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Yes, it is OE. The ones I took out were exactly same bilsteins.
For me only one, right rear, was leaking. It was back in 2019. Too bad it ruined my tire in one day on a non stop drive from Sacramento to Albuquerque. It destroys the tire the most when going on highway, sustained speeds. At high speed, like setting up cruise at say 80mph. If shock is bad, some weird resonance starts happening, and same part of tire starts hitting road at a weird but same angle consistently. I started having vibration at high speed, and steering will roll at local street speed even at 5mph. I thought that some weight fell off and went to a shop next day before heading back Houston. They balanced / rotated the tires and then discovered at the last tire (rear right) that there was a big gash on the inner side. I had to get it replaced and it was a Sunday morning of course. Took half day to special order the tire and got it running.
Ok that looks really bad, I hear something on the high way. At high speeds and Now I am scared. I ordered the shocks, but the dealership earliest appt is december the 13th.
With regards to have the rear shocks put on… This is where you’re gonna get raked over the coals. Don’t do this at the dealer - find an independent mechanic that is willing to charge you 4-5 labors hours by cheating the published workshop method.
That includes ripping open the third row armrests (to gain access to the upper shock bolts) and gluing them back on.
The alternative, for the factory workshop manual is to disassemble the entire back half of the car to get access to those bolts and you’ll be paying 20 hours of labor, at least for that.
The worst case alternative is if you run across someone who is charging you book method, and actually doing the hack method.
It’s not hard to do yourself it’s just tedious, so how about you look at DIY?
the rear airbags are also very simple to do while the back of the car is jacked up, since it’s been 5 years they are ripe for replacement. As others have stated, Bilstein brand for both shock and bag is a good choice.
With regards to have them put on… This is where you’re gonna get raked over the coals. Don’t do this at the dealer - find an independent mechanic that is willing to charge you 4-5 labors hours by cheating the published workshop method.
That includes ripping open the third row armrests (to gain access to the upper shock bolts) and gluing them back on.
The alternative, for the factory workshop manual is to disassemble the entire back half of the car to get access to those bolts and you’ll be paying 20 hours of labor, at least for that.
The worst case alternative is if you run across someone who is charging you book method, and actually doing the hack method.
It’s not hard to do yourself it’s just tedious, so how about you look at DIY?
no way man I cant do DIY, these cars arent a joke, plus I have no tools. I live in a small town in Maryland man I dont think they are many indy shops. Plus I dont trust them, what if an air bag pops?
no way man I cant do DIY, these cars arent a joke, plus I have no tools. I live in a small town in Maryland man I dont think they are many indy shops. Plus I dont trust them, what if an air bag pops?
Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you need to ditch your GL for something locals can service. This thing will become a roadblock in your driveway at some point.
I moved to a small town in Idaho with no mechanics that I was aware of willing to work on a MB. I used to lie awake at night worrying about what I would do if something beyond my skill level came up. Sure enough it did.
I had been a bit of a wrencher in my late teens (raced a little) and kinda kept it up, but then got a string of new cars and my skills atrophied. I have had to rebuild them since committing to this GL around ten years ago.
You either commit to the relationship or you don't. No half measures. You also have to commit to "for better or worse", that is, being able to live with the vehicle being laid up for, in the case of last winter, a couple of months at a stretch.
Here is the garage in which I nurse my baby back to health:
And this isn't even that good of a setup. One guy on here has a lift. I am jelly.
Seriously, the fundamentals of this truck are very sound, but there are a million little things that will kill you. If you are freaking out over the notion of changing struts, take my advice: Ditch it and get an old Toyota, or whatever make is serviced by someone competent in your small town. Sell your GL before it becomes disabled.
no way man I cant do DIY, these cars arent a joke, plus I have no tools. I live in a small town in Maryland man I dont think they are many indy shops. Plus I dont trust them, what if an air bag pops?
Its true what Eric said.
If you are not going to DIY and you don't trust local Indys, Let this car go. Its not worth to maintain a $7000 SUV at dealer repair costs of $70,000 vehicle.
