GT-ER

I have a 2008 ML350 and it has 80K miles ( bought used ). The suspension was kinda screwed up and was really bouncy in the rear along with lots of side to side motion. I replaced the shocks with bilstein sport shocks and eibach lowering springs.

Well, the car feels fantastic now with the exception that the rear is still very soft. If I get a big bump it'll bottom out ( as it did with the oem setup ).

Is this normal? The car drives great othewise...this is only noticeable on large bumps where the rear end feels like it goes down and doesn't stop until it hits the bump stop.

BillsBenz

I own a 2010 and the suspension has never bottomed out. The new shock/spring setup you installed should have resolved your issue. How has the ride changed otherwise with the lower springs installed?

GT-ER

The car drives beautifully and feels sharp and well controlled. Just the rear when I take large dips it feels slow to react. Maybe it's an issue that was fixed on the facelift? I know a magazine ( can't remember which ) dissed the suspension on the ML big time.

betrezra

2007 ml 500 here no bottom out ever loaded down and towing jetskis. I would inspect that rear suspension for damage or perhaps running huge aftermarket wheels tires?

GT-ER

Yours has airmatic though right? Mine has springs. I can't see anything wrong with it.

betrezra

Gt no airmatic on ours.

GT-ER

Then I don't get it. There is nothing left to change. I could even imagine that one of the rear shocks is defective but BOTH? Both sides feel the same.

betrezra

Check control arms bushings. Might have had some rough offloading??

PTE

From what I can remember , the ride was a little harsh on the W-163s for most peoples tast , that have a higher end auto IE: E & S series cars.. That's what they had to compair it too. So when the new unibody W-164 came out they really softened up the ride. I think they went to far.! GT when you lowered the ML did you trim the bump stops. Hardy any body ever trims them and with the Eibach progressive rate springs the 1st 1/2 inch of travel happens pretty easly. I found this to be on My 05 W-163 . Some time those Rubber bump stops are 1.5" high. Lower your ML 1" doen't leave you much travel . You Guys have a nice Christmas
Cheers _PTEngineering

GT-ER

I fear that if I trim it it'll dump even further in a large bump. You can feel the problem is that it's got way to soft compression in the rear shocks..and these are supposed to be upgraded shocks. I agree that going 1" lower leaves less room but I fear cutting the bump stop may make the rear drop even more in a bump, the bump stop is small enough as it is.

I may be over reacting cause I'm used to vehicles that are on the stiff side but you mention that they really softened the suspension on the 164...do you feel the rear softer than it should be?

PTE

The springs control the ride height , Shocks / Dampers. work in conjuction with The Anti- Swat bar system
And yes they went to soft . I've seen good and defevtive Bilstein dampers and they did have a quality issue . Go Look in Benzworld.
Cheers _PTEngineering

GT-ER

Thanks, I'll look into it.

betrezra

Agreed w pte, when lower you must adjust bump stops..... You prob justbottomout on stops.

Happy holidays all!

GT-ER

I might be bottoming out on the bump stops, but the amount of sway the rear has ( up and down ) is far more vast than the front of the car. I may not bottom out if I modify the bump stops, but it'll still feel "loose" out back.

I sent an email to Bilstein on this, they replied ( auto reply ) stating they were on vacation til January so I'll have to wait.

evosub

i put a set of lowering springs into my 2007 320 cdi 4 matic, (all coil springs)
but when putting jeep back down on the ground i noticed it lower on drivers rear, 1" in fact.. got another set thinking it was a faulty spring and jeep is still the same with the new set it, any suggestions???

evosub

ML W164 REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS
i put a set of lowering springs into my 2007 320 cdi 4 matic, (all coil springs)
but when putting jeep back down on the ground i noticed it lower on drivers rear, 1" in fact.. got another set thinking it was a faulty spring and jeep is still the same with the new set it, any suggestions???

Spoedoog

Hi GT-ER
I bought a 2012 W164 350CDI 4Matic with 20" Sportpack rims standard and was surprised. This is the first car I ever bought that totally bottoms out with 4 passangers on fairly good tarred highway roads.
So much so, that the Sportpack rims was bent.
I tried to help the car by fitting 255/55x18 aftermarket wheels with the idea the more sidewall will help protect the rear suspension. It still bottomed out and I had the rear shocks both replaced at 83 000km and even that did not help.
I travelled quite some years now on these roads with a lot of other sedans that never gave trouble, none of my faster Lumina sedan and ute's bottoms out at faster speeds and same load on these roads. I have now trouble with the Camber adjustment front and rear. Replaced the front sub-frame for a lot of money and still the Camber settings front and rear is just on the negative limit of the specs. None of my other cars have ever done this. I get very low mileage on my tires. In the meantime I buy non-directionals and swap them around inside to outside on the rim every 4 000km to 5 000km while I look for a new car.
Problem Car? and the motorplan is even worse!!!! Looks like a Ponzi-scheme, I only pay 40% of the service or part if the part has a problem, but the prices are so exuberant that my 40% is still much more than a 100% on most other cars available in southern Africa.