Another satisfied rear shock replacement
05-31-2021, 04:33 PM
#1
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04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
Another satisfied rear shock replacement
It took me a while to zero in on this and I suspect driving the car also slowly made it worse as the previous owner didn't drive it much. So stuff happens. Also I think this car has an OEM left front strut, and I think the rear shocks and bags are original, at 135k.
So the symptoms were these:
- Right rear shock coated in grime. The more I looked at this and read, the more I realized this was the smoking gun I really needed.
- Rear felt unsettled over certain bumps, usually when the right rear would hit. On some surfaces it would be quite alarming. Other times it would feel just fine. All the damping modes worked.
- Occasional clunk over certain bumps from the right rear.
All of this, plus the fact that I am driving on a long trip in a month (I've been going through the car if you haven't noticed) made it drop $645 on rear shocks (Bilstein on Rockauto, lifetime - FCP Euro is $200 more PER SHOCK!).
I'll save the long drawn out details of the job (ask if you want to know something). Torqued the lower mount bolt on the ground with weight on the car (some people seem to conveniently skip this).
Results? It seems completely fixed!! So satisfying. Count me as another E55 rear shock customer with good results. Comfort mode feels better and really all modes feel better. The rear takes bumps properly, like the front now. It kind of kills me that Bilstein couldn't include ANY hardware/mounts for the price but fortunately all of my old stuff was in good shape including the upper mounts (maybe this is typical).
So the symptoms were these:
- Right rear shock coated in grime. The more I looked at this and read, the more I realized this was the smoking gun I really needed.
- Rear felt unsettled over certain bumps, usually when the right rear would hit. On some surfaces it would be quite alarming. Other times it would feel just fine. All the damping modes worked.
- Occasional clunk over certain bumps from the right rear.
All of this, plus the fact that I am driving on a long trip in a month (I've been going through the car if you haven't noticed) made it drop $645 on rear shocks (Bilstein on Rockauto, lifetime - FCP Euro is $200 more PER SHOCK!).
I'll save the long drawn out details of the job (ask if you want to know something). Torqued the lower mount bolt on the ground with weight on the car (some people seem to conveniently skip this).
Results? It seems completely fixed!! So satisfying. Count me as another E55 rear shock customer with good results. Comfort mode feels better and really all modes feel better. The rear takes bumps properly, like the front now. It kind of kills me that Bilstein couldn't include ANY hardware/mounts for the price but fortunately all of my old stuff was in good shape including the upper mounts (maybe this is typical).
06-01-2021, 10:05 PM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
I just put Bilstein in the rear, after one of my Arnotts were DOA. Unfortunately I've had a front left strut, and now a rear shock fail within weeks after installing them. Rock auto replaced my front strut under warranty, and the new unit seems to be ok for now, but I've had enough of Arnott products for now I think. I have a front passenger strut from them that's been rock solid for years now, but my recent experience has been not so hot.
The Bilsteins ride fantastic.
The Bilsteins ride fantastic.
06-02-2021, 06:41 AM
#4
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04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
It's really worth it. How much are Arnott rears? I didn't even see them listed at FCP Euro. For $311/ea at Rockauto for Bilsteins how much cheaper could rear Arnotts possibly be?
06-02-2021, 11:55 AM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
The Arnott rear shocks were a little over $500 for the pair from FCP, however they haven't been in stock in a long time. I've been trying to get a replacement order since February, but have given up and will now just seek a refund. I wish I'd have checked rock auto lol... I got my Bilsteins from autohausaz for about $500 each.
