XJguy

Hello I am the very happy and proud owner of a 71k mile 94 E320. I have a lot to learn but the first thing I want to address is the handling. I am a spirited driver to say the least and am not really accustomed to the boat like ride that my car has which is nice in town but not so nice when you get on it.

As far as I have read my real world choices (meaning it wont cost more than the car) are H&R springs, Bilstein shocks and swap out the sway bars.
For now I am keeping the stock wheels and tires, which are new Contis.

The H&R front springs come in two heights 1.5 and 1.3 which to get?

Shocks, I assume I should get the Bilstein B8 made for high performance.

Sway bars I am a bit confused. Choices I have read about are:

Stock
500E
Sportline coupe
Sportline sedan
Wagon
Wagon Sportline
AMG
Renntech
Limousine

Can someone help me sort this thing out?

Also do any other model Benz sway bars fit that will offer enhanced performance?

Thank you in advance.

Saijin_Naib

I used the 1.3" ones and Koni Yellow adjustable shocks.

I installed the "limo/cabriolet" front sway and matched it with the 500e rear swaybar.

Before:

After:

I lapped faster than a 2012 Nissan GTR for 5/7 laps.

RBYCC

For the majority of drivers the amount of body roll or lean has more to do with the driver input error as far as speed, entry/exit angle and braking in a corner, not the suspension of the car.

It's all about weight transfer due to inertia and momentum...

Most important is to inspect and change out if necessary all the rubber components in the suspension...without doing this all the "hard" parts won't peform as you expect them to....

Also you need a certain amount of travel and movement in a suspension.
Lower and stiffen too much will limit travel and limited travel equates to "skipping" on a slightly irregular road surface.
A softer bias performance setup makes weight transfer more gradual, with less abrupt loading, bending into a corner rather then lunging into it !!!

And lastly there are the tires which not only are important with their contact patch, but also the first component of the suspension...more grip allows more cornering force.

XJguy

Thanks for the input so far.

Out of all the sway bars available what would be the top two thickest that are still available?

With regards to the rubber, I have experience with Poly bushings in my other cars, is this what you suggest? The ride as far as performance is vastly superior, the longevity and noise they make is not.

Can I get away with springs, shocks, and sway bars for now, and do the rubber later? I know this is not ideal, but it would be better than I have now. Rear shocks are gone, that is what is prompting me to improve rather than just replace.

My long term plans are to get AMG Aero I wheels and wider lower profile tires...but that is a way off since my Continental tires are new.

XJguy

I seem to be asking the same question to the same people on different boards...I will consolidate to just one.

RBYCC

Thickest isn't always the best...

Is this a street car or a track car?
Poly bushings don't gain much over new rubber on a street driven car, even with occasional track use.
You're talking to the wrong guy as I'm quite a realist and never try to build anything that is what it never was.
The 124 chassis regardless of how much fiddling people do with it has it's limitations...
If you want extreme handling then look at something else.

I have a well tuned suspension in my C124, nothing extreme, more period correct. It's has double the power of the stock M103 using also period correct parts. No matter what, it's still a chassis designed in the late 70's.
Conversely I have an 08 CLK63BS....probably the most brutal car AMG ever built that is streetable.

I consider myself an above average driver with a great deal of competitive motorsports experience.
All this to say that on the street I would be foolish to push either car anywhere near it's handling limits.
I can't ever remember getting excessive lean in cornering with any car including my very tall G55K on the street.
You can't effectively corner flat and fast even if you have the Brooklyn Bridge for your front sway bar without taking a line that uses the full road width and some of the grass on the side...

Sure could but if you have your suspension apart and the car is in the air then you've used a good bit of the required labor necessary to replace rubber.
From bushes to front strut mounts and even engine and chassis mounts and also inspect your flex discs..
If the rubber has play due to age and wear then your suspension will not be tight.

Tires will make a huge difference as stock 15" high sidewall, narrow cross section aren't that compatible with a tuned suspension due to a bit more sidewall flex..
I did my first +1 setup on my C124 in 1991 when I upgraded to 17x7.5.
If you can't keep the max contact patch square to the tarmac then you won't have full benefit of your suspension upgrades !

3hrtour

I have been reading these post with great interest. I have a 95 e320 cab which I have replaced all the needed stuff like head gasket, wiring harness and water pump and a few others. any way I am now looking to clean up the suspension and wheels, and maybe the rearend ratio for better performance. are there any updates to these post that may be of interest to me.

and are these mods all good with a e320 cab??

thanks

dan