joe320nyc

AIRMATIC RIGHT FRONT STRUNT WENT BAD FEW MONTHS AFTER BLOWOUT.... I ORDERED ARNOTT REFURBUSHED STRUT...ANY INPUT THAT CAN HELP ME WOULD BE APPRECIATED ...I ALSO WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW MY EXPERIENCE WITH ARNOTT PARTS WENT.... PART SHOULD BE IN TUESDAY

aenupe3

I have an Arnott strut on the front right. I spoke with a guy named Marvin. I ordered the part Monday around 4pm. It was at my door at 10am Tuesday morning. It rides the same as stock.

dvmak

Joe,

I just replaced mine on Friday. Left front was sitting a little low and I did get the car too low message once so I ordered the replacement from Arnott last week.
The struts from Arnott are refurbished Mercedes struts so they should perform just as well or better. the ride seems like new and I will probably replace the right front as well since it feels like the ride is smoother on the drivers side with the new strut.
Here's a good thread on DIY replacing.
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...there-any.html

One note I would add to that post is that if you have the 4-matic it's a little more complicated in that you have to clear the half-axle when removing the strut. To do that I had to disconnect the nut to the upper control arm (transverse control arm) and the nut to the stabilizer bar. At that point I was able to push the drive shaft down a few more inches and get the strut out.

joe320nyc

i got the arnott strut got it installed by independent mechanic who works with german cars.. family friend... and everything looks good but ............... i was testing it and driving with the radio off and windows open.. rolling about 20mph i hear a rubbing noise as if i had something stuck to my tire and everytime i got to a certain point in the roll i heard it...so in other words not constant but at a certain point of circumference... also going over large speed bump heard a squeek!!! please help. any advise would be appreciated thanks

WEBSRFR

That is discouraging to hear... I was hoping this would work flawlessly for you as mine will go out at some point and I can justify paying what the OEM parts cost for s shock for a car that by then will be 7+ years old by the time the shocks go out. Have you contacted Arnott about this issue? By decision to go the Arnott route when the time comes would in part be based on your experience so I hope it is something minor that can be fixed. I can imagine how annoying it must be to have the shocks not work the way they should after paying the labor and getting replacement shock etc.,

JDM_SXE-10

I've had an Arnott shock on my car for over a year now and everything works perfect. I would recommend them to anybody that is looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to a brand new unit from the dealership. Arnott's shocks are just refurbished factory pieces (you have to send back the core to get the partial credit back) anyway so the quality should be on par with a new OEM one.

WEBSRFR

What ended up happening with your shock?

joe320nyc

Sticking it out for now with the sounds coming from the front right end.. just for a short while .. I wanna rule out other parts of my suspension before I harass arnott about a strut that I haven't confirmed.... I'm having my mechanic check his work for error and also other parts that may be causing the noise... I will let you guys know when I find out if its actually the strut ot not..... id hate to put blame on arnott if I'm not 100% sure its their fault... any ideas or suggestions on where the sound is coming from would be appreciated .. thanks

joe320nyc

Also i regret to say I have my. 03 w211 up for sale.. I'm looking into something new to avoid things like this...... most likely the ML 350 ..pm me if interested

thegamemodo9

I may have an addendum to this and Arnott soon.

e500rmz

my right front went out on my 03 e500 and i think, based on this thread, that i will be ordering a reman from arnott...

before doing so i was wondering if there are other common culprits for that corner bottoming out? is there any way to test and make sure it's the airmatic strut?

it happened gradually as i was driving on the highway, description in the thread i started below:

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post4757421

after i got it home i jacked it up and tried to get the shock to inflate so i could look for air leaks but it wouldn't do anything on its own... while it was up and the wheel was off i used a long 2x4 to lift the hub up (with engine on) hoping that it would try to inflate but nothing happened...

when i was pulled over at the side of the road i could've sworn i heard a hissing noise but my mind could've been playing tricks on me...

if the air shock bladder has a leak should i be noticing a hissing? should it continue to try to fill it up and leak out or will it stop? could it be a sensor or valve? and if so how would i check for that?

thank you all for your help.

WEBSRFR

How did your Arnott shock work out?

joe320nyc

The hissing you are describing could very well be the air leaking from the strut.. for me it began as a hissing and the more I tested it the more it became a whistling hissing. So I just became convinced and got it repaired... the longer u let the bad strut run the compressor is constanstly working hard to keep that strut filled... so the longer u wait to repair means the better chance u have of needing to replace airmatic compressor...good luck. ....Arnotts best bet in my opinion

WEBSRFR

Did you ever figure out where the rubbing sound you complained about came from?

joe320nyc

Was a chopped up tire in the back.. just needed new tires..nothing major

WEBSRFR

Good to know Arnott struts are still an option as it looks like they worked out for you. If I decide to keep my car beyond the 100K mile warranty his is very useful to know!

vettdvr

I'm at 109000 miles and ac quit cooling. Never had added any freon. Topped off 4 months ago all is well. Whew.