New Struts and Springs for 2008 ML350
11-20-2015, 12:51 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
New Struts and Springs for 2008 ML350
Well, it's time for new front struts for our ML350. Since our ML doesn't have Airmatic (unlike our E500), I was looking forward to parts that weren't completely-insanely-priced. Of course, however, what's reasonable on our 164s is relative. (A Monroe front shock for a 2008 Ford Explorer costs about $75, $145 for the strut-and-spring assembly, I occasionally remind myself.)
That said, MB sells the strut, which includes the shock but no spring, for $328 list price. Partsgeek has the "B4" OEM replacement product line for $249 with free shipping, but here's an alternative that I was impressed by:
Huskerparts.com (an MB dealer in Nebraska that we often mention on here) has the authentic MB strut, in the MB box, for $229.32 plus $11.50 total ground shipping. Having the official part for $40 total less than Partsgeek was a great deal, so I used them. In general, Husker's discounts off of list (only if you place the order online) are good enough to make the official MB from-the-dealer part a viable alternative in many circumstances. They ship usually the next day, so I get the part about 3-4 days later in NY.
On the springs, the choice of the correct spring was initially a bit of a challenge. The W164 springs come in 3 stiffnesses. Any one of them will fit, but I wanted the ones that came with the car, and just giving the dealer the VIN number doesn't by itself bring up the right spring. Each spring is color-coded, apparently, and has the part number marked on it. However, the part number is marked in a place that you can't see while it is still-installed, and for the life of me I couldn't expose the swatch of paint with the color on it on either spring while they were installed. So I had to figure out the right spring on my own.
The way this is done is by adding up "points" based on the weight of the base vehicle and then adding points based upon whether it has certain options. The few parts sources that give you the whole data card on the parts reprint the little chart of base vehicles and parts, but it is never lined up in columns, so it is confusing as hell. Here's how I worked it out.
First, I input my VIN number at 17vin. com. 17vin.com is great, because it will not just decode your VIN but actually pull up the data card for it, so it can tell you the paint color and options and such, which are not part of the coding within the VIN itself. I don't see that site mentioned much, if at all, on here.
17vin.com kicks back the data card on the car, including all the numerical options. In a box of "SA Codes" on the page it returns are all the options. If you click on the tab for SA codes, however, it produces a chart that shows names in english of what each option is. If you then click on "Full Catalog", it shows all the part groups for the car. Click on #32, Springs, Suspension..., and then #15 in the subcatalog, Front Springs, it brings up the diagram and part list. The whole data card for the part is there, but the point system is laid out in a confusing way with lots of junk characters in between. If you stick with it, the info is all there. The first set of info is the model number and base points. My model number, from the data card for my VIN, is 164.186. I can find 164.186 in the little list, and right next to it is a "286". That's the base points for the car. Then I go through the whole stream of text and pick out equipment codes and brief descriptions, e.g. "164.122/124 300 228 auxiliary heater 2". That's saying that for model 164.122 and 164.124, the base point count is 300, and for option code 228 (on ANY model of W164), the additional point value is 2. I don't have option 228 on my data card, so I ignore that one. I do however have "414 Power Glass Sliding Roof", and the number next to that is 2, which is the option points. I go through each option mentioned, determine whether I have that option, and add the points to the base value of 286. I come up with, say, 292. I then go to the part of the card that says "Points Total Front Springs -277 A 164 320 03 04 278-302 A 164 320 01 04 303- A 164 320 02 04" Believe it or not, that's your answer. What it is saying is that if the point total is less than or equal to 277 ("-277"), the Part Number is A1643200304, if the point total is between 278 and 302, the part number is A1643200104, and if the point total is 303 or more ("303-"), the part number is A1643200204.
Almost done. Those 164-prefix parts have been replaced, although sometimes still available, so you look at the 251-prefix spring listed with the same color code. So, Part number 2513210304 replaces 1643210104, because both are marked YELLOW. Also, the description of 1643210104 actually says "Replace 2513210304". One would think that meant that the 164 part replaced the 251 part, but NOPE. The 251 part replaces the 164 part. A better translation would be "Replaced by".
