Hey now !!! My OEM 2005 "el rancho" shocks in my F350 4x4 (purchased new 15yrs ago) are just fine, no leaks & firm suspension since day 1. to bad its the 6.0 powerstroke...190k miles later. I put NEW Bilsteins in my 85 SL 2 yrs ago & love it! I never knew these Mercedes have a "floating on air" ride.
Once again, thank you Pierre! I am about to change them on my '97 W210. I was under the impression Bilsteins were a better choice, though I often wondered if the engineers' choice at MB would make more sense. The Sachs, with an identical part number as the genuine MB was only 20% more expensive than the Bilstein B4's. The MB branded were twice as expensive as the Bilsteins. Sachs seems the best choice and make the most financial sense.
So, bilstein built the shocks for older benz. Frequently you will see a mercedes benz right above bilstein with 2-4 strpes. Bilstein HDs are frequently installed by shops and do have a firmer ride. Late model mercedes frequently are equipped from the factory!!!
I don’t like KYBs. Everything you said about them is truth. We had this old Corolla Wagon with bad shocks but they were genuine Toyotas. The ride was a little floaty and bouncy, but the car at least was comfortable. Anyway, we replaced the shocks with KYBs and those things ruined the ride completely. The car was never the same again. Unfortunately, most parts store only carry that brand and the sellers will tell you wonders about that brand.
In my experience the genuine are a touch softer and this works better on heavier cars. They're rarely replaced critical parts. If you go from genuine to Bilstein you might find the car isn't restored to what you had before. Also if you have genuine shock absorbers... don't replace them unless you need to and you can just forestall the issue.
For me and my own personal opinion, I like the Bilsteins HD. I have put them in two different w124's. I had a '93 300D where the struts were shot and they were the originals. I have in some FB MB groups by member to stay away from the KYB's many of them just like you said are just crap.
After 45 years of rebuilding suspensions for all types of cars I feel entitled to my own opinion. Bilsteins are not that very durable compared to Sachs/Boge, and whoever the engineer is who does their valving has questionable taste for the ride/handling compromise. Koni struts suck, they wear out quickly because the McPherson strut mounts allow more movement than the shock can handle. Koni free standing shocks are only okay. KYB used to be good 20 years ago, but no longer. All the Gabriel, Monroe, etc. are trash. I am not a Mercedes expert I was a VW guy, but sticking with Mercedes, Sachs, or Boge is recommended. Bilsteins always seem set up to be stiffer than the shocks your car originally came with. Bilstein 's have a problem with response to short sharp jolts in that the shocks cannot respond fast enough and transmit harshness that other shocks can swallow. My other two gripes about Bilstein: 1) They did not honor their "lifetime" warranty, however they no longer offer it. 2) They don't seem to last a long time, 50k-80k miles is about as far as they go.
@@avivscrewvalla We installed hundreds, maybe thousands, of Bilstein shock sets on water cooled VW's. We had quite a few early failures where the shocks would blow out and leak withing 3000 miles. Bilstein always said "the shocks were installed improperly" and yet could never tell us what we had done that was improper. We never had problems with all the other shocks except Koni's (which have a different problem when you buy a Koni for a strut insert). If you take apart a Bilstein shock you see that their method of containing the high pressure gas is not real clever, they are just using a bigger and wider seal. This seal creates extra "stiction" and if you get into a duty cycle where the seal creates friction and gets too hot, it fails. In certain use cases it can fail much sooner than a standard low pressure shock in a street application. There are other issues with Bilsteins, but the issue of not honoring the warranty always bothered me because "back in the day" they were charging more than twice as much for a comparable street shock.
@@charlesrockwell3923 Very valuable insight. I have only heard positive things about Bilstein, especially their heavy duty option. Having only just installed them, I can't confirm/ deny your belief on reliability, other than to say that heavy duty shocks are typically built tougher to handle conditions. On my W115, they have totally transformed the car into a crisp handling yet pliant ride. I will consider Sachs next time, assuming they also offer a HD option.
What about air shocks??? Cuz I sometimes carry a little payload, and thought you'd be the person to ask. Let me know. Porfavor.... Your the best Pierre thanks for all the advice you're one of a kind. DRC ;) PS, I have a 1980 450sel w116 / 4.5 that was parked for 20yrs and am ironing de bug's out of the ol girl.
We tried sachs for a very short time and just got complaints from customers on the ride or early failures. Bilestein also makes a comfort one as opposed to the heavy duty ones most of us used for replacements. Mercedes started using Sachs as factory installed shocks at one point and they just didnt work. Bilestein fixed that. So anyways, yes, we used bilestein only. Plus their lifetime warranty for original purchase. I even had a ford van back in the early 80s. The factory shocks couldn't take my weekly trip to the moto x track. So it got the bounties quickly. Installed bilestein and that literally changed that van into one real great handling vehicle, on and off the road.