But if you are willing to DIY, there is plenty of help available here and on youtube. And remember, these are just nuts and bolts. Take them out and put them back where they were. Make them as tight as they were before. Replace things and make sure they fit back exactly they were before. That is all there to it.
And even if an airbag pops, hell is not going to break lose. SUV will rest on shocks which will bottom out, just as if bag leaked. Slowly get home or get it towed.
I was somewhat intimated initially as this is my first Mercedes but I got comfortable quickly. I ought post a photo of my garage too lol. I don't have a lift either. Wife was upset when she saw me assembling shop press in garage. Says she married a doctor, not a mechanic.
He’s just an Esq. presenting as nobility.
anyone can call themselves anything these days evidently.
And yeah OP - you’ve been lucky with only $5k over 5 yrs in expenses. If you don’t diy; this car will eat your lunch money. Over to you if you wanna sell a parts car after it becomes a roadblock or get rid of it now, or start small and do some things yourself.
Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you need to ditch your GL for something locals can service. This thing will become a roadblock in your driveway at some point.
I moved to a small town in Idaho with no mechanics that I was aware of willing to work on a MB. I used to lie awake at night worrying about what I would do if something beyond my skill level came up. Sure enough it did.
I had been a bit of a wrencher in my late teens (raced a little) and kinda kept it up, but then got a string of new cars and my skills atrophied. I have had to rebuild them since committing to this GL around ten years ago.
You either commit to the relationship or you don't. No half measures. You also have to commit to "for better or worse", that is, being able to live with the vehicle being laid up for, in the case of last winter, a couple of months at a stretch.
Here is the garage in which I nurse my baby back to health:
And this isn't even that good of a setup. One guy on here has a lift. I am jelly.
Seriously, the fundamentals of this truck are very sound, but there are a million little things that will kill you. If you are freaking out over the notion of changing struts, take my advice: Ditch it and get an old Toyota, or whatever make is serviced by someone competent in your small town. Sell your GL before it becomes disabled.
bro. What are you talking about? Did you read my post, I spent 5k on the suspension. I was just asking if the bilstein brand is good. And btw, those struts are not easy to put on. Now that I know about bilstein being oem, I think my GL is good for the future, it never gave me any other problems, its rock solid. And you are insane talking about a toyota, this is one of the best suv on the road, its 15 years old, so it should be good.
He’s just an Esq. presenting as nobility.
anyone can call themselves anything these days evidently.
And yeah OP - you’ve been lucky with only $5k over 5 yrs in expenses. If you don’t diy; this car will eat your lunch money. Over to you if you wanna sell a parts car after it becomes a roadblock or get rid of it now, or start small and do some things yourself.
I mean I dont mind spending the money on suspension, as long as its every 10 years
bro. What are you talking about? Did you read my post, I spent 5k on the suspension. I was just asking if the bilstein brand is good. And btw, those struts are not easy to put on. Now that I know about bilstein being oem, I think my GL is good for the future, it never gave me any other problems, its rock solid.
If you don't mind spending $5kilobux a year, by all means, enjoy the ride. I assumed you were uncomfortable with the figure. Since you enjoy spending money, I think you will find this a most enjoyable ride.
Good luck.
Last edited by eric_in_sd; 12-03-2022 at 09:44 AM.
bro. What are you talking about? Did you read my post, I spent 5k on the suspension. I was just asking if the bilstein brand is good. And btw, those struts are not easy to put on. Now that I know about bilstein being oem, I think my GL is good for the future, it never gave me any other problems, its rock solid. And you are insane talking about a toyota, this is one of the best suv on the road, its 15 years old, so it should be good.
Good for you. Yes bilstein is a good brand and you are good for about 4-5 years and then they'll need replacement. In meantime valve block or compressor might require replacement. And so will be sway bar bushings, upper control arm bushings, swaybar links/bushings, AC compressor change, water around SAM or water around rear lift gate mechanism, transfer case replacement, starter replacement, power steering leak, speed sensors, wheel bearing.
