Shocks for W211 AVG

[Guest macbenz]

Greetings ....:bounce:

Was told today my ride needs new shocks .....any good lobang and recommendations? And cost ..... ?

TIA !

[Guest iankaw]

macbenz wrote:

Greetings ....:bounce:

Was told today my ride needs new shocks .....any good lobang and recommendations? And cost ..... ?

TIA !

Mind share how old is ur ride and what's the symptoms ?

[Guest macbenz]

07, FL E200K AVG model. Was told by mechanic "...rumbling from front wheels". Personally not very convinced but I guess being 4 year old, it'll be a matter of when

[Guest Sanjay]

macbenz wrote:

07, FL E200K AVG model. Was told by mechanic "...rumbling from front wheels". Personally not very convinced but I guess being 4 year old, it'll be a matter of when

i got mine changed at starblack.. rear shocks..cant remember the price but was oringal mercedes shocks.. better to call starblack, mbm and c&c for pricing and askiing a few other workshops, but pricing for most of them quite similar.. give or take a few dollars

[Guest Roland106]

macbenz wrote:

07, FL E200K AVG model. Was told by mechanic "...rumbling from front wheels". Personally not very convinced but I guess being 4 year old, it'll be a matter of when

shock do wear so fast normally. usually after 100k km. OEM shock for 211 cheap most stocklist carries them. merc orig is approx 3x the OEM price but quality is better and lasts longer. question is if you want to keep your 211 long term then yes if you going to scrap/sell in one two years time dont bother.

It could also be your control arms, ball joints and your top mount..etc

good to change it together to save labour costs.

In my case just changing the shocks did not solve the problem....

[Guest macbenz]

Roland106 wrote:

shock do wear so fast normally. usually after 100k km. OEM shock for 211 cheap most stocklist carries them. merc orig is approx 3x the OEM price but quality is better and lasts longer. question is if you want to keep your 211 long term then yes if you going to scrap/sell in one two years time dont bother.

It could also be your control arms, ball joints and your top mount..etc

good to change it together to save labour costs.

In my case just changing the shocks did not solve the problem....

Thks for the responses!

Sigh .....sounds like lotsa moolla .... how much did everything cost you? BTW am at 75K now.

[Guest Roland106]

macbenz wrote:

Thks for the responses!

Sigh .....sounds like lotsa moolla .... how much did everything cost you? BTW am at 75K now.

not really if you are comparing to other cars.

parts for 211 are cheap and readily available as there is a taxi fleet in s'pore

my shocks for elegance 211 is between S$85 to 95 for bilstein(OEM) one.

AVG i think cost a little more...75K is probably about time but do check on other parts. may not the shocks though. does the car float on the highway?

if you go onto unenven surfaces does the car like take forever to recover from bums?

as i mention in other thread, i totally rebuild my front undercarriage both sides for only about 2.5k incl labour.

[Guest macbenz]

Roland106 wrote:

not really if you are comparing to other cars.

parts for 211 are cheap and readily available as there is a taxi fleet in s'pore

my shocks for elegance 211 is between S$85 to 95 for bilstein(OEM) one.

AVG i think cost a little more...75K is probably about time but do check on other parts. may not the shocks though. does the car float on the highway?

if you go onto unenven surfaces does the car like take forever to recover from bums?

as i mention in other thread, i totally rebuild my front undercarriage both sides for only about 2.5k incl labour.

Doesn't float; and I do go up MY very frequently. Again, it was my mechanic who mentioned it .....thot I'll check out the options here first. Again since he mentioned it, I've been monitoring ......and now that u mentioned it, maybe one of the rear wheels do seem to "bounce" a little more ........anyway if the Bilsteins are those price, I might just go for it ......

Any particular workshop rec ?

[Guest Roland106]

macbenz wrote:

Doesn't float; and I do go up MY very frequently. Again, it was my mechanic who mentioned it .....thot I'll check out the options here first. Again since he mentioned it, I've been monitoring ......and now that u mentioned it, maybe one of the rear wheels do seem to "bounce" a little more ........anyway if the Bilsteins are those price, I might just go for it ......