Where do you find them? They seem not to be manifactured anymore, can’t find them in sweden or any of the bigger sellers here in europe. (S123 300TDT 92kW)
I have always used Bilstein for my Mercedes except for my 190E Sportline. The Bilsteins were not available so I ordered them from Mercedes. Paid through the nose and the ones I got from Mercedes were Bilstein (with Mercedes' specified valving). I did it again with a second 190E Sportline but this time I went with the Bilstein B8s because when I replaced them on the previous Sportline, I had received the last pair of Sportline rear shocks in Mercedes' global inventory. They felt nearly identical to the genuine Mercedes shocks for half of what I paid. Another note, I think the Monroe shocks are fine for domestic makes but they are definitely not up to par for European makes. I run Monroe shocks in my old Fords and they're great quality in that case.
There are different grades of Monroe, many times I've found the higher grades are made in the country of origin of the vehicle. I have also used Koni which tend to be performance grade but like race tires they don't last.
I have always install Bilstein products on the Mercedes and have never been disappointed. Will try the Sachs units next time. The question I currently have is with the springs in the 124s? When and with what do you replace worn springs? I can not detect any failure but I have had Eibach springs on my 300CE for over 20 years....
I have w124 300E, 420E and 500E. The shocks om all of them are Sachs with a mercedes stamp on them. The price is high but they last for high milage. My information is that Sachs without the merc stamp is identical but the control of them at the factory is less ardent.
I had a bilstein comfort shock fail in 30 k on my 96 vw Passat. I have been replacing them with bilsteins because it's the best I can find, but if I could still get Sachs, I would go with those. On my w124 300d, I am planning on getting the Sachs.
Good morning,purchased a W126 a few months back out of the US (I live in Curacao),got the car with it's records and everything and about a year ago the shocks were said to be changed for Billsteins. Just went to have a look after seeing this video (we are in lockdown and I have nothing to do) and to my dissapointment there are KYB'S on the car. Oh well,these have to be changed now i guess,great channel btw
Thank you. Replacing air shocks is not difficult or expensive.hopefully you're able to do the work yourself. It's such a shame that people lie about this stuff
KYB is really bad, especially after a few years. now I ride Bilstein HD i love it. one funny thing about shocks is you don't know how bad they are until you put brand new on.
I used all 4 new W124 Bilstein shocks on my 190E. The ride is not as soft and comfortable as stock 190E shock but they perform a lot better during cornering and driving at high speed.
bilstein shocks come HD and comfort and they good and last a long time 👍 or you can even get them with adjustable screws and then you can play with them and make your ride the way you like it
Good info. The fact that Sachs destroyed the tooling for the self leveling struts makes me want to buy products from somebody else (i.e. Bilstein). As a company that owned the tooling they have the right to do it, but it was such an incredible act of vandalism it left me with a very sour taste in my mouth.
Ive used pretty much every brand. The problem I always have is any aftermarket shock will ruin the ride quality on the rear. I have literally dug the old rear shocks out of the garbage and reinstalled them because the new rear shocks were so brutally stiff they'd throw my coffee across the car on every driveway entrance. Yes, Im including Bilstein. They are a tad too stiff on unloaded vehicles
I’m finding my Bilstein comforts are a little stiff on my w124 compared to the original MB that I took off. Don’t know how old my originals were but when compressed and released, they seemed to come out quite faster than the Bilsteins. I’d rather have brand new Bilsteins than unknown age MB with questionable performance.
Thank you very much Pierre, very informative as always, I wish you were closer to me, but I'm on the left coast. I have a 1971 6.3 with Bisteins all around, I find the ride too harsh, I love my car, but very unsatisfied with the ride, what are the best/softest shock absorbers I can use?
Can you comment on the Bilstein B4 and B6. I have a 2009 SLK300 w/134,00 miles and sounds like front tire is coming through the hood when going over mall speed bumps at 5 mph. Thanks much.
Does your comment about the OEM for the 300SEL hold true for a 300SE too? Or will the Bilsteins provide a smooth enough and stiff enough balance? I imagine they will likely ride stiffer than the OEM ones
I went OEM Mercedes on my rear shocks for my W211 and went Bilstein up front for the Airmatic suspension. I replaced the Arnott fronts which I do not like because they do not allow for the damping adjustment the other brands do.The previous owner destroyed the drivers side upper control arm by separating the upper ball joint by hitting it with a blank club loser hack. I only use ball joint separators as should anyone. The control arms are aluminum not steel. Anyways there are so many American hacks that should not be allowed to work on Mercedes or nothing European as they do not understand the nuances of European design and maintanence procedure. It just takes a little bit of research.
i brought new shocks for my 190d w201,i wanted to go B4 for the front and B6 for the back,They sent me B8 for back instead,i got them on the original spring, is this ok,its a firm ride up at back,B4 normal if not a bit soft up front,at least it dont bottom out anymore
Hi. Great video, and accurate explanation! I bought bilstein Rear shocks 2 years ago and I found them ok, do You think they ‘re ok for Clk w208 elegance from ‘99? I need new shocks for the front but Idon’t know if sachs would be better for it.
