W124 swaybars

[ksing44]

If you want an amazing, complete list of the bars for a W124 go to
http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/W124_stuff/
and download the file
MB_124_swaybars.xls or MB_124_swaybars.pdf

It seems that everyone is pushing for the Mercedes bars instead of the Eibach bars that "are specifically engineered for our cars". I don’t quite understand why everyone is "steering" clear of the after market bars when we use their other parts. We all buy after market springs and shocks, but everyone seems to think the Mercedes bar is better. The Eibach bars come with polyurethane bushings, which is considered a good thing. The Eibach front bar is 28mm end to end, with no taper, so I suppose it will be very stiff and the car will be very flat. I understand that different materials could make the tapered E500 bar stiffer, but I’m not sure anyone has actually tested it. I am just curious about everyone’s opinions. Thank you for all the help.

[Greg in Oz]

The ends of the swaybar (anti-roll bar) don't do any work. They are simply the "lever" that transfers the load (torsional) to the part of the bar that runs across the car. Whether or not the ends are tapered matters little.

The diameter can be deceptive too. One bar of a larger diameter may in fact not be as stiff as a thinner one due to the use of different steel alloys. A case in point is drive shafts (rear axle half shafts). Those on my 190E 2.3 are much thicker than those on our 300TE, both 1990 cars (only one month separates them). I do not believe the drive shafts on the 190E are stronger (unless they are special ones being a sportline 5 speed manual). Those on the 300TE are probably a stronger alloy that does not need to be as large a diameter for the required strength.

Oh, and since we are talking swaybars I've got to post this pic again for those who missed it...

[ksing44]

You can really roll your car.
I get the message about the thickness not being everything to consider about the bars. That is why this is difficult. It would be easy just to go buy the thickest bars to get the flattest ride. I am still trying to figure out what is the best set-up for my 1995 E320.
We all know that there is always a major consideration for comfort with the Mercedes. They seem to compromise even in the "sport" versions of their cars. The Mercedes bars, with their tapered ends, are probably a compromise between performance and comfort even though bars are not supposed to have a huge impact on comfort. It may be that the performance-minded Eibach bars, with their polyurethane bushings, are actually stiffer and provide a flatter ride.
I don’t think the