mtnman82

As the title says, I'm going to change the struts (& shocks & springs & brakes) out here, hopefully in a couple weeks. I'm replacing the stock struts with some Bilsteins and and thinking about just buying the 'top parts' necessary to take the new struts/springs/'top parts' to a local shop to compress the springs and assemble them. That way I can just take the old strud assy off and just slap on the new strut assy.

Has anyone done this? And exactly what parts do I need to do this? In the picture below:

115 - bearing
130 - rubber bumper
160 - nut (to bearing)
120 - stop
140 - washer
150 - nut
210 - dust cap

I'm thinking I need 115, 130, 160, 120 and 210 (prob don't need 130 & 210, but might as well put new rubber on while I'm in there). Does anybody KNOW if I need all or any part of this? Also, it looks like there's a 'mounting parts kit' available - A 203 320 00 56 - anybody know what all is included in this kit?

Mods - I didn't see anything like this in the 'suspension thread', I did search. But honestly I could have missed something, 50+ pages was making my eyes water...

jokerswld34

i swapped my sport suspension for the bilstein BTS kit. however, i am not sure you can install the springs/shocks or struts out side of the car. the front system is a spring and strut combo and requires fitting the spring to the spring perches after the strut is installed. the strut is mounted to the perch with a bearing in the top tower assembly (someone add if im not 100% accurate). i've never heard of doing this beforehand. as per the rears, simple install because the spring and shock are separate and therefore you do not need to fit anything together; simply install the shock and then install the spring. on the rears, you will need to put load on the rear control arms to accurately tighten the shock mounts and insure you won't get ny noise from the rear end. your bilstein shocks/struts should have come with all the hardware you would need to complete the install unless you noticed some worn parts such as strut bearings or bushings. my kit came with mounting hardware, bump stops and valve covers for the rear shocks. its not a bad idea to replace the parts if you're under there, but it will add a bit more work for you and certainly cannot be done all at once away from the vehicle. just my 2 cents...

mtnman82

I'm getting the Bilstein Sport struts - not inserts - so I'll have the whole 'bottom' half of the strut w/lower spring perch. I also have the H&R sport springs in a box in the garage. I was thinking if I got the upper spring hats & other necessary 'top parts' I could assemble the whole Bilstein/H&R strut prior to taking off the stock struts. My concerns are mainly the cost and getting the parts (no extras) I need to do this.

Even if I didn't go thru with this, I'd still have to take the stock strut off the car (assembled as a unit) and then compress the spring before I could take things apart. After compressing the spring and getting the old 'top parts' off I'd have to put them on the new strut and assemble again. Either way the strut is assembled when you remove or install it.

I was thinking about replacing the rubber mounts and the bearing/hat while I was in there anyway, and if I'm going to do that I thought 'why not just assemble it all beforehand?' I can take the parts down to a local garage and have them assembled (not sure the spring compressor I have will work on these springs), then when install day comes I don't have to hassle with waiting to have the procedure done after I get things off ... just slap the new stuff on.

Yeah, the rears look pretty straightforward - not too worried about those.

I didn't know Bilstein made a BTS kit for the c230. I assume it came with springs too? How much did that setup run? Did you install yourself?

splinter

Not sure how many miles you’ve accumulated on your chassis.
My strut bearings were gone at 50,000.

Fresh hardware would likely compliment your new struts nicely.
Strut Bearing DIY

Know you’re getting Bilsteins.
Heads up on a possible modification depending on your anti-roll bar’s link size…additional information.

mtnman82

Thanks for the reply and handy links, splinter (John)! So from the pics in the first link, it looks like all I really need to complete putting together the Bilstein strut assy w/H&R spring would be the new bearing (includes new spring hat)? Assuming the new strut comes with the proper nut(s)/washer(s)...

Also, would you recommend just using the dust boot that comes with the strut, or going with the MB sport bump stop/dust shield?

Oh, and thanks for reminding me I have the H&R sway bars sitting in my shed too. I think I have the larger end links too... Between all this and the 4-piston calipers (04.5) up front, it should feel like a new car.

Glyn M Ruck

Greg - listen to splinter - he has walked this path - Good luck

jokerswld34

ah ic. that makes more sense. Bilstein does make a BTS kit for the c230 and it is amazing. paid just over $800 shipped and it came with springs, mounting hardware, etc. what a major improvement over any suspension configuration i have tried on my car, including Brabus. best mod i have done so far. and i did not do the install myself although the shop i had it done at allowed me to watch the install.

splinter

Anytime, mtnman82. Your posts are always a good read.

MB’s 203 320 02 73 includes the bearing proper and spring hat.
OEM Lemförder kits are ~$50 street price.
Struts will be packaged with their upper mounting nut and washer.

Don’t know if your sport struts have an integral bump stop built into their dust cover.
They’re #F4-VE3-5345-H1?
I’ll ring Bilsteins technical department tomorrow (877) 666-7662 in an attempt to verify.

Clarification and update on previous musings regarding bump stops/jounce snubbers.
H&R’s W203 front spring rate and load height are identical (same part and number) throughout the lineup regardless of the kit part number or claimed fitment – only the rears are varied. Some 25,000 sporty miles after their installation, come to discover they have sagged an additional inch from their initial two-inch drop. Not ideal for V6 with a chunky supercharger atop it which has a steep driveway leading to and fro its garage. Note nlpamg’s stock ride height (splitter equipped) late model Sport Sedan had virtually identical clearance issues. Since refit untrimmed 203 320 08 44 (2004.5+ sport suspension) bumpers. Recently installed the standard chassis’ taller 203 320 09 44 stops. They minimally increased the static ride height. However, their dramatic increase in the ‘spring’ rate and progressiveness when approaching the limit of jounce travel has increased undulating terrain cornering speed, control, and in yet another instance of results triumphing over my faulty theory, passenger comfort. A pair of new stops – your option on height – or those already supplied by Bilstein will probably be your best bet.