I think it's likely there is no difference between a Bilstein shock made for a Mercedes and a Mercedes shock made by Bilstein. I've had both OE shocks for 15 years and now Bilsteins for the last 15 years on my 126. I've driven 75,000 on OE and 100,000 on Bilsteins. The OEs were done at 100,000 miles. The Bilsteins are still going strong. I can say I prefer Bilsteins to OE shocks At some point this becomes a matter of snobbery. Just like in the "Audiophile" world. People who think they can detect with their ear things on an oscilloscope are just arrogant. Buy Bilsteins and enjoy the "Mercedes" ride magic.😎
@@thisisnightshop2037 100% improvement especialy on the rear where they were really bad. My W126 has only 65K, so everything else is pretty tight I love your videos.
@@richardlazarski4553 on ebay from two different sellers. I will post tomorrow a link if they still have them $109 for the front and $117 for the rear I believe. So pleased to see them original in the box with Made in Germany label. This may be the only think left thats made in Germany, lol.
@@thisisnightshop2037 Besides, a C123 isn't going to be transformed into that Carlsson rally car after just adding stiffer shocks. The comfort models feels a lot more like original. (Wasn't Priss the replicant a comfort model?)
I have an 87 560 sl and would like to replace the rear wheel bearings is there an easy way to remove the spindle, if so can you please let me know, I am on hold.
Pierre hello, i have an E250 cdi w212, i,m ballancing between Billstein and OEM genuine MB. Front shock absorbers Billstein cost 300 euro, and the original genuine costs 600 euro, do you think it worth the extra money for the original ones?
LOL. Nice Bilstein ad Pierre! I have parted out a few 107s and 108s and think I recall running into quite a few totally shot MB OEM and Bilstein shocks, but remember thinking all the KYB Gas Adjust shocks being in pretty good shape. Still, if it’s a restoration job, “kraut parts for a kraut car” is a a statement I agree with. Anything other than Bilstein or OEM looks cheap.
Hi Pierre, rebuilding my 1971 W108 with the M130 engine. The manifolds are held on with copper colour lock nuts, there appears to be different flat washers and spring washers. Do you know which washers go where or does it matter? Manythanks, Mark
Mark, you should only have a flat washer against the 14 mm nut that holds the manifold on the cylinder head. if you have a spring washer, it should be an 8 millimeter and it should be against the 12 mm nut for the exhaust pipe at the manifold.
On a W126 does genuine MB offer a more comfortable ride than Bilstein? Looking at doing the rear shocks/spring non-SLS W126 since it’s a frickin’ ass sitter...especially with passengers and luggage. Kinda wish I had SLS! Renewing the springs/shocks on my W201 brought it back to a neutral stance rather than the “V1...rotate” stance currently on the W126!
in my opinion the ride is a little bit better with a genuine Mercedes equipment. It sounds like you might need spring pads, rear differential now and new subframe mounts. That should fix everything
Hello, ParatrooperGirl and thank YOU so much for your question(s), we want to answer you as quickly as possible. By signing in our Patreon www.patreon.com/thomaspolk page and making a donation of $10 your are assured of a 24 hour email response from Pierre. If you are already a $10 member please mention along with your question.
Pierre: I’m about to put new shocks on my recently acquired (single owner before me) 1985 500sl AMG, and because the car is lowered, don’t know what I should be putting on the car. I’m less worried about the rear, but really don’t want the front to end up riding any higher than it does now, but also want a sport firm ride. What front shocks would you recommend?
You bring up a good point.if I were you I would install w115 City and shock absorbers. They are the softest once and they would affect the ride height very minimally if it all
Thanks Pierre. I would be concerned that w115 shocks might not offer immense dampening capabilities, but would be good regarding not providing a ton of upward force. I believe that Kent Bergsma showed a video pushing a standard vs HD Bilstein shock in, and the HD were harder to push in and returned slower. Returning slower is what I believe I’m seeking, a shock that will be hard to move in each direction, and doesn’t push up really hard. I guess I’ve got enough cars that will ultimately need shocks that I could try a few different options.
Watch out for Meyle. Somehow they get by with using the letters that spell out the word "Germany" in their logo but I have yet to find anything of theirs now that isn't made in Taiwan.
