seeksbcdestroy

Hey everyone, I managed to track down the Brabus springs on ebay.de to lower my W210 4Matic, but I realized that I cant find the correct shocks for my car! My current shocks are in great shape, but obviously I would prefer to use some Bilstein Heavy Dutys along with the Brabus springs.. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

raymond g-

i believe the sticking point is that the 4matic requires a coil-over type design,
thus narrowing the availability and selections somewhat. i've not come across
a bilstein in coil over design.

i'm not 100% sure of this, however. havent tried to pimp my 4matic to any
degree save for leather Smartkey cover. all my mods have been to the
pre-facelift, garden variety 1999 w210

ghaffar23

I believe I purchased seeksbcdestroy's Brabus springs, since he sold his car. Now, I'm stuck with his dilemma. I've found a set of Bilstein HD's for the front, however, would this suffice for the shorter springs? I thought that the HD's were the same height as the OEM shocks. Also, besides the hook-style spring compressor that ohlord posted, would 4Matic spring and shock removal be any different than the RWD version?

Here's the link for Bilstein HD's for 4Matic W210's:
http://catalog.worldpac.com/mercedes...tion=000875144

raymond g-

Q: would this suffice for the shorter springs?
A: depends on the Brabus springs. how much shorter are they compared to
your current, OEM springs? if over an inch and a quarter, you should probably
hunt down a shorter shock.

Q: I thought that the HD's were the same height as the OEM shocks....(?)
A: Based on my experience with RWD Bilstein HDs, the HDs are pretty much
the same length of the soft, stock shocks...though approx 10% more in
rebound damping

Q: besides the hook-style spring compressor that ohlord posted, would
4Matic spring and shock removal be any different than the RWD version?
A: yes, as alluded to earlier, you may need to tool to remove a retaining
plate which acts as a spring stop at the top end of the coil/over unit. the
bottom of the spring is anchored by that metal 'stirrup'...whereas the top
should have a round metal plate with a slot cut 1/2 way through the donut
and which allows it to ride around the piston shaft.

ohlord

you found the hd 4matics supply that part number to autohausaz.com and see how much they can beat it by in price and free shipping.
alldatadiy.com for the procedure or get a one day membership to starteckinfo.com and get the factory wis and anything else you can copy in a day.
you are on your way,just be extra careful around springs a few industrial zip ties secured around the suspension while working to get the springs compressed is always a good idea.Take pictures to build a diy for members and also to keep track of the order of the bolts,nuts,and washers.
ohlord