So you now know how to determine the right spring for your W164 by starting with your VIN number and using the points system.
As it turns out, the vast majority of W164s take the 2513210304 (yellow coded) spring. It's often available for less than the others, as it is at Huskerparts.com.
That said, MB sells the strut, which includes the shock but no spring, for $328 list price. Partsgeek has the "B4" OEM replacement product line for $249 with free shipping, but here's an alternative that I was impressed by:
Huskerparts.com (an MB dealer in Nebraska that we often mention on here) has the authentic MB strut, in the MB box, for $229.32 plus $11.50 total ground shipping. Having the official part for $40 total less than Partsgeek was a great deal, so I used them. In general, Husker's discounts off of list (only if you place the order online) are good enough to make the official MB from-the-dealer part a viable alternative in many circumstances. They ship usually the next day, so I get the part about 3-4 days later in NY.
On the springs, the choice of the correct spring was initially a bit of a challenge. The W164 springs come in 3 stiffnesses. Any one of them will fit, but I wanted the ones that came with the car, and just giving the dealer the VIN number doesn't by itself bring up the right spring. Each spring is color-coded, apparently, and has the part number marked on it. However, the part number is marked in a place that you can't see while it is still-installed, and for the life of me I couldn't expose the swatch of paint with the color on it on either spring while they were installed. So I had to figure out the right spring on my own.
The way this is done is by adding up "points" based on the weight of the base vehicle and then adding points based upon whether it has certain options. The few parts sources that give you the whole data card on the parts reprint the little chart of base vehicles and parts, but it is never lined up in columns, so it is confusing as hell. Here's how I worked it out.
First, I input my VIN number at 17vin. com. 17vin.com is great, because it will not just decode your VIN but actually pull up the data card for it, so it can tell you the paint color and options and such, which are not part of the coding within the VIN itself. I don't see that site mentioned much, if at all, on here.
17vin.com kicks back the data card on the car, including all the numerical options. In a box of "SA Codes" on the page it returns are all the options. If you click on the tab for SA codes, however, it produces a chart that shows names in english of what each option is. If you then click on "Full Catalog", it shows all the part groups for the car. Click on #32, Springs, Suspension..., and then #15 in the subcatalog, Front Springs, it brings up the diagram and part list. The whole data card for the part is there, but the point system is laid out in a confusing way with lots of junk characters in between. If you stick with it, the info is all there. The first set of info is the model number and base points. My model number, from the data card for my VIN, is 164.186. I can find 164.186 in the little list, and right next to it is a "286". That's the base points for the car. Then I go through the whole stream of text and pick out equipment codes and brief descriptions, e.g. "164.122/124 300 228 auxiliary heater 2". That's saying that for model 164.122 and 164.124, the base point count is 300, and for option code 228 (on ANY model of W164), the additional point value is 2. I don't have option 228 on my data card, so I ignore that one. I do however have "414 Power Glass Sliding Roof", and the number next to that is 2, which is the option points. I go through each option mentioned, determine whether I have that option, and add the points to the base value of 286. I come up with, say, 292. I then go to the part of the card that says "Points Total Front Springs -277 A 164 320 03 04 278-302 A 164 320 01 04 303- A 164 320 02 04" Believe it or not, that's your answer. What it is saying is that if the point total is less than or equal to 277 ("-277"), the Part Number is A1643200304, if the point total is between 278 and 302, the part number is A1643200104, and if the point total is 303 or more ("303-"), the part number is A1643200204.
Almost done. Those 164-prefix parts have been replaced, although sometimes still available, so you look at the 251-prefix spring listed with the same color code. So, Part number 2513210304 replaces 1643210104, because both are marked YELLOW. Also, the description of 1643210104 actually says "Replace 2513210304". One would think that meant that the 164 part replaced the 251 part, but NOPE. The 251 part replaces the 164 part. A better translation would be "Replaced by".
So you now know how to determine the right spring for your W164 by starting with your VIN number and using the points system.
As it turns out, the vast majority of W164s take the 2513210304 (yellow coded) spring. It's often available for less than the others, as it is at Huskerparts.com.
Last edited by wjcandee; 11-20-2015 at 12:58 PM.