You have great knowledge shared with us in other videos, but I think this one is not correct. Let me explain. You say boge and Sachs is as good as bilstein. This could be due to the fact Sachs and boge shocks come from the same factory as bilstein and could be pretty the same. Also, Koni has perfect shock systems for the older cars. The lower gas class, or classic. with these they try to get the best of newer technics and older ride style. In the past shocks where filled only with oil. Newer shocks have gas filled dampers which are really stiff, and suppliers do not seem to tailor made them for specific cars. This doesn't work very well for older suspensions systems and even new bilstein seems to fail here, especially for the convertibles. the older convertibles are not very solid and the body takes all bumps and torsions on all 4 corners if fitted with stiff modern shocks. The shock cannot do what it is designed for, the body just bumps up which results in a very uncomfortable ride which people complain about. These older cars drive best with soft dampers due to the low spring rate and simplicity of its shock design. And yes you get body roll from that, that's how they rolled from factory. Now, last thing. Pierre says monroe is really shit in the older cars. Yes for convertibles. I happen to have a ’73 350 SLC and put the monroe gas filled modern dampers on it. This works great on this chassis and drives perfect, even better than original and these are more than 15 years old. If I put these on my 85 500 SL which I did, it drives like shit because of the torsioning of the body that takes all small minor bumps that makes the ride very unpleasant. So for the 500 SL I sourced second hand originals from that period which were still very good because of the quality and the car now drives as it should and yes with a lot of body roll, like it was back in those days. Keep up the good videos but watch out with being negative about brands. Yes, you too pierre with a lot of knowledge could be wrong without knowing and not subjective towards important subjects. Thus, its always better to not speak out violently, because it may bite you back in the future!
I installed Sachs shocks all around in my 240D. The ride is smooth as butter.
The quality of Pierre's advice will SHOCK you! watch it twice just so you can ABSORB it !
@Anthony Roic did you booo me ? Only kyb's and Febi parts for this guy...
Looks like Mr. Roic would like you to work on your puns...
@@azmike3572 you guys better go buy some re badged harbour freight tools from the man in the green gloves and follow his instructions very closely
@Anthony Roic you lie where the truth would fit better
Well, this comment thread was certainly a rough ride.
Hey now !!! My OEM 2005 "el rancho" shocks in my F350 4x4 (purchased new 15yrs ago) are just fine, no leaks & firm suspension since day 1. to bad its the 6.0 powerstroke...190k miles later. I put NEW Bilsteins in my 85 SL 2 yrs ago & love it! I never knew these Mercedes have a "floating on air" ride.
Thank you Pierre!Beautiful.
Once again, thank you Pierre! I am about to change them on my '97 W210. I was under the impression Bilsteins were a better choice, though I often wondered if the engineers' choice at MB would make more sense. The Sachs, with an identical part number as the genuine MB was only 20% more expensive than the Bilstein B4's. The MB branded were twice as expensive as the Bilsteins. Sachs seems the best choice and make the most financial sense.
So, bilstein built the shocks for older benz. Frequently you will see a mercedes benz right above bilstein with 2-4 strpes. Bilstein HDs are frequently installed by shops and do have a firmer ride. Late model mercedes frequently are equipped from the factory!!!
"Kids--no drumming in the car! I'm trying to drive!"
Bil-STINE!! 😂👍🏻
I don’t like KYBs. Everything you said about them is truth. We had this old Corolla Wagon with bad shocks but they were genuine Toyotas. The ride was a little floaty and bouncy, but the car at least was comfortable. Anyway, we replaced the shocks with KYBs and those things ruined the ride completely. The car was never the same again. Unfortunately, most parts store only carry that brand and the sellers will tell you wonders about that brand.
And most auto parts stores sell junk.
In my experience the genuine are a touch softer and this works better on heavier cars. They're rarely replaced critical parts. If you go from genuine to Bilstein you might find the car isn't restored to what you had before. Also if you have genuine shock absorbers... don't replace them unless you need to and you can just forestall the issue.
That looks like a Bilstein. I have a friend who put Bilstein shocks on his GMC Yukon and he loves the ride.
Got a set of bilsteins for my 107 560. Ken shows how to change them. Lew
For me and my own personal opinion, I like the Bilsteins HD. I have put them in two different w124's. I had a '93 300D where the struts were shot and they were the originals. I have in some FB MB groups by member to stay away from the KYB's many of them just like you said are just crap.
