jtse

Hi All,

I have decided to go with the following kit:

http://www.strutmasters.com/products...-fix-mx14fm-2/

I have a 2003 SL55 with 37000 miles on it. My ABC right front strut's travel plunger sensor is broken thus requiring a new strut.

It seems a bit extreme at first to do a coil suspension conversion at first but when I did a cost analysis, it makes more sense to change now rather than later. Local independent shop quoted me total price of $850 for a remanufactured single strut including labor to fix the issue.

The kit is $2000 with shipping. Then, I assume it will take 10-15 hours of labor to get it done (if someone has done this exact procedure before, please inform me what you did or your shop did and the number of hours.

Arnott's is willing to buy back all four of the ABC struts for $1200 total ($300 each), this should help with recouping back the cost of the procedure. There should be some miscellaneous parts possible to sell to but I am too lazy for that.

My only concern is how does the ABC reservoir and the tandem pump for power steering will work. From what I can gather, I can use it in meantime until that break as well and swap it for a standalone power steering pump only.

If I take a gamble (which I know ABC's are matter of when, not IF), I would be paying total $7-9K in repair costs when the ABCs components break one after another.

I would appreciate if anyone can shed some light on this for year 2017 as I have read all the past posts about conversions and strutmasters.

If you disagree, please point it out to me and I would take that into full considerations.

Thanks,

J

m5zealot

I'm a newbie with my '06 SL55. I got lucky because the previous owner replaced the entire ABC system less than a year ago. So hopefully, I won't have to worry about it for many years to come. My concern is this: Won't you have to also retrofit some sway bars front and rear? I thought the ABC system also replaces physical sway bars. Without them, the car is going to lean and handle like crap right? I don't think I have ever seen an econo box or high end car with no type of sway bar system in place.

bobterry99

Nuts.

m5zealot

The main thing that made the SL 55 so attractive to me is the ABC system. I believe though complex and expensive to repair, it is amazing technology and I'm still amazed at the lack of body roll when going thru corners! I love being able to adjust ride height when going up or down steep driveways - just like systems in Porsches and Lamborghini! It's an amazing piece of kit as the Brits would say.

I had a more simple Sachs unit at the rear of my BMW M5 that started to leak after 24 years. It was an elegant system that kept the rear ride height constant regardless of load. However, it was not in place for handling so I replaced it with conventional springs and Bilstein shocks.

If there is anyway you can beg, borrow or steal I hope you decide to repair and keep the Sachs hydraulic system. IMO is is worth the $$$. You may never have to touch it for the life of the car. Just my humble input.


1.5" drop w/ lowering links.

dafi129

After having had my 55 for just over 2 years now and spending a reasonable amount on the ABC , I'm happy to keep fixing the system because it gives a ride second to none .
The 55 will not be the same and will nor handle the same without ABC . ABC masters
the chassis and handling characteristics of the car in a safe and sure way like no other system would . I think if you spend $4/5K to overhaul ABC , you'd have another 5/6 years trouble free . I know it's wishful thinking , but I love the 230 with the Hydraulics .. The only draw back it's the time loss when the car sits for repairs . For me it's a price I'm willing to bear , coz it gives me a great car at the end of the day . My 2 cents

carguyshu

there are far better kits than the strutmasters if you are going the coilover route. getting a kit that doesn't have swaybars is foolish, dangerous, & will perform very poorly. There is another kit that uses the sl350 suspension (including sway bar), but that is a bit inadequate for heavier 55. VVK has custom made a better front sway bar for the application and probably has the best coilover conversion. I know they have 2 kits, one of which is more race oriented & there is a thread running around about the kit, particularly focused on the v12 application.

Regardless, plan on the car handling worse than it does now in 'regular' suspension mode and riding rougher than when it is in 'sport' mode. ABC has a great balance of ride/handling, but I understand why someone would want to toss it after going through many recent headaches with the system. At your cars age, even though it is low mileage, you are going to need all 4 accumulators replaced and likely it will not be long before hoses start weeping near the crimped ends (this indicates when they are about to go). The 3 hoses in the engine compartment that are pressure hoses will be the first you will have trouble with along with maybe the power steering hose. The two hoses that go under the radiator to the 2 front struts as well as the one that goes from pump to the pressure regulator in the rear of the driver's front wheel well are the ones I would take a very close look at (all 3 were bad on my 03 along with the power steering pump which I did not notice until taking off all the underbody trays and inspecting closely).

The good and complete kits the come with the power steering pump from the sl350, which doesn't have ABC. If you want to be cheap in the meantime you can loop the abc hose until replacement is needed and then replace it with the non tandem power steering pump in the future.

Also that module they include is worthless. Anyone with a STAR system can disable the ABC dash light and system by recoding the car for ABC 'not present'