Any particular workshop rec ?

yes thats the price if you buy the parts yourself and ask mechanic to fix.

If mechanic purchase parts for you, there is usually a 30% mark up.

you will be looking at around 100+, depending who you go too.

Bear in mind, not all mechnics allow to bring your own parts. mine do but if its the part fault I have to pay double labour to remove it and replace.

I not so keen in recommending workshops as I feel its about the comfort level of the mechanic you work with to maintain your car. I often get contrasting views on how good a workshop really is. I advise you to check out the list in this forum and go speak with the mechanic in person .then decide for yourself. I once went to a mechanic who was easily 20 to 30% above market rate but he knew the car so well I had trouble free driving for many years. it really depends how familiar of them with the 211 and off course their service attitude and mentality.

if you really want to know which workshop I goto, PM me.

[Guest bbwannabe]

Roland106 wrote:

as i mention in other thread, i totally rebuild my front undercarriage both sides for only about 2.5k incl labour.

question: what does 'rebuilding my front undercarriage' entails?

[Guest Roland106]

bbwannabe wrote:

question: what does 'rebuilding my front undercarriage' entails?

/Users/admin/Desktop/MERC/4DEBBF2BD508401C50BEA31FDCA35901.gif

/Users/admin/Desktop/MERC/F348040.gif

[Guest bbwannabe]

Roland106 wrote:

/Users/admin/Desktop/MERC/4DEBBF2BD508401C50BEA31FDCA35901.gif

/Users/admin/Desktop/MERC/F348040.gif

eh... I think you forgot to upload the pictures.

[Guest Roland106]

Er...dont seem to be able to put in the pics?

anyhow, its quite a list. Guess I cant send pic I got to type it out!!!

The front under carriage take most of the stress in driving. it supports the load of the engine and all the tangential forces in steering the vehicle. Hence, its probably the area with the most wear and tear.

coupled with the fact it is controlled by the steering wheel which is also the only interactive part of you with the car makes it the most noticeable!

so here goes:

Replace :

Shock Absorber + (dust cover and rubber stopper)

Shock Absorber Top Mount

*Front Strut/control arm (Alu)

*Lower wishbone Arm (Steel)

Top wishbone Arm (optional)

*Top and lower ball joints

*Anti Roll Bar (aka stabilizer bar or torsion bar = the bar no wear but the rubber bushings are glued to it so whole thing got to change!)

Anti Roll Bar Link(s)

*Steering tie rods (inner and outer)

all necessary rubber bushings and dust covers(if cracked)

>>Wheel Alignment is def needed after changing all these parts.

* => recommended to buy merc orig parts although ex but last longer!

again its your choice.

My advise is for 211 reaching 100K k and feeling a little "loose" go for this change and the car feels brand new. sharpness in steering comes back and hardly any alignment / drifting issues.

hope this answer your questions. During my research, I chanced upon AutoSPritze the workshop who does a package for this. They claim its very common when 211 reach 5 years and best to do all at a go than replace part by part. (disclaimer: I had mine done elsewhere and bought all the parts myself)

[Guest bbwannabe]

Thanks Roland!

I just hit 100K so I'm seriously considering what you have described.

What is the ball park figure for those repairs?

[Guest macbenz]

Thks, Roland, very informative

[Guest jhun_4040]

Roland106 wrote:

Er...dont seem to be able to put in the pics?

anyhow, its quite a list. Guess I cant send pic I got to type it out!!!

The front under carriage take most of the stress in driving. it supports the load of the engine and all the tangential forces in steering the vehicle. Hence, its probably the area with the most wear and tear.

coupled with the fact it is controlled by the steering wheel which is also the only interactive part of you with the car makes it the most noticeable!

so here goes:

Replace :

Shock Absorber + (dust cover and rubber stopper)

Shock Absorber Top Mount

*Front Strut/control arm (Alu)

*Lower wishbone Arm (Steel)

Top wishbone Arm (optional)

*Top and lower ball joints

*Anti Roll Bar (aka stabilizer bar or torsion bar = the bar no wear but the rubber bushings are glued to it so whole thing got to change!)

