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My lower shock bushing eyes on my 99 SL600 80k are worn to the point that I can get clinking noise going over speed bumps and uneven road. I can't find any repair methods or parts for this and it seems an overkill to spend so much on new ones to fix it. Has anyone found a remedy for this issue I really don't think I'm the only one with the ADS cars.
In case you are talking about the gas-hydraulic rear legs, unfortunately the strut leg bushing is not designed to be removed/replaced. The strut R&R work is straightforward but a new gas-hydraulic ADS rear leg costs about 200-500€ per side. I believe Sachs is one of the OEM suppliers. The Sachs number is 102 520 (Mercedes A1293200713). Last year I found a pair in ebay.de for 330€+postage.
I was hoping that someone may have bored these out and put a sleeve in to bring the ID back to spec. I have a machine shop and am capable of this but I hate to take them off the car just to find out that there is something that will go wrong.
Initially, I expected changing the rear leg strut bushing would be like the lower control arm – an easy cheap fix with the right tools. The leg bushing is similar but smaller and locked by bending the alloy orifice lip over the bushing (see photo).
When I changed my rear gas-hydraulic legs, I was lazy and just took weight off the rear wheels, leaving ADS1 system pressurized. Oil spillage was minimal and the job can be compared to changing a damper (albeit no coil spring to compress).
Thanks for the picture The old one looks to have a worn bushing was that the case and were you getting noise from it?
My problem was annoying squeaky noise from one side. I cannot recall whether my picture is from the squeaky bushing. It has a joint with bearing and nylon seals. Tried to tighten and grease it frenetically, to no avail. Concluded like you that the bushing is not available as a spare part. Later, when inspecting the old strut I saw what thirty years had done to the stop buffer - it was broken both sides.
The right rear one on my car shows daylight between bolt and bushing when on rack and lower control arm is jacked a bit so I have some .006" copper feeler shims I'm gonna slip in to see if this is the issue. It could save me $$ and work.
Not to forget: under the rubber sleeve is a foam buffer which deteriorates over the time and cannot be replaced without disassembling the whole unit. :-(
Cheers, Frank
I believe the shock eyes get worn from the ADS shocks going solid.
Either from ruptured spheres where they completely fill and have no nitrogen (a good reason to change the spheres in a timely manner). And from driving around with the system in error due to a fault in the system (i.e. harsh ride).
I changed mine out about 4 years ago for new Sachs Super Touring hydraulic shocks from FCP (best warrantee). I further enhanced their resistance to the elements by using heim joint covers to protect the fragile bushing membranes.
I believe the shock eyes get worn from the ADS shocks going solid.
Yes, I agree ruptured hydraulic spheres increase strut leg load. But I haven’t noticed anyone report a strut jammed rock-solid. In contrary, the struts seem to be very durable and leak-resistant.
The strut lower eye design is similar to lower control arm/wheel carrier “squeak” bushing. The retainer bolt is tightened into the lower arm and movement is allowed by a greased ball joint. When the joint becomes seized due to water, rust and drying, the bolt and control arm start to wear.
When the joint becomes seized due to water, rust and drying, the bolt and control arm start to wear.
Absolute. A joint at one side made a cracking noise on mine when driving over bumps. It took a long time to find the cause, who thinks of something like that? The shock itself will be absolutely fine.
After a bunch of miles (currently 270K miles), I just got new rear ADSII shocks from Sachs. Oddly enough, the front struts showed no signs of fatigue. The only things I changed on the front were the hydraulic O-rings at the top of the strut and the bump stops.
After a bunch of miles (currently 270K miles), I just got new rear ADSII shocks from Sachs. Oddly enough, the front struts showed no signs of fatigue. The only things I changed on the front were the hydraulic O-rings at the top of the strut and the bump stops.
you got rear ads shocks branded by sachs? Not Mercedes? If so how? I only see genuine Mercedes listings and they’ve gone up a lot in price. Also the oem sachs appears to be NLA. I searched using the manufacturer part number: 102548
Last edited by sushipaste; 03-04-2022 at 04:21 PM.
so you did buy genuine Mercedes. I thought when you said sachs you meant you got the oe part In a sachs box, which would be way cheaper than genuine Mercedes
Unfortunately, I can't find a bearing with the right outside diameter and inside diameter. I would take one with a suitable outer diameter, not to weaken the shock absorber and install a suitable sleeve between the screw and the inner bearing.
02-18-2022, 11:25 PM
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