Hence the suggestion about DIY, otherwise we dont mind you spending your heard earned money on dealership.
there are issue that would need dealership anyway, valvebody, ECM, misfire due to carbon filled valves.
Good for you. Yes bilstein is a good brand and you are good for about 4-5 years and then they'll need replacement. In meantime valve block or compressor might require replacement. And so will be sway bar bushings, upper control arm bushings, swaybar links, AC compressor change, water around SAM or water around rear lift gate mechanism, transfer case replacement, starter replacement, power steering leak.
Hence the suggestion about DIY, otherwise we dont mind you spending your heard earned money on dealership.
there are issue that would need dealership anyway, valvebody, ECM, misfire due to carbon filled valves.
I understand. I thought this wont happen again for another 10-15 years. But I think Im gonna invest in some tools then, Im not scared of DIY, looks like everyone else is doing it. Maybe I can find an Indy shop, how do I tell if they are a good shop?
I mean I dont mind spending the money on suspension, as long as its every 10 years
every 3 to 5. 80 to 100,000 miles. These are wear items and should be preventively replaced to safeguard against failure of other components in the airmatic system. If you let a bag go failed for too long, then you now owe the car a new compressor. This is what it takes to stay ahead of maintenance, regardless of how expensive it might seem.
get a decent set of metric tools, a good quality, jack, and four jackstands, and you will be able to DIY every single airbag on this vehicle for a third of the cost you’ve paid so far.
I understand. I thought this wont happen again for another 10-15 years. But I think Im gonna invest in some tools then, Im not scared of DIY, looks like everyone else is doing it. Maybe I can find an Indy shop, how do I tell if they are a good shop?
Finding a good Indy shop might be a hard. You can talk to local Mercedes owners, some online forums also have a list of trusted regional Indys. Maybe online reviews etc
Most of stuff doesn't need a special Indy. for brakes, bags kind of stuff, you can even watch few youtube videos, hire a driveway mechanic and make sure he does everything as suggested in video. If lay people, like me can do it, there is not something special to it.
For sensitive stuff like transmission or engine, you can utilize dealer.
In terms of tools, Harbor freight will be your friend. You can buy tools as you go but in total about $150-200 will get you most of the tools to do most of the jobs.
I understand. I thought this wont happen again for another 10-15 years. But I think Im gonna invest in some tools then, Im not scared of DIY, looks like everyone else is doing it. Maybe I can find an Indy shop, how do I tell if they are a good shop?
research indy shops online, e.g. google, read reviews.
some website also provide mobile mechanic services / ratings, e.g. Yourmechanic
some social media or forum also discuss about / recommend local indy shops, e.g. Nextdoor, facebook, etc.
Just curious if anybody bought the TRQ REAR set." that includes the two struts and bags on EBAY for around $350? The Bilsteins fail and the Arnotts fail so are they really better than an aftermarket less expensive setup?
Just curious if anybody bought the TRQ REAR set." that includes the two struts and bags on EBAY for around $350? The Bilsteins fail and the Arnotts fail so are they really better than an aftermarket less expensive setup?
You’ll be buying this set up over and over again whereas with arnot and Bill Stein they’ll replace them for free when they fail - lifetime warranty.
You’ll be buying this set up over and over again whereas with arnot and Bill Stein they’ll replace them for free when they fail - lifetime warranty.
You are aware of that right?
I am aware of that but TRQ also states lifetime warranty. So I'm just asking… If Arnott and Bilstein fail, what makes you go get more bilsteins and more Arnitts over a less expensive option?
I am aware of that but TRQ also states lifetime warranty. So I'm just asking… If Arnott and Bilstein fail, what makes you go get more bilsteins and more Arnitts over a less expensive option?
