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Former e55 owner, current s55 owner and ‘13 s212 owner.
I recently picked up a low mileage <60,000 mile example in a 2003 model and as expected there were some ABC issues that the current owner was unaware of. I felt like the price was right and the owner was negotiable upon finding these issues. I’m familiar with hydraulic suspension coming from the lexus lx world so getting it back to tiptop shape, is only a matter of time and effort, but not frustration or worry.
When I started ordering parts, I was lucky enough to come across two brand new in sealed box, arnott rear shocks, which the one I installed unfortunately leaked much worse than what it was replacing. Arnott was not of much help. Next I ordered front very good looking used oems from a popular online used parts seller and everything arrived poorly packaged and leaking not shown in the for sale pics, also with the upper cushions worn beyond what is acceptable for inspection. So if you’re following, out of four shocks purchased, none were viable. So I got the leaky one in the rear rebuilt, and have to return the front used ones, and will get the arnott a rebuilt by someone still in the business that arnott used to be in (customer service).
For replacing the front shocks and after having poor outcomes from “good” used and arnott, I opted to try remanufactured in China with a two year warranty fwiw. I ordered one to see how it compared, and let me say, it was packaged nicer and appears nicer than what else I’ve mentioned above. I will install it tomorrow and report back.
I prefer OEM over used or cheaper parts in all of my cars but that just is not an available option at this point. I also think we can’t kid ourselves to think we’re finding a non-China shock. So to me, it’s all about what the quality of this manufacturer offers not where it comes from..
I provided some pictures so you can see what I’m talking about and I’m actually fairly excited to get it on. I wish the cushions/mounts were available separately because the flaw in the oem unit is due to a hollow part of the rubber collapsing due to poor design. I plan to show this in another thread sometime soon.
please ask away. This is a 310 dollar item on eBay currently shipping from Brooklyn and arrived in two days to MD. With a rebuild costing 500 and taking two weeks from removing to replacing, I have to find out if this is a good, great, or excellent alternative.
Most secure package Most amount of protection, one vendor has a looser box with paper, not foam….dumb. Looks brand new, not reman. The tubing looks way beefier…we shall see. Even has this protector. The bolts are different but perhaps better than an Allen? Top mount is tight! The only thing I might have to do is get the boot under the lip of the rubber mount because it is a slightly different design from stock, but no worries there.
Last edited by Baltistyle; 04-23-2024 at 07:34 PM.
OP that looks like a very well made shock and i doubt you'll have issues with it. Companies make poor products and people stop buying them. That goes for every company anywhere around the world. Chances are China companies have been manufacturing these since '02 and i'm sure have developed something by now that not only works, but is close to factory at a fair price.
Yes, China has a stigma, and I loathe NEEDING to purchase anything from there. However the fact remains they are a manufacturing powerhouse and literally everything is sourced from there. If you can't find it on the web, hop on Alibaba or Aliexpress. The identical item you're looking for will be for sale on that website (and at a massive discount as well.)
Just like anything they have "Purchase numbers" telling you how many units have been sold directly from that manufacture as well as consumer reviews, so you can narrow down to a manufacture you're most comfortable with.
My procedure is as follows OEM > Lightly Used 2nd hand OEM > Quality USA Replacement > China
Unfortunately those are the options.
Report back once you have it installed, i could be eating my words as I've never purchased ABC China parts in particular, however i think you'll be just fine.
I agree that used oem would be great and preferred. Please point out that unicorn and their three brothers because I’d like all four. I bought used oem that looked absolutely perfect and beautiful and from a highly recognized parts dealer, but the upper cushions are failed and won’t pass inspection. The time it takes to keep buying failed parts has been four weeks. The China part is for having for now, before getting everything stock rebuilt in the future. Cost is not my issue, availability is. I however would never buy an arnott shock for over a grand when they offer 55 dollars for a core. Their rebuilds used to be a few hundred dollars, and they are insane to now ask four times that at the retail level because they now work through vendors. Other rebuilders can take my money.
The two arnott brand new in box cost me six hundred from marketplace, the two used fronts cost me about 850, and the China shock was 320. I’ve perhaps wasted 1450 dollars and hours of time to arrive at this try… fortunately I can return the used fronts.
I’m a diy’er so the hour it takes to change the shock is the least of the cost equation. Over time I will replace or rebuild everything myself if possible. The originals were not leaking up front but the cushions are shot and the rig with isolator bushings does not pass inspection, and actually is changing the static height of the shock which requires recalibration and the shock now running in a different part of the shaft. I like quick easy fixes but that is not for me because the rubber is wearing within the current cushion, not on top where people put that rubber.
That I’ve been able to find exactly zero posts about a China alternative (other than a few mentioning they have done it in random posts) and longevity and comparing to stock or rebuilt.
I’m happy to share this thread with all that have tried and am happy to hear of your failures or successes. Blanket statements don’t do any of us much good and I know you guys have more info to share
Id also love to hear of anyone has actually attempted manufacturing the top bushing/cushion since that is a cause of many peoples problems vs leaking. That solution would allow many more oem miles.
The shock went in without fanfare. My only point where it was very difficult was connecting the quick connect as it was a bit seized and the new part fits very tightly. You need a lot of strength or two people or the right tools, which I saw a company does make a special connector tool. I used a pair of locking pliers as well as channel locks. The locking pliers hold the collar down and the channel locks pull the two side together once aligned.
I will report back after some driving.