Anti Roll Bar Link(s)

*Steering tie rods (inner and outer)

all necessary rubber bushings and dust covers(if cracked)

>>Wheel Alignment is def needed after changing all these parts.

* => recommended to buy merc orig parts although ex but last longer!

again its your choice.

My advise is for 211 reaching 100K k and feeling a little "loose" go for this change and the car feels brand new. sharpness in steering comes back and hardly any alignment / drifting issues.

hope this answer your questions. During my research, I chanced upon AutoSPritze the workshop who does a package for this. They claim its very common when 211 reach 5 years and best to do all at a go than replace part by part. (disclaimer: I had mine done elsewhere and bought all the parts myself)

Looks like damn big project. Like W211 exceed 100k, and i admit, got abit of the loose feeling too. but still all is well :becky:

[Guest Roland106]

bbwannabe wrote:

Thanks Roland!

I just hit 100K so I'm seriously considering what you have described.

What is the ball park figure for those repairs?

like i mentioned earlier around 2.5K for me.

if mechanic buy parts, price different.>

[Guest Roland106]

jhun_4040 wrote:

Looks like damn big project. Like W211 exceed 100k, and i admit, got abit of the loose feeling too. but still all is well :becky:

quite lah... took 2-3 days in the workshop...

[Guest blackmercs]

Roland106 wrote:

quite lah... took 2-3 days in the workshop...

Greats infro!!

Wheel alignment is needed only for shock absorber & axle replacement. As for anti roll bar & strut bar is not necessary rite.

Just kapo, Alu brand do hv strut bar for W211? Is it a direct fitment? What is the stock & new diameter of the anti roll bar?

[Guest Roland106]

blackmercs wrote:

Greats infro!!

Wheel alignment is needed only for shock absorber & axle replacement. As for anti roll bar & strut bar is not necessary rite.

Just kapo, Alu brand do hv strut bar for W211? Is it a direct fitment? What is the stock & new diameter of the anti roll bar?

sorry the strut bar is not the strut bar that is mounted between the 2 suspension top mount across the engine. According to my reciepts they name them struts thats all. I tried to attached pics to show you guys the parts / assembly drawing but cant seem to work the graphics.

I wrote "alu" to mean aluminum in short not the brand. When you buy the part they always ask you control arm which one? the steel one or aluminum one!

Changing anit roll/ Stabilizer bar probably does not require alignment infact

changing the shock absorber also not need most of the time. however, i change the tie(steering) rods as well so have to align. good to align at this stage when you have re build the whole front. its like reset to default. Car became a lot sharper to steer *esp in corners! this rebuild gave me a whole new impression of MERC. when I got my car I thought how come merc so hard to steer one, but after this, its sharp almost like BMW.

btw, front no axle lah211 is RWD

[Guest blackmercs]

Roland106 wrote:

sorry the strut bar is not the strut bar that is mounted between the 2 suspension top mount across the engine. According to my reciepts they name them struts thats all. I tried to attached pics to show you guys the parts / assembly drawing but cant seem to work the graphics.

I wrote "alu" to mean aluminum in short not the brand. When you buy the part they always ask you control arm which one? the steel one or aluminum one!

Changing anit roll/ Stabilizer bar probably does not require alignment infact

changing the shock absorber also not need most of the time. however, i change the tie(steering) rods as well so have to align. good to align at this stage when you have re build the whole front. its like reset to default. Car became a lot sharper to steer *esp in corners! this rebuild gave me a whole new impression of MERC. when I got my car I thought how come merc so hard to steer one, but after this, its sharp almost like BMW.

btw, front no axle lah211 is RWD

Changing of shock absorber need not do alignment? Confirm?

Yap axle can be front or back depending on the models.

