ksing44

If you want an amazing, complete list of the bars for a W124 go to
http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/W124_stuff/
and download the file
MB_124_swaybars.xls or MB_124_swaybars.pdf

It seems that everyone is pushing for the Mercedes bars instead of the Eibach bars that "are specifically engineered for our cars". I don’t quite understand why everyone is "steering" clear of the after market bars when we use their other parts. We all buy after market springs and shocks, but everyone seems to think the Mercedes bar is better. The Eibach bars come with polyurethane bushings, which is considered a good thing. The Eibach front bar is 28mm end to end, with no taper, so I suppose it will be very stiff and the car will be very flat. I understand that different materials could make the tapered E500 bar stiffer, but I’m not sure anyone has actually tested it. I am just curious about everyone’s opinions. Thank you for all the help.

ledfut

I was just going to post the link ... this link is better though, more xls and pdf-files: http://www.meimann.com/docs/mercedes/ Download the Rear_sway_bar_install.pdf aswell! I have extracted a small part of the text:

Part no. Description Rusty PartsShop
------------------------------------------
Front:
124-323-55-65 Standard bar $76.00
124-323-68-65 Standard Sportline bar $93.00 $102
124-323-77-65 "Limo" or Convertible Sportline bar $132.00
124-323-70-65 E420 bar $97.00
124-323-72-65 E500 bar $128.00 $140
124-323-01-65 E60 AMG bar
124-323-56-85 Front inner bushing, 26.5mm $4.80 $5
124-323-45-85 Front inner bushing, 27.5mm $5.75 $6
124-323-47-85 Front inner bushing, 28.0mm $5.50 $6
124-323-46-85 Front inner bushing, 28.5mm $6.75
129-323-01-85 Front inner bushing, 29.0mm
124-323-49-85 Front outer bushing, 18mm $5.25 $6
124-323-50-85 Front outer bushing, 22mm (soft?) $5.50 $6
124-323-51-85 Front outer bushing, 22mm (hard?) $5.50 $6

Rear:
124-326-18-65 Standard rear bar $35.00
124-326-19-65 Standard Sportline rear bar $87.00 $88
124-326-15-65 Oddball rear bar (for CE) $32.50
124-326-24-65 E420 rear bar $110.00
124-326-25-65 E500 rear bar $160.00 $168
201-326-10-81 Rear bushing, 13mm $1.20
124-326-05-81 Rear bushing, 15mm $1.90
124-326-01-81 Rear bushing, 16.0-16.5mm $2.30 $3
201-326-16-81 Rear bushing, 18mm $25.50 $27
124-320-02-89 Rear bar link (plastic) $8.75 $10
124-320-04-89 Rear bar link (metal) $17.00 $19

Rusty = Buy MB Parts www.buymbparts.com
1-800-741-5252 Date: Nov-2002
------------------------------------------
A big thanks goes to gsxr at mercedesshop for the above text!

This text below was taken from http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforu...portline+delta

ke6dcj wrote 05-18-2001 :
------------------------------------------
After a couple of hours at Willow Springs Raceway, I have gone on the quest for a more neutralhandling W124 wagon, by reducing understeer. As with all things, suspension changes are like equations. A change ANYWHERE changes things everywhere.

Currently I'm running H&R Springs front & rear for the 300TE; Bilstein Sport dampers front; SportLine front swaybar; and the stock self-levelling in the rear. The H&R springs are great for the track, but too low for the street IF you have aggressive spoilers (Brabus) like I do.

The Bilstein Sport dampers combined with the H&R springs in the front ride like a BMW M3, and the SportLine front swaybar reduces lean considerably. However, with the stock rear swaybar, the balance has shifted to more understeer.

For reference, here are some swaybar measurements I have gleaned from both personal experience and other enthusiasts. All measurements are in millimeters:

300E Stock (F/R): 26.7 / 15.0 Delta: 11.7 Slight Under
300TE Stock: 22.5 / 10.0 Delta: 12.5 Understeer
SportLine: 27.5 / 17.0 Delta: 10.5 Neutral/Under
Eibach: 28.0 / 17.0 Delta: 11.0 Slight Under
500E Stock: 27.5 / 15.0 Delta: 12.5 Understeer
Delsing Motorsport: 31.75/ 22.2 Delta: 09.55 Neutral

My Wagon: 27.5 / 10.0 Delta: 17.5 Heavy Under

My goal is to get to a delta between 9.55 and 10.5, with the Sportline front swaybar. Now if I can only find a 17-18mm rear swaybar that fits the self-levelling suspension of the 300TE/500E . . .
------------------------------------------

/Enjoy!
ledfut alias patrik_the_swede at mercedesshop

ksing44

Based on the measurements provided at
http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/W124_stuff/
in the file MB_124_swaybars.xls
the stock E500 bars are Front = 28mm and Rear = 18mm, so Delta = 10mm, but the front E500 bar is not uniform in thickness from end to end like the Eibach. I am still not sure I get what you are saying. Just the "delta" may not adequately capture differences in the bars. The bars can be made from different materials and the Mercedes bars vary in how they taper to the ends.

This looks like the hottest Mercedes set-up with prices, if they are still available, but I am still interested in a comparison with the Eibach bars Front and Rear.

124-323-77-65 "Limo" or Convertible Sportline bar $132.00
124-323-46-85 Front inner bushing, 28.5mm $6.75
124-323-51-85 Front outer bushing, 22mm (hard?) $5.50 $6
124-326-25-65 E500 rear bar $168
201-326-16-81 Rear bushing, 18mm $25.50 $27
124-320-04-89 Rear bar link (metal) $17.00 $19

What about the mounting brackets that hold the bushings, do they need to be replaced for larger bushings? Also the U-bolt-like bracket that supports the rear bar, does it also need to be over-sized?