After 45 years of rebuilding suspensions for all types of cars I feel entitled to my own opinion. Bilsteins are not that very durable compared to Sachs/Boge, and whoever the engineer is who does their valving has questionable taste for the ride/handling compromise. Koni struts suck, they wear out quickly because the McPherson strut mounts allow more movement than the shock can handle. Koni free standing shocks are only okay. KYB used to be good 20 years ago, but no longer. All the Gabriel, Monroe, etc. are trash. I am not a Mercedes expert I was a VW guy, but sticking with Mercedes, Sachs, or Boge is recommended. Bilsteins always seem set up to be stiffer than the shocks your car originally came with. Bilstein 's have a problem with response to short sharp jolts in that the shocks cannot respond fast enough and transmit harshness that other shocks can swallow. My other two gripes about Bilstein: 1) They did not honor their "lifetime" warranty, however they no longer offer it. 2) They don't seem to last a long time, 50k-80k miles is about as far as they go.
Can you share more about the units that fail - I've never heard a Bilstein fail but they still do offer their lifetime warranty here in the EU.
I think the Sachs units are great
@@avivscrewvalla We installed hundreds, maybe thousands, of Bilstein shock sets on water cooled VW's. We had quite a few early failures where the shocks would blow out and leak withing 3000 miles. Bilstein always said "the shocks were installed improperly" and yet could never tell us what we had done that was improper. We never had problems with all the other shocks except Koni's (which have a different problem when you buy a Koni for a strut insert). If you take apart a Bilstein shock you see that their method of containing the high pressure gas is not real clever, they are just using a bigger and wider seal. This seal creates extra "stiction" and if you get into a duty cycle where the seal creates friction and gets too hot, it fails. In certain use cases it can fail much sooner than a standard low pressure shock in a street application. There are other issues with Bilsteins, but the issue of not honoring the warranty always bothered me because "back in the day" they were charging more than twice as much for a comparable street shock.
@@charlesrockwell3923 Very valuable insight. I have only heard positive things about Bilstein, especially their heavy duty option. Having only just installed them, I can't confirm/ deny your belief on reliability, other than to say that heavy duty shocks are typically built tougher to handle conditions. On my W115, they have totally transformed the car into a crisp handling yet pliant ride.
I will consider Sachs next time, assuming they also offer a HD option.
But if you had ever cradled a new KYB shock in your arms like you did with the Bilstein, you might have really bonded emotionally. Good video.
I tried. But it was cold and metallic to the touch
Thanks, very informative
Glad it was helpful!
What about air shocks??? Cuz I sometimes carry a little payload, and thought you'd be the person to ask. Let me know. Porfavor....
Your the best Pierre thanks for all the advice you're one of a kind.
DRC ;)
PS, I have a 1980 450sel w116 / 4.5 that was parked for 20yrs and am ironing de bug's out of the ol girl.
We tried sachs for a very short time and just got complaints from customers on the ride or early failures. Bilestein also makes a comfort one as opposed to the heavy duty ones most of us used for replacements. Mercedes started using Sachs as factory installed shocks at one point and they just didnt work. Bilestein fixed that. So anyways, yes, we used bilestein only. Plus their lifetime warranty for original purchase. I even had a ford van back in the early 80s. The factory shocks couldn't take my weekly trip to the moto x track. So it got the bounties quickly. Installed bilestein and that literally changed that van into one real great handling vehicle, on and off the road.
I put Sachs on both of my Mercedes. They're fantastic.
Where do you find them? They seem not to be manifactured anymore, can’t find them in sweden or any of the bigger sellers here in europe. (S123 300TDT 92kW)
@@philen they are readily available on European parts websites here in the USA
I have always used Bilstein for my Mercedes except for my 190E Sportline. The Bilsteins were not available so I ordered them from Mercedes. Paid through the nose and the ones I got from Mercedes were Bilstein (with Mercedes' specified valving). I did it again with a second 190E Sportline but this time I went with the Bilstein B8s because when I replaced them on the previous Sportline, I had received the last pair of Sportline rear shocks in Mercedes' global inventory. They felt nearly identical to the genuine Mercedes shocks for half of what I paid.
Another note, I think the Monroe shocks are fine for domestic makes but they are definitely not up to par for European makes. I run Monroe shocks in my old Fords and they're great quality in that case.
There are different grades of Monroe, many times I've found the higher grades are made in the country of origin of the vehicle. I have also used Koni which tend to be performance grade but like race tires they don't last.
I love Bilstein and Sachs.
We love Bilsteins! I just put a set on my Daughters 2003 Ford Focus. Rides way better than it used to. 😁
Thanks so much for clearing up the confusion.
I have always install Bilstein products on the Mercedes and have never been disappointed. Will try the Sachs units next time. The question I currently have is with the springs in the 124s? When and with what do you replace worn springs? I can not detect any failure but I have had Eibach springs on my 300CE for over 20 years....
Is the ride height the same and what is the ride quality like?
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.
I was just thinking about buying Sachs shocks and mounts for my W124 when this came out!
I have w124 300E, 420E and 500E. The shocks om all of them are Sachs with a mercedes stamp on them. The price is high but they last for high milage. My information is that Sachs without the merc stamp is identical but the control of them at the factory is less ardent.