I’ve also included pictures of the top mount of the very good quality used oem shock vs the China shock. This is what has forced me in this direction for now. As it’s new to me and needs inspection, the space in that bushing does not fly, and honestly, I don’t want the car reacting to a poorly mounted shock since the height is not consistent.
This is from a non leaking lower mileage oem shock. It still clunks and with all that space is sure to tear itself apart quickly. Not sure what sachs was thinking here with the absurd hollow bushing between the shock and car. Imo people should pull this off and fill the cavity with polyurethane vs adding a bushing up top where the problem isn’t. I’ll be exploring with the shock that comes off and report back. This is the new China shock which includes new top bushings.
Trying to follow along but i'm a little confused. The First picture I understand is a factory shock. The "Space" you are referring to is the space between the very top portion of the shock and the rubber portion that clearly has a part number stamped on it. You are saying that this space should be closed, closer to the China shock thats pictured below? Are you saying that the OEM shock is going to "clunk" upon full compression/Decompression of the strut? Is filling that space with polyurethane a "thing" that is recommended or an upgrade, so to speak, to cancel out the Clunking and increase the life of the shock?
If all is bolted up properly i don't understand why a factory shock would clunk as it did not from the factory. Unless of course over time this happens as you've stated that this is a used OEM replacement. Maybe I'm just missing something. I clearly see a large gap between the two pictures, OEM VS China, and the China one looks to have a smaller space between the two, but i'm trying to understand why or how that would be an issue.
Trying to follow along but i'm a little confused. The First picture I understand is a factory shock. The "Space" you are referring to is the space between the very top portion of the shock and the rubber portion that clearly has a part number stamped on it. You are saying that this space should be closed, closer to the China shock thats pictured below? Are you saying that the OEM shock is going to "clunk" upon full compression/Decompression of the strut? Is filling that space with polyurethane a "thing" that is recommended or an upgrade, so to speak, to cancel out the Clunking and increase the life of the shock?
If all is bolted up properly i don't understand why a factory shock would clunk as it did not from the factory. Unless of course over time this happens as you've stated that this is a used OEM replacement. Maybe I'm just missing something. I clearly see a large gap between the two pictures, OEM VS China, and the China one looks to have a smaller space between the two, but i'm trying to understand why or how that would be an issue.
- Joe
Sorry for being confusing, it’s not the first time
So the difference is due to the oem shock being a used part with a worn out top bushing. My oem original shocks looked like this, would not pass inspection, so I tried a nice oem shock that felt tight up top “by hand”. Upon install the weight of the car compressed the top bushing and exposed its weakness. People are filling this gap with a bushing or isolator pad from the top. Although the shock may be able to be calibrated, the shaft travel is now in a different place, which may or may not make a difference at the extremes of the adjustable nature of the shock and it’s travel. (What does an extra 15 mm of extension do at raised height and on a rumbley road, does it bang against the seal, likely) With the void space on top as seen in the original pic, you can see your shock will have 10-15 mm of free play which will cause all sorts of issues and extra wear on the shock and the abc system that has to keep adapting.
Yes it has a part number ( and so does the China shock) and people have searched for years for this part separately and it does not exist. I don’t know how rebuilders handle this but I don’t think they are manufacturing new tops, but repairing them somehow. This is why I ask if anyone has ever read about that part being manufactured in the aftermarket. BTW the part thats worn is not the part sticking up, but the part on top of the shock as shown below, and that is the part number I am talking about.
Look at the space just below the center hole and you will see it is hollow. This means the “shelf or lip” holding the shock below, will wear out and the top collar of the shock moves up towards the metal plate. The isolator pad really needs to fill this space, not the space shown in my previous picture.
I would imagine filling that void space with polyurethane (like people are making bushings with) would hold the shock in the proper place, and due to now being solid, may prevent this from happening as much.
w221 had a redesign which allows for replacing the bushing vs the entire shock.
Hopefully that sufficiently answered your question.
Last edited by Baltistyle; 04-24-2024 at 08:55 PM.
Reason: clarified the worn part
I feel your pain having to resort to Chinese parts. I'm gambling on a rebuilt tandem pump at the moment. I'm not a huge fan of buying NOS parts that have been shelved for 15-20 years either because rubber goods do have a shelf life and go bad. I know this first hand from working in the power generation industry and see it often with pneumatics operating under 120 psi, let alone hydraulics operating at much higher pressures.
Please tell us those stories and the possible vendor to avoid.
Left front ABC strut for 221 S-65. Arnott remans. Ordered one up from World Pac (big supplier to every import shop going who offers generally high quality products).
I pull the cap off of the hydraulic hose to install.... It is chock full of steel shavings. As one would expect of a part that had a machine step to clean things up that was left full of it.
Return that strut and take delivery of another. Same part number. Remove cap for latest replacement.... Same issue.
I'll be damned if I'm going to install something that is going to foul the hydraulic system.
Who is to say another strut isn't going to have similar in a spot not so easily seen with a disaster not long down the road?
My intent was to replace the left front strut as it would drip when the car was on the hoist at full droop. Didn't leak with weight of the car on it. I never did source a decent strut for it and would wipe the (original) strut off with a shop rag every time she was on the hoist. Never came out to the car with a corner down. Had the car to 150,000 miles and change.
FWIW.... MB made a large improvement to the bushing the weight of the car rests on for the 222 chassis. No longer an issue.
04-23-2024, 07:31 PM
