kngreene

Hey all,

First time posting, long time lurker. I have a 2002 E320 4matic wagon that I want to build up to be slightly more offroad capable. Living in the midwest, I have no need for an ultra technical 4x4 so the wagon should be fine. It will be built for cruising the dirt roads and backcountry areas of northern Minnesota with the occasional trip out to the Rockies. I have used the car as a beater for years and it has almost no resale value so I feel comfortable trying some questionable mods on it.

On the list of things to do is bigger tires. This means a higher ride height. I don't need a lot maybe 2 or 3 inches. I know that too big of a shock will unduly stress the CV joints, but there is more range of motion available than the stock setup is using. My issue is this: I can't find longer front shocks that will work with the 4matic front axels. The standard shocks split in order to straddle the front axel.As you can see


TLDR: Any good ideas on how to lift an E320 4matic Wagon?

I truly appreciate your help. The threads here have helped me countless times before.

OJ's DNA

I usually go the other way with my cars, I wonder if you found a shock/strut that was 2 inches higher how it would affect everything else under there...4 matic also? Man that's a lot to think about - truth is with enough money I'm sure you could get it done.

kngreene

OJ,

It is complicated and it may be a pipe dream but I want to try none the less. I am really just having a hard time finding a longer strut that has the same attachment points. As your lawyer once said, "If the strut don't fit, you must acquit!"

illest

install the thickest spring pads they make #5 i think. Get someone to make the attachment arms on the shock longer.

I wonder if you might be able to run shocks off of an ML...not sure how they attach but they are 4matic and sit higher than w210s

kngreene

Illest,

Great idea! I did some digging and it seems that might work. The shock has the same split attachment. Thanks so much for the help!

EDIT:
Upon further review it seems that while initially similar, the ML shocks are wayyyyyyy to long. Hmm back to the drawing board.

enltgen

Hi @kngreene 3.5 years later.... I have a W210 sedan that I am also looking to achieve the same and also in the midwest (Chicago and SW Michigan). Wondering if you ever made any progress getting anything additional out of your wagon? I found these guys here and hoping that they can suggest some sort of solution to get a bit extra out of the ride height. https://k-mac-camber-kits.com/Catalo...%20Catalog.pdf Thanks in advance for any reply!

kngreene

The short answer is that it’s not really possible. The longer answer is that it depends on the drivetrain in your car. With a rear wheel drive car, it is doable. Using different shock and coil combination along with altering the steering geo.

However if you have 4matic, it seems next to impossible. This is due to the way that the front shocks attach to the control arms. The shock splits and forms a Y that goes around the axles for the front wheels. This suspension design ended up being the nail in the coffin for my plans to lift my wagon.

Hypothetically you could get a company to custom fab a shock with a longer over all length , but I never found a commercially available product that would do the same.

That being said it’s been almost 4 years so maybe there is something new out there. Best of luck in your search!