Anti roll bar diameter specs do u hv it? Before & after?

Arh next time if i saw W211 gunning at 100km/h at corners i will know is u.

For pics u can send to [email protected] i will post for u. Do sign up for photobucket!!

[Guest Sanjay]

macbenz wrote:

Greetings ....:bounce:

Was told today my ride needs new shocks .....any good lobang and recommendations? And cost ..... ?

TIA !

call starblack, mbm or go to any garage that you know and ask for rates... u shd get a good guideline

[Guest hkhamateur]

Roland106 wrote:

sorry the strut bar is not the strut bar that is mounted between the 2 suspension top mount across the engine. According to my reciepts they name them struts thats all. I tried to attached pics to show you guys the parts / assembly drawing but cant seem to work the graphics.

I wrote "alu" to mean aluminum in short not the brand. When you buy the part they always ask you control arm which one? the steel one or aluminum one!

Changing anit roll/ Stabilizer bar probably does not require alignment infact

changing the shock absorber also not need most of the time. however, i change the tie(steering) rods as well so have to align. good to align at this stage when you have re build the whole front. its like reset to default. Car became a lot sharper to steer *esp in corners! this rebuild gave me a whole new impression of MERC. when I got my car I thought how come merc so hard to steer one, but after this, its sharp almost like BMW.

btw, front no axle lah211 is RWD

Yo bro Roland, a gd sun to u! :becky:

Wow....a great handling proj u ve got there! :thumb:

Local street driftg yr ride wil b best liao! Ya, like wat bro blackmercs quoted, next time see any W211 gunning at e bends & corners on 120-140km/h tat must b u liao! :rockon:

Infact, its v reasonable damage fr this proj at oni 2.5k as compared w our scooby proj. :Cry:

Except fr e proj duration? Believed it can b done within 2days wo any disrupt n disturbance. :whistle:

[Guest Roland106]

hkhamateur wrote:

Yo bro Roland, a gd sun to u! :becky:

Wow....a great handling proj u ve got there! :thumb:

Local street driftg yr ride wil b best liao! Ya, like wat bro blackmercs quoted, next time see any W211 gunning at e bends & corners on 120-140km/h tat must b u liao! :rockon:

Infact, its v reasonable damage fr this proj at oni 2.5k as compared w our scooby proj. :Cry:

Except fr e proj duration? Believed it can b done within 2days wo any disrupt n disturbance. :whistle:

Aiyo Aiyo everyone, dont be mistaken lei, I dont corner at those speeds lah!

no where close to drifting too. In fact I drive like a pek! A full tank on my 211 can clock as much as 800+ lei, averagely, 700+ (65% HW/ 35% SS)

I love how RWD vehicles pitches the corners so I pay attention to the mechanisms to support that and take the corner slowly ha ha ha

2.5K is really reasonable for a car in the 211 league. I have spent more for lesser cars. I used a mixture of merc and OEM parts.

**To ALL, please avoid "Meyer" parts, I read from the intl forums they are quite bad. This brand stocklist here even offers one to one replacements.

i was told to go for "Lemforder" parts which I heard is the OEM for merc. I have seen some of the LEM parts with the merc logo scraped off. but that said some of the parts like ball joints, my advise is buy merc ones...

eg: lower ball joint >> LEM approx S$25 Merc ones Approx S$70

Also, this is really quite a big job, quite a lot of work involved but it also depends how busy your mechanic is lah. if you booked them and they have done it a hundred times then I am sure it can be done quicker...

BTW, thanks for reading my posts. I enjoy the research and i do this to get the edge off my job stress ..etc By no means, i a race car driver or doctor or qualified mech for 211s.

hi blackmerz

I have changed shocks and dont need to do alignment. but it really depends on the car and it is assumed, the Left & right shocks are changed at the same time.

I will send the pics of the parts to the email in good time please post and let me know I will cross reference the parts in the pics to the posts.

cheers

[Guest blackmercs]

Hmm yr this picture is evil. Despite upload several times still failed to my photobucket.