Point being, one never knows how or where things shake out until he’s given it a go on his.
I've the busted knuckles to show for my indiscretions. :)
May have to try your Bilsteins next time around. Already have their F4-BE3-6881-H0 fitted aft.

Yours should drive especially nice with its new springs, dampers, bars and brakes.
Kindly keep us updated.

jounce snubber function

mtnman82

joker - wow, had I known Bilstein made the kit for our cars I would have gone that way. 800 smakers is less than the sport struts/H&R springs, and I'm sure the ride is top notch...

splinter - thanks for the additional info! I checked on the shipping last night and found out my Bilsteins had been on the front porch all evening(!), so of course promptly got them and openned one of the strut boxes. Reading the pamphlet, found out that the Sports do indeed have internal bump stops. I'm trying to have those taken off the order I placed last night.

If I get the parts before this weekend, I might have to go for it (although the plan was to do it over the holiday weekend).

Edit: got ahold of the parts people and I won't have the stuff until after this weekend, even with the 2nd day air. Kind of bummed ... those new struts/shocks are going to be staring at me all weekend...

Also, splinter - did your H&R's start sagging both front and rear? How long (time-wise) did that take? Kind of bummed in that regard (and making me wish more I had known about the BTS setup).

mtnman82

OK, atfer reading/looking at pics, I'm still a little confused on the assy at the top of the struts. Want to make sure I have this right to avoid any mishaps... If I understand things correctly, there are 2 nuts on the top of the strut? One that is visible from inside the engine compartment with the strut mounted - holding the strut mount (& strut) to the car body - and another nut that holds the 'hat' on the strut/spring assy? Or is the nut holding the 'hat' on actually part of the 'hat'?

In either case, taking the nut off the strut mount (the nut visible from the engine compartment) will still leave the spring compressed, correct?

splinter

You're correct. Upper nut retains the rebound stop to piston rod.

Remove them to withdraw the strut from its shock tower - spring will remain compressed.

BigAlC230K

DAMN splinter ... You have all the answers to EVERYTHING!!! you've helped me out in the past quite alot too. Sorry to jack this thread.

mtnman82

...... After having to wait until 10AM today to pick up parts that should have been here at the beginning of the week, I took the two front struts off the 230k. That's when I realized I forgot to order the special tool to take the special little nuts out of the strut bearings/spring hats (the one that keeps the springs compressed)!!!!!!!!

I have new struts/springs/hats/special nuts, but no way to tighten the nuts... So I went looking around at the 2/3 import shops in this little town to see if they had anything (all supposedly work on Mercedes). 1st one I went to looked good - they actually had some genuine Mercedes fluids in stock - the Ate brake fluid, power steering fluid & Mercedes bottled anti-freeze! But the gal at the counter brought back a mechanic that told me they would just use a screwdriver and hammer (!!). I told them I could do that and they said there you go....

On to shop #2. They said they made their own tool to do that. I asked how much to assemble all my new compnents. They said 1 hour labor - $85 and I could pick it up in a couple hours(!!). Totally worth it not to have to mess with the spring compressor stuff. I told them they had to be assembled specifically - pay attention to the nubs on the hats & angles of the bearing assy's, and also left the old struts for reference.

Now, what I would recommend to anyone thinking about doing their entire strut assy's (new struts & springs), is to get all your parts well in advance including new hats/bearings, those little nuts, & probably even that special tool. Then just take everything down to your favorite local import shop and have them assemble 'em for you. To me, compressing the springs is the most tedious/toughest part of the job - not to mention the most dangerous. Plus, when it's time to DIY, it's a simple matter of taking one strut assy out and swapping in the new one.

splinter

^ Sound advice on farming out the spring portion of the job.

Get those struts bolted in pronto. Going to feel and look years younger when you’re done.

325irollin

I think this is the tool needed to get the strut hat nut off:



I ordered one today because the shop I went to wouldn't try getting it off without the proper tool and I found it for sale at samstagsales.com, only place I could find it on the whole internet. It was like $45

samaritrey

Dam $45 that is expensive. i paid like 20 shipped on ebay

04mbc230

+1, I agree and confirm. It is $20 shipped.

04mbc230

Just wondering, does changing this fix the noise. Kinda like a squeech noise. You know, the noise from boat prior to being ripped apart kinda thing.

I get this noise when going up an incline slowly while the front on flat area. Kinda like a slope on a drive way.

mtnman82

The first two things that come to mind are the mounts up top or the sway bar bushings. Does the noise sound like it's coming from the top of the car or underneath the car? If it is a rubber bushing, a lot of times the noise will get worse when it's cold out or go away if it's damp out.

As mentioned above, if anyone's replacing both springs and struts I'd highly recommend just buying the parts for the top of the strut and having it assembled (either yourself or paying someone). Then it's just a matter of popping off the old strut assembly and bolting up the new one.

jcnash

Hi all,

I didnt want to start a new thread for this, so reviving an old one.

I recently replaced my front struts (springs + shocks) in my coupe. Since then I have a knocking noise from the front when I go over bumps etc. Its sort of a rattle noise.

I was looking around in the engine bay and found that there is a small gap between the top hat (the bracket that holds the strut in place) and the actual base on the cars frame itself. Attached is a picture that I found on the forum that shows the what Im talking about. Note the gap between the retaining bracket and the base on the cars frame.

Is this supposed to be this way or did I not tighten my bolts enough?

Thanks in advance.

jcnash

^BUMP

Hey guys...can someone verify this for me??

ambit

I think we decided it was normal:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-question.html

jcnash

Awesome! Exactly the thread I was looking for.

Thanks a lot.