@@hanshogqvist7927 I don't trust modern mercedes quality control. I'm more willing to trust Sachs.
I had a bilstein comfort shock fail in 30 k on my 96 vw Passat. I have been replacing them with bilsteins because it's the best I can find, but if I could still get Sachs, I would go with those. On my w124 300d, I am planning on getting the Sachs.
I just ordered and got my billsteins today Pierre! Quality makes happy, Bob Belgium🇧🇪Europe
Great info
Good morning always great Information to know. Thank you so very much
Good morning,purchased a W126 a few months back out of the US (I live in Curacao),got the car with it's records and everything and about a year ago the shocks were said to be changed for Billsteins.
Just went to have a look after seeing this video (we are in lockdown and I have nothing to do) and to my dissapointment there are KYB'S on the car.
Oh well,these have to be changed now i guess,great channel btw
Thank you. Replacing air shocks is not difficult or expensive.hopefully you're able to do the work yourself. It's such a shame that people lie about this stuff
Thanks once again for the helpful info!!
KYB is really bad, especially after a few years. now I ride Bilstein HD i love it. one funny thing about shocks is you don't know how bad they are until you put brand new on.
Isn't that the truth.
Great opening shot!... A+ mise-en-scene to the director.
KYB- "Keep Your Bilstein"
Thanks. Expertise on tap!
BOGE Sachs was an OE supplier for many MBZ models, for my money its always Sachs or Bilstein. more cost effective.
PLEASE COOMENT ABOUT KONI. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ETHICS AND CLARITY.
Replaced original with Sachs Touring 12 years ago. Very happy. Ride is fantastic. Last forever and cheaper than Bilstein. Bilstein is best however.
I ponied up for the factory original shocks on my 89 420sel , had 290kms on the original rear shocks.
I used all 4 new W124 Bilstein shocks on my 190E. The ride is not as soft and comfortable as stock 190E shock but they perform a lot better during cornering and driving at high speed.
I saw the previous owner put monroe shocks on my newly acquired 300sdl, i was disgusted.
i like the sachs and they not that costly in the U.K.
احب قناتك مررررة
bilstein shocks come HD and comfort and they good and last a long time 👍 or you can even get them with adjustable screws and then you can play with them and make your ride the way you like it
I haven't seen this on any of the ones that fit classic Mercedes.
Good info. The fact that Sachs destroyed the tooling for the self leveling struts makes me want to buy products from somebody else (i.e. Bilstein). As a company that owned the tooling they have the right to do it, but it was such an incredible act of vandalism it left me with a very sour taste in my mouth.
I use Sachs on my cars. They ride wonderfully.
good to know; I will get them for my W116 eventually
What about Meyle? I know they make certain OEM Parts. We have Meyle shocks available here in Europe.
Ive used pretty much every brand. The problem I always have is any aftermarket shock will ruin the ride quality on the rear. I have literally dug the old rear shocks out of the garbage and reinstalled them because the new rear shocks were so brutally stiff they'd throw my coffee across the car on every driveway entrance. Yes, Im including Bilstein. They are a tad too stiff on unloaded vehicles
I’m finding my Bilstein comforts are a little stiff on my w124 compared to the original MB that I took off. Don’t know how old my originals were but when compressed and released, they seemed to come out quite faster than the Bilsteins. I’d rather have brand new Bilsteins than unknown age MB with questionable performance.
good point that the Genuine ones are often OLD in the box now... personally I would risk it until I heard of a negative experience
I put Bilstein comforts on my W123 300CD and they're a little firm. I would want more of a cloud feel if I had a sedan.
i installed a full set of bilstein shocks and springs on my w210
they are excellent shocks in my opinion
I think the problem might be that you have a W210.
@@thisisnightshop2037 i sometimes post before i think, you're right Pierre
Sachs are owned by ZF, and so are Lemforder. BMW's have been supplied with sachs shocks and struts for the majority of the car maker's existence.
.🧐. Intrigued
Can you do a video on spark plugs and wires ,distributor for the 380sl
Not sure if you're aware but Boge is no longer made in Germany. Made in Brazil apparently.
Thank you very much Pierre, very informative as always, I wish you were closer to me, but I'm on the left coast. I have a 1971 6.3 with Bisteins all around, I find the ride too harsh, I love my car, but very unsatisfied with the ride, what are the best/softest shock absorbers I can use?
did u use Bilstein Heavy Duty? if so, maybe try Bilstein Touring; or Sachs
Can you comment on the Bilstein B4 and B6. I have a 2009 SLK300 w/134,00 miles and sounds like front tire is coming through the hood when going over mall speed bumps at 5 mph. Thanks much.
