sport shock.  The B6 is actually the successor to the Bilstein HD, which many complained was too firm, although they do last almost the lifetime of a car under normal use - had the B6 on my Jetta for 8yrs/100,000km.  No leaks, no noticeable degradation of performance either.  Your personal experience might differ though.  Brand new shocks will require 500-1000km to run in, so you might wanna give them a bit of time or make ECP runs over the next few weeks.

2) Type of tires

Some tires are built with stiffer sidewalls, especially lower profile tires in the 45 series and lower.  Stiffer sidewalls minimise tire flex during cornering, and are great for the track, but crappy for rough roads.  If you want a more comfortable ride, go with a touring tire or stick with the factory wheel/tire size.  I understand that AMG models sit lower and are stiffer, so again...depends on your car model. On that note, if you're running a tire that is rated XL for extra load, you will find them less comfortable as well.

3) Tire pressure

The factory recommended tire pressure is quite high, and the recommendation is there for tire longevity, fuel consumption, emissions, local climate, etc etc.  Different markets will show different recommendations for the same exact vehicle.  I currently have Bilstein B6 shocks fitted to my W205 C180 non-AMG.  Firm at 260kpa (as recommended on the fuel flap), and I find the car tends to be skittish over road expansion strips and other uneven surfaces that we deal with on a daily basis.  I now pump the tires to 260kpa when they're warm, meaning a pressure of 245kpa cold - excellent ride quality with the Bilstein B6, pliant over expansion strips/humps etc, and still great under cornering.  I bought my car to be in a comfortable place when I'm driving.

4) Age of tires

I'm still monitoring tire wear with 245kpa cold pressure after 2 months, but everything looks fine and dandy so far.  I've got Michelin Primacy 4s that were installed last August by the previous owner.  As tires age, the rubber hardens and this can also cause ride quality to suffer.  If your tires are more than 3yrs old, then you might want to consider switching to a new set even if the mileage on the current set is low.