4XFORE

i searched but i didn't find any. i'm about to lower my friends 2000 wagon. h&r springs came in but i'm not so sure on how to lower the rear. my other friend told me that wagons rear suspension is different from sedans. i've done sedans but not wagons.

MARK CUMMINS

I Used H/R Sport springs and Bilstein Sport Shocks (FRONT) When I Lowered My W210 Wagon...The Rear has Auto level shocks ...Unless you replace the power steering pump with a NON auto level suspension ...Then One can Install (NORMAL) type shocks ...

Just Install the Springs as Normal...
Also on the Wagon one can (ADJUST) the height on the rear ...aprox 1/2 inch

4XFORE

thanks mark. please check your PM

Ben'z

I have two Eiback springs for auto level W210.

maurer11

I have a 2000 320 4matic wagon and the rear seems to sit lower then normal. It has 105,000 miles. The dealer says the shocks are good and it's normal to sit that low. I have seen other wagons that sit higher. How to do adjust the height?

MARK CUMMINS

Yes it..The (HEIGHT) can be adjusted..The car should be on a drive on ramp..
the sensor is near the diff..and is sloted..Loosen it and the sensor will change the height...And NO its NOT normal for the car to sit low ..Unless the wagon has been lowered

ron m.

I am also planning to lower my 99 wagon. I looked at Fastlane and there are Bilstein sport shocks for the rear (auto-level applications). Can/should I get those along with the Bilstein sport shocks for the front?

Mark, you also said H&R springs were the ones you used. Did you replace all the springs or just the front?

Your replies are appreciated.

MARK CUMMINS

I Would DOUBLE Check the (BILSTEIN) Rear shocks...for the self level wagons..As I have NOT seen ANY info re Bilstein Sport struts for the self level aka REAR shocks for a W210 wagon

yes I Replace ALL four springs on my W210 wagon

uberwgn

I have a set of H&R springs for a W210 car (front only) available. They must be used with shocks that can handle a short spring (Koni, Bilstein sport, etc.).

ron m.

Thanks, Uberwgn... but I think I want to drop all 4 sides. Besides, having the rear height unchanged alters the car's pitch, and with the wagon being back heavy, going through corners might be hairy.

Here are my choices for the rear shock:
http://catalog.eautopartscatalog.com...Shock+Absorber

Obviously, I want the Bilstein sport, and based on the link, I have an option for the self-leveling rear.

ron m.

BTW, do I need to compress the springs during shock install?

MARK CUMMINS

Nope...its VERY EASY!

ron m.

You're right, Mark. There is no Bilstein rear sport shock for self-leveling wagons (which is what they all are anyway).

I ended up getting KYB Gas-A-Just front shocks and H&R Springs (which I just bought from a forum member). I'll do the installation myself this weekend.

Just wondering, is it easy to adjust the self-leveling sensor? I want to maintain the same height delta between the front and rear, so I'm hoping that I don't have to make too many adjustments after the spring replacement.

I also want to know how much longer I can use the OEM self-leveling shocks before I have to replace it, especially with 110K miles and now lower progressive springs.

Lastly, what are your thoughts on the KYB shocks?

MARK CUMMINS

The rear level is Easy to adjust ...Once its on a drive on ramp/hoist...

The Self Level rear shocks should be ok..they work great on my lowered wagon


KYBs are ok ..I had them on my 914-6 Porsche..They were adjustable...a bit stiff but on that car I Wanted it that way

ron m.

These are non-adjustable. I think the AGXs are.

Peter Guenther

If you lower it you might need different camber bolts front and rear, and the "self leveling" is adjustable to a certain degree.

MARK CUMMINS

Mercedes Makes the (REPAIR) Bolts for camber on the front X4

Rear is easy..I Used adjustable camber bars that replaced the stock arms
Or You can buy Kmac..The Kmac requires the bushings be pressed in/out
where the camber bars are bolt in...NO Rear Camber problems!

ron m.

So far, I've replaced the rear springs. The front is a different matter. I just borrowed a friend's strut spring compressor. I'll see if I can finish the job tomorrow.

ron m.

The strut spring compressor didn't work. I went to Kragen and rented their spring compressor, and that did the trick. It would have been faster if I didn't insist on using an impact wrench to compress the springs. Turns out the stupid clamps kept bouncing around as the impact wrench was pulsing, and so the spring wasn't compressing at all. Them old muscles did the trick. I'll finish up tomorrow. I did measure the "before" height, so it'll be interesting what I come up with.

ron m.

Okay... done. Thanks to Mark for his technical support. Here's how I did my spring installation and front shock replacement:
1) Started with the rear springs. Raise car and remove rear tires.
2) Remove inner control arm bolts. Use a jack to assist leveling.
3) Remove lower shock bolts (highly recommend air tools).
4) Pull old springs out, install new ones. Make sure the coils line up to the pad slots.
5) Reverse procedure.
The rear spring replacement took 30 minutes each side. The rear height did not change with the H&R replacement, and self-leveling adjustment did not help either (to trace where this sucker is, look for the center of the rear sway bar near the top of the rear differential pumpkin and you'll see a sphere with a lever coupled to another one connected to the sway bar). Reposition the pivot point to lower self-leveling. Again, this didn't drop the height, and the only thing I could think of is replacing the pads to get the necessary drop (1 1/4 inch).

Front Shock/Spring Removal
1) Jack front of the car.
2) Remove top shock bolts.
3) Remove bottom shock bolt.
4) Compress shock and remove.
5) Remove sway bar end links.
6) Use spring compressor to compress springs.
7) Remove springs.
8) Reverse process to install.

Removal and installation is one hour each side. I've read warnings about the danger of spring compression, so do it at your own risk. I will not be responsible for lost limbs or appendages.

Result:
BEFORE: Front left height: 27 1/16 Front right: 26 3/4
Rear left: 27 1/16 Rear Right: 26 3/4

After: Front left height: 25 7/16 Front right: 25 1/4
Rear left: 26 3/4 Rear Right: 26 1/2

Measurements were taken with a Leica Disto Laser tool. Still need to drop the rear at least one inch.

ron m.

Initial impression: After driving the car around, the turns felt more solid. The KYBs matched up well with the H&Rs in the front. At freeway speeds however (80 mph), the transitions (lane to lane) became unstable due to the car's new pitch.

I will take off the pad on the rear spring and see if I can cut off at least an inch to level the car. It's interesting that the rear springs did not drop the rear as much as the front. Could it be due to wagons being lighter in the rear? One would think they would be heavier...

MARK CUMMINS

I Would Double check the rear ride height via the adjustable link at the Diff/Sway bar...as My Wagon with H/Rs is VERY Low!

ron m.

Thanks, Mark. I did check that, and I did swing the sensor arm up and down just to see what it does. In the up position, it literally lifts the car's *** up. In full down, it goes back to the original height but not much lower.

I ended up removing the pads, and got an inch to drop. The handling through transitions is much better now (at 60 mph at least, where I did the left right tire-warming Formula One thing).