jmoney6

on every website i lok at it says springs/shocks will fit every model except 4matic. Is this an error, if not what springs and shocks coudl i buy that would fit on a 4matic.

Chappy

You pretty much have to stay stock with the 4-matic.

Jim's500E

Can I ask why do you want to change springs?

If you want to lower it, you can get maybe half and inch by putting on #1 spring pads (8mm thick) for the 4 matic ...p/n 124 321 12 84. Not sure if Europe had a sportline 4matic; they may have had a slightly lower spring and used the #1 pads. It would be easy to get if they did though nowadays.

I bet your car came with the #4s (23mm thick) , which is as high as they come.

jmoney6

i dunno 14 year old spings and shocks i guess its time to change them. Whats so different about the 4matic suspension and the regular suspension.

Jim's500E

Shocks, yes, def at 14 years, springs, no, not so much IMO.

The 4matic if you look, the drive axle to the front wheels goes thru the springs (they are goofy shaped as opposed to the even spun ones from a regular W124).

124-Fan

The rear suspension is the same. But the front suspension is different, like you see in this picture. The lower arm is different and there is also a different balljoint, bearing, steering linkage, coil and shock.

jmoney6

so putting billsteins in the back and leaving the front be would that help body roll at all or not worth it?

ok so on the back i can put suspension and shocks, but on the front i can only change the shocks?

Also wit the 4-matic can i put on sportline sway bars?

Chappy

IIRC, someone here has an AMG 4-matic wagon...perhaps you can source these suspension parts?

124-Fan

Not excactly sure about Bilstein schocks, although it might affect body roll a little bit. Not much though, I believe. I use Sachs in my Mercedes cars.
-You can install what you want at the front, but you have to use original Mercedes parts because I don´t think anything else fits.
And the 4matic sway bar at front is different from the standard one. It´s usually the bushings connecting the torsion bar to the control arm that go wrong.

shadowgriffen

where did you get MY 1988 4-matics? I didnt know they made 4-matics pre 1990...

124-Fan

Well, actually the first ones were made in 1987. I own two 1988 300E 4matics so I needn´t you to tell me they weren´t made before 1990.
-But I´m not in the USA and perhaps they´ve never been imported there.. ?
Cheers.

shadowgriffen

I din't TELL you they werent made,

I stated I DIDN'T KNOW they WERE made in that era.

I DO know it was CREATED (4-matic) in 1986, but DIDN'T KNOW it was mass produced.

124-Fan

Yes, of course. Didn´t mean to be disrespectful. Sorry if I was.
-Drink up !

shadowgriffen

Can you post pix of your 5-speed CE??

124-Fan

Yes, sure thing. It´s a great car and I really love the five speed transmission in it. Also, the 104 engine is much more enjoyable to drive than the 103 engine, in my opinion. More power and a wider range of torque.
As you can see, it has the ´94 facelift front end. It was like that when I bought it in 2002.

-Cheers mate,

jmoney6

ok, this threads gettign a little hijacked. My original question. What springs shock and sway bars can i pu ton my 1993 300e 4matic?

shadowgriffen

J listen man, when it comes to 4-matics you can't do anything other than stock.

You're gonna have to live with that, or get a regular non-4-matic 300E.

W124fan- much respect for you and your cars!

Chappy

Read between the lines....









































That's right. There is nothing you can do to "upgrade" a 4-matic, unless you source the AMG stuff. Look up "Alpineauto" over on mb whirrled dot org as he has a 1990 300TE 4-MATIC 3.2 AMG.

Otherwise, your options are listed below.
You are screwed.
You are hosed.
You are screwed.
You are hosed.
Sell your 4-matic and get a non 4-matic to modify.

124-Fan

Yes, like Shaddowgriffen and Chappy say. You have to stick with the original parts when it comes to the front suspension in a 4matic w124. Simple as that I´m afraid. I have never heard of any AMG parts for this purpose, although that doesn´t necessarily mean they can´t be found somewhere.

- Regards to you too, Shadowgriffen.. - Thanks.

Cheers !