I will try to contact Rusty by phone, because the parts are not listed on the web site.
Rusty = Buy MB Parts www.buymbparts.com
1-800-741-5252 Date: Nov-2002

ZorroAMG

DELTAS??

Wow! Talk about taking this to a scientific level. Most people buying the swaybars wil NEVER track their 124's and even if they do they aren't exactly going to win the touring car circuit. The W124 Wagon was never meant to be a sports car, neither was the sedan for that matter. What we are trying to do is get these cars to handle a bit better but there is no way a 3700-4000 lb car will be a nimble race car throwing into corners with the agility of a bmw. I can totally respect your enthusiasm for the brand and cars in general because I love modding my 124 and think they are the best cars on the earth but they are not sports cars. (everything this side of factory AMG and 500E at least) An automatic Mercedes that was built for an age group of 45+ on the track will handly quite different with swaybars but those enthusiasts usually leave it in the parking lot and race another vehicle. But please correct me if I'm wrong, I am just saying what I feel from personally having 2 W124's and modding them both. I am also in no way trying to be condescending either. If this is what you enjoy thats awesome, it's just that these cars are a little "fat" to be tracked with any promising results. (again correct me if I'm wrong)

PS please understand I am not trying to be an A$$hole

ksing44

I am not planning any kind of track experience. I started by wanting larger wheels and tires and the mechanic told me I would not be happy if I didn't change the springs too. He said the car would handle better and look better with a lower stance and stiffer springs and shocks. I completed the modifications and I really love my "new" car. I have Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, and AMG +1 wheel and tire package. I went in favor of the intermediate set-up for better handling, but with some attention to not losing all of the comfort. Now, my 1995 E320 Sedan really feels like a "sports sedan". I have noticed, however, that the car still rolls up to one side as I am cornering and I wanted to try the totally flat experience. The bars are supposed to have little impact on ride quality and they will help the handling, so I figured I would get some new swaybars. Now I am trying to figure what bars to get. The cost to install will be more than the cost of the bars, so paying $100 more or less to get the "best" combination is not really an issue. So is it the E500 or Eibach? I have explained in earlier posts that I am well aware of all of the measurements of the bars. In addition, I have read that many people seem to think staying with the Mercedes parts is good, but they selected Eibach or H&R springs rather than Mercedes and they selected Bilstein or Koni instead of Mercedes. I am still confused about the bars, but I am quite sure I want to get them.

ZorroAMG

According to my tuner, the 500E stuff is the ideal set up, like i said before, they have the most R&D done for this application...you won't be disappointed. 99% of the time when someone mods a car, they don't think of the best performer of the same chassis IE E36 BMW M3, W124 500E, Audi S4 because usually the dealer is called the "stealer" and they figure aftermarket upgrades are cheaper. This is usually correct because when I wanted a spoiler for my Jetta back in highschool, they wanted $800 for it at the dealer but only 350 at a tuner shop. This doesn't totally apply to performance upgrades with Benz's- the front sway bar from a 500E is $202 CAD and rear is $250 CAD, as opposed to $500+ for Eibach.

Regards,

Mark

ksing44

I understand what you are saying about the R&D for the Benz, but we all know that there is always a major consideration for comfort with the Mercedes. They seem to compromise even in the "sport" versions of their cars. The Mercedes bars, with their tapered ends, are probably a compromise between performance and comfort even though bars are not supposed to have a huge impact on comfort. It may be that the performance-minded Eibach bars, with their polyurethane bushings, are actually stiffer and provide a flatter ride.
I don’t think the difference in cost is a major consideration. With the best prices, which I am not sure that I can get for the Mercedes bars, the difference in cost between Eibach and Mercedes bars and bushings is only about $75.00 more for Eibach. If I have to get the E500 bars from the dealer, there will be no difference in cost and it may even cost more for the Mercedes parts after I pay for bushings and sales tax. I think the Eibach bars come with polyurethane bushings, so that would be considered a plus. The front bar for Eibach is 28mm end to end with no taper, so I suppose it may be a bit stiffer than even the "Limo" bars. It will most likely cost me more to install both of the bars than they actually cost, so the $75.00 difference doesn’t really matter. I want to get the best set-up I can for my once $50,0000.00 dollar car, so $75.00 doesn’t make a difference. I am not saying that I am willing to buy very expensive custom bars, but $75.00 isn’t a big deal. What is the best set of bars to keep my car flat?


Eibach Anti-roll Bars for W124
Part Number 2505.320
Upgrademotoring ($446.25)
http://www.upgrademotoring.com/suspe...h/mercedes.htm
Autosupermart ($499)
http://autosupermart.com/old6/shopca.../eibach22.html
AutoWorld ($586)
http://www.autoworldaccessories.com/...?parttype=9042
Modocar ($595)
http://www.modacar.com/mercedes/swaybars_mercedes.htm
Coximport ($???)
http://www.coximport.com/store/2505.320

Mercedes Bars & Bushings with online prices from (I did not call)
Rusty = Buy MB Parts www.buymbparts.com
1-800-741-5252 Date: Nov-2002
124-323-77-65 "Limo" or Convertible Sportline bar $132.00
124-323-46-85 Front inner bushing, 28.5mm $6.75 (x2 = $13.50)
124-323-51-85 Front outer bushing, 22mm (hard?) $5.50 (x2 = $11.00)
124-326-25-65 E500 rear bar $168
201-326-16-81 Rear bushing, 18mm $25.50 (x2 = $50.00)

$132.00 + $13.50 + $11.00 + $168.00 + $50.00 = $374.00
If I can actually get those prices.

My dealer wants $185.00 front and $220.00 Rear for E500 bars = $405.00 + Bushings