Does your comment about the OEM for the 300SEL hold true for a 300SE too? Or will the Bilsteins provide a smooth enough and stiff enough balance? I imagine they will likely ride stiffer than the OEM ones
How about used junkyard Bilstein replacements? Can get some rear w210 pieces for like $10
pull them off and test them they might still have some life left in them
You know, with the rears I think you might have a chance
So what’s wrong with Koni ? :)
I went OEM Mercedes on my rear shocks for my W211 and went Bilstein up front for the Airmatic suspension. I replaced the Arnott fronts which I do not like because they do not allow for the damping adjustment the other brands do.The previous owner destroyed the drivers side upper control arm by separating the upper ball joint by hitting it with a blank club loser hack. I only use ball joint separators as should anyone. The control arms are aluminum not steel. Anyways there are so many American hacks that should not be allowed to work on Mercedes or nothing European as they do not understand the nuances of European design and maintanence procedure. It just takes a little bit of research.
i brought new shocks for my 190d w201,i wanted to go B4 for the front and B6 for the back,They sent me B8 for back instead,i got them on the original spring, is this ok,its a firm ride up at back,B4 normal if not a bit soft up front,at least it dont bottom out anymore
Yes, it's absolutely fine
Hi. Great video, and accurate explanation! I bought bilstein Rear shocks 2 years ago and I found them ok, do You think they ‘re ok for Clk w208 elegance from ‘99? I need new shocks for the front but Idon’t know if sachs would be better for it.
Pierre, have you had any experience of Ohlins ?
I think it's likely there is no difference between a Bilstein shock made for a Mercedes and a Mercedes shock made by Bilstein. I've had both OE shocks for 15 years and now Bilsteins for the last 15 years on my 126. I've driven 75,000 on OE and 100,000 on Bilsteins. The OEs were done at 100,000 miles. The Bilsteins are still going strong. I can say I prefer Bilsteins to OE shocks At some point this becomes a matter of snobbery. Just like in the "Audiophile" world. People who think they can detect with their ear things on an oscilloscope are just arrogant. Buy Bilsteins and enjoy the "Mercedes" ride magic.😎
I think the difference is hard to detect.some people who are extremely sensitive to this sort of thing though seem to be able to tell the difference
Who is the OEM for most Mercedes Genuine shock/struts? I've seen Sachs/Boge and Bilstein (and KYB on the rear of W163!)
*Just change all on my w126 with Bilstein. All four for $226*
Not bad at all. Hopefully you found improvements as well
From what outfit did you purchase them from?
@@thisisnightshop2037 100% improvement especialy on the rear where they were really bad. My W126 has only 65K, so everything else is pretty tight I love your videos.
@@richardlazarski4553 on ebay from two different sellers. I will post tomorrow a link if they still have them $109 for the front and $117 for the rear I believe. So pleased to see them original in the box with Made in Germany label. This may be the only think left thats made in Germany, lol.
I was thinking 35" tires and a set of OLD Man Emu shocks and springs what do you think Pierre Hedary will this affect my camber too much?
Thanks, I needed that. I put cheap shocks on my 380SL. Stoopid.
Well at least this video actually helped someone
Pierre, what are your thoughs on Magneti Marelli shocks and struts ?
In The United States we don't have them, but all the other parts from MM R garbage
How should I address my problems with my 1992 500 SL?
Need shocks 1987 560 sel?
Bilstein comforts for my W123. Much better ride quality than the Heavy Duty, imo.
Yes I think the HD is too obsessive
Excessive*
@@thisisnightshop2037 Besides, a C123 isn't going to be transformed into that Carlsson rally car after just adding stiffer shocks. The comfort models feels a lot more like original. (Wasn't Priss the replicant a comfort model?)
SACHS
I have an 87 560 sl and would like to replace the rear wheel bearings is there an easy way to remove the spindle, if so can you please let me know, I am on hold.
Pierre hello, i have an E250 cdi w212, i,m ballancing between Billstein and OEM genuine MB. Front shock absorbers Billstein cost 300 euro, and the original genuine costs 600 euro, do you think it worth the extra money for the original ones?
Thanks Pierre, any additional thoughts on Koni ?
I was also wondering about Koni Adjustables as a good choice.
Yes they work great on other cars. I've never liked the way that they feel on Mercedes
LOL. Nice Bilstein ad Pierre! I have parted out a few 107s and 108s and think I recall running into quite a few totally shot MB OEM and Bilstein shocks, but remember thinking all the KYB Gas Adjust shocks being in pretty good shape. Still, if it’s a restoration job, “kraut parts for a kraut car” is a a statement I agree with. Anything other than Bilstein or OEM looks cheap.