Air springs are consumables, like tires. Steel springs will technically wear out, but short of flaws in the (cough Chinese cough) steel, we are talking heat death of the universe. Flexing of rubber is very different from flexing tempered metal. If you flexed steel as much as the rubber, which folds in on itself, it probably would wear out a lot faster. But in any event, rubber degrades in the environment. Steel is pretty much inert.
There are so many things possibly wrong with budget air springs and struts, it is hard to know where to begin. Understand the process: Chinese manufacturing guys buy a set of good suspension parts, take them apart, copy them onto drawings, and submit those drawings to their factory. Or, more likely, steal a copy of the drawings from the Bilstein factory in China, sit down and think of every way possible to manufacture for cheaper, and it's off to the races.
The struts contain a hidden item: a plunger attached to a metal disk with precise holes in it, immersed in special oil. This all is pressurized with nitrogen, held in by rubber seals. If you know anything about manufacturing, you can think of a dozen ways to make that cheaper - generally at the cost of lifetime and performance. This is why nobody except Honest Abe's Used Cars installs cheap shock absorbers. You can put in Chinesium struts and bags, but you will almost certainly regret it in short order. They don't even make coil spring conversion kits right; they are rattling and falling apart within a thousand miles.
Big Clive on Youtube does teardowns of electronic gadgets he buys on Ebay. It is most instructive to see all the ways corners can be cut.
They don't even get a radiator cap right. I bought a Chinesium one, and within a month it was leaking. It is insane how bad the situation has become.
I am aware of that but TRQ also states lifetime warranty. So I'm just asking… If Arnott and Bilstein fail, what makes you go get more bilsteins and more Arnitts over a less expensive option?
did not know that and I don’t know the particulars of executing said TRQ warranty. Difference May be as others have said the failure rate of the bag itself - what you’re really paying for with a rear bag is the towing capacity and ease of executing the warranty agreement. They’re all the basic design with slightly different clamps and rubber material.
The prevailing wisdom is Bilstein makes the strongest bag with the highest reliable towing capacity and has an easy warranty.
Arnott makes a slightly weaker bag but has an easy warranty.
There’s no data on TRQ wrt bag strength (and thus expected lifetime) and no information on warranty execution.
Might be worth a shot to try but I’m locked I to the free bags for life deal with Arnott.
did not know that and I don’t know the particulars of executing said TRQ warranty. Difference May be as others have said the failure rate of the bag itself - what you’re really paying for with a rear bag is the towing capacity and ease of executing the warranty agreement. They’re all the basic design with slightly different clamps and rubber material.
The prevailing wisdom is Bilstein makes the strongest bag with the highest reliable towing capacity and has an easy warranty.
Arnott makes a slightly weaker bag but has an easy warranty.
There’s no data on TRQ wrt bag strength (and thus expected lifetime) and no information on warranty execution.
Might be worth a shot to try but I’m locked I to the free bags for life deal with Arnott.
thank you for your reasonable response. I'm stuck. This car is a 2010 Gl550...and though it's pampered and super clean..78k miles. It's probably only worth $12,000. I don't tow. I just have a tough time justifying the Bilstein price on a car that is worth so little...and the struts and bags of all brands fail... has anybody here installed the cheaper parts ?
I just have a tough time justifying the Bilstein price on a car that is worth so little
The value of the vehicle means almost nothing. You are looking backward when you should be looking forward.
Do you plan on selling the GL tomorrow? Then, conscience permitting, install the cheapest repair parts you can find. You would actually be best off buying used OEM, though.
Do you plan on driving it for a while? Then do the repair right.
Even towing barely figures in. The tongue weight does put more strain on the rear suspension, but not by a whole lot. The quality of the parts will factor in mostly with respect to longevity.
I don't recall anyone installing Chinesium air springs, but I bought a valve block that never worked at all, and an air pump that was noisy from the beginning. The latter now sits on my shelf as an emergency spare.
Labor is enough of a cost with these vehicles that discount parts are "penny wise, pound foolish". If you want to drive your GL for any appreciable distance further, don't skimp on the parts.
12-02-2022, 10:48 AM
