Gene Fiorot

After reading many threads for more than an hour I am still trying to figure out who sells a front sway bar for a 2004 Sl500 with Strutmaster's Coil/struts. Does anyone know of a supplier? Yes I know some hate coil overs no need to tell me since I have read arguments on both sides. I will listen to anyone who will tell me not having a sway bar will not cause impending death. OH one thing an anti no sway bar person says the car will dip on braking. A sway bar has nothing to do with straight line braking it only works on torsion. I am willing to add one to my car. Your information could expedite this . Thank you all in advance! Gene

HLG600

Not sure what you are trying to accomplish with the tone of your post.

AFAIK, there are two sway bars available for the R230:

1. OE Mercedes option, used on the SL350.
2. VVK sway bars, which are a part of their kit but not available to purchase separately (unless they changed things recently).

Whether mechanically in the SL350 or hydraulically in every other R230, there is something in place from the factory to manage/control lateral movement in the suspension. What kind of reasoning beyond this are you looking for, exactly?

Gene Fiorot

Just trying to cut through the bull Tone? Huh Thanks then 350 it is

HLG600

No problem. Regarding tone, you were coming off as dismissive of legitimate concerns to running an R230 on coil-overs without sway bars.

While your car will not spontaneously combust because of no sway bars, the fact remains that there is a gap in your suspension functionality when deleting ABC.

If Mercedes addressed this gap on an exception case model and VVK, when designing a high-performance option, did the same, that is evidence enough on the need.

Plus, there is one other model I forgot to mention in my last post: the SL65 Black Series. Coil-overs from the factory along with sway bars front and rear.

Gene Fiorot

Ok fine. Do I need them or do I not LOL So I need them Can you provide the part numbers including the bar and the necessary hardware for the installation. Thanks in advance Gene I was attempting to keep it simple

brucewane

True, but the Black Series also uses different front lower control arms that have accomodation for the sway bar, so this is basically the most expensive and difficult option.

The SL350 bar is a little light since it's built for a car with a lighter engine, but it'll do OK in a an SL500 if you're not looking for really tight sway control. Certainly better than no bar at all.

IMO, VVK is the best choice for crisp handling and simplicity of installation.

brucewane

It's your call as to whether you need them or not. You're old enough to drive, you ought to be up to making your own decisions

If it was my car I'd definitely have them in a coilover conversion, but I like to push my car pretty hard through twisty stuff. Some folks like a more laid back cruise and may be OK without. My own preference aside, a coilover converted car is definitely going to handle an emergency swerve a lot better and safer with sway bars.

https://rebuildmastertech.com/ sells front and rear kits. But if you do a bit of your own searching, there's a few threads here where people have posted the complete MB part number list for an SL350 setup.

HLG600

You'll need to triple-check compatibility, but this should get you started:

Existing Kit

Front Bar: https://rebuildmastertech.com/merced...ng-conversion/

Rear Bar: https://rebuildmastertech.com/merced...ng-conversion/

Part Diagrams

Front Setup: https://nemigaparts.com/cat_spares/e...56/65p/32/060/

Rear Setup: https://nemigaparts.com/cat_spares/e...56/65p/32/180/

Plus a much wider track and numerous other differences. I wasn't suggesting it as an option but rather as a supporting example. In (by far) the most aggressive R230 configuration, sway bars are incorporated into the suspension design.

If I was considering an ABC delete on an R230 today, VVK would be the only option.

Tony Ryan

Given that VVK are in Florida too and your car is an SL500 with shallow sump then its a no brainer to choose their bars .

Gene Fiorot

Thank you all for distilling the issue for me. I appreciate it. Gene

George993

SL350 sway bars are impossible to get in USA, but one can get them out of European or Australian (and probably a few other places) junk yards or Mercedes Dealers (who may or may not ship to USA, I've got mine used out of a junkyard in Europe). And of course one still needs the links and new bushings, those are included in VVK or similar kits.

I would definitely recommend them if someone runs non-adjustable coil overs or likes a soft ride. But as I've posted in this forum elsewhere, if you like a hard/stiff suspension and have adjustable coil overs and you set them up to a pretty stiff mode without sway bars, the sway/roll is similar to ABC and you don't feel like you are missing anything. Plenty of great handling cars did not use sway bars (Jaguar E-type, Fiat X1/9, many drift racers remove them even today)

But everyone has their preferences, and from the liability/legal perspective certainly making the car similar to the factory design and using sway bars would be much preferred.

Hary Gahtoe

No apologies just the truth ; If you’re going with Strutmasters it’s not really worth putting on a decent sway bar. The shocks Aren’t up to more than senior’s home driving level. Just put on a SL350 sway bar and a Depends. No harm no foul

But... If you do like to go into “slow to 25mph” corners at least 30 then really look into decent coilovers and a proper front sway bar.
Did you ever wonder where VVK gets theirs? They buy them and sell them for huge $$$’s
What other chassis has a V8, similar weight, very similar A arms, and has sway bars? Who sells aftermarket sway bars for the AMG model?
The option to have a splined style bar fitted to your car is another option

Speedway Splined Sway Bar Stabilizer Kit,
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