Hi Pierre, rebuilding my 1971 W108 with the M130 engine. The manifolds are held on with copper colour lock nuts, there appears to be different flat washers and spring washers. Do you know which washers go where or does it matter? Manythanks, Mark
Mark, you should only have a flat washer against the 14 mm nut that holds the manifold on the cylinder head. if you have a spring washer, it should be an 8 millimeter and it should be against the 12 mm nut for the exhaust pipe at the manifold.
On a W126 does genuine MB offer a more comfortable ride than Bilstein? Looking at doing the rear shocks/spring non-SLS W126 since it’s a frickin’ ass sitter...especially with passengers and luggage. Kinda wish I had SLS!
Renewing the springs/shocks on my W201 brought it back to a neutral stance rather than the “V1...rotate” stance currently on the W126!
in my opinion the ride is a little bit better with a genuine Mercedes equipment. It sounds like you might need spring pads, rear differential now and new subframe mounts. That should fix everything
Thanks Pierre! That all makes sense after looking at the parts diagrams. Quite a few bits of rubber where ride height can be lost.
What shock absorber would you suggest for my 2013 SLK 350 AMG? Trying to decide on dealership repair or outside mechanic.
Hello, ParatrooperGirl and thank YOU so much for your question(s), we want to answer you as quickly as possible.
By signing in our Patreon www.patreon.com/thomaspolk page and making a donation of $10 your are assured of a 24 hour email response from Pierre.
If you are already a $10 member please mention along with your question.
What about coils? I am about to put new coils in a 90 124, well kept original with 183k and tired sagging coils.
Are Lesjofors adequate to the task?
I should add this is a plain vanilla 300e.
Just go with stock and call it a day... 🤷🏼♂️
I recognize the car from your thumbnail.
Pierre Hedary isn’t it awesome?! One can dream too, eh..? 😂
Pierre:
I’m about to put new shocks on my recently acquired (single owner before me) 1985 500sl AMG, and because the car is lowered, don’t know what I should be putting on the car. I’m less worried about the rear, but really don’t want the front to end up riding any higher than it does now, but also want a sport firm ride. What front shocks would you recommend?
You bring up a good point.if I were you I would install w115 City and shock absorbers. They are the softest once and they would affect the ride height very minimally if it all
W115 sedan*
Thanks Pierre. I would be concerned that w115 shocks might not offer immense dampening capabilities, but would be good regarding not providing a ton of upward force.
I believe that Kent Bergsma showed a video pushing a standard vs HD Bilstein shock in, and the HD were harder to push in and returned slower. Returning slower is what I believe I’m seeking, a shock that will be hard to move in each direction, and doesn’t push up really hard. I guess I’ve got enough cars that will ultimately need shocks that I could try a few different options.
@3:46, did someone fart...? 🙃🥶😂
This is why I shouldn't film after lunch
Pierre Hedary 🤣😂🤦♀️😁🤷🏼♀️
Perfect...Ha ha. How about character flawed and running pretty good?
Sachsen gas!
what's your opinion of Meyle?
30 years ago they were fine. Now, not so much
Watch out for Meyle. Somehow they get by with using the letters that spell out the word "Germany" in their logo but I have yet to find anything of theirs now that isn't made in Taiwan.
You have great knowledge shared with us in other videos, but I think this one is not correct. Let me explain. You say boge and Sachs is as good as bilstein. This could be due to the fact Sachs and boge shocks come from the same factory as bilstein and could be pretty the same. Also, Koni has perfect shock systems for the older cars. The lower gas class, or classic. with these they try to get the best of newer technics and older ride style. In the past shocks where filled only with oil. Newer shocks have gas filled dampers which are really stiff, and suppliers do not seem to tailor made them for specific cars. This doesn't work very well for older suspensions systems and even new bilstein seems to fail here, especially for the convertibles. the older convertibles are not very solid and the body takes all bumps and torsions on all 4 corners if fitted with stiff modern shocks. The shock cannot do what it is designed for, the body just bumps up which results in a very uncomfortable ride which people complain about. These older cars drive best with soft dampers due to the low spring rate and simplicity of its shock design. And yes you get body roll from that, that's how they rolled from factory. Now, last thing. Pierre says monroe is really shit in the older cars. Yes for convertibles. I happen to have a ’73 350 SLC and put the monroe gas filled modern dampers on it. This works great on this chassis and drives perfect, even better than original and these are more than 15 years old. If I put these on my 85 500 SL which I did, it drives like shit because of the torsioning of the body that takes all small minor bumps that makes the ride very unpleasant. So for the 500 SL I sourced second hand originals from that period which were still very good because of the quality and the car now drives as it should and yes with a lot of body roll, like it was back in those days. Keep up the good videos but watch out with being negative about brands. Yes, you too pierre with a lot of knowledge could be wrong without knowing and not subjective towards important subjects. Thus, its always better to not speak out violently, because it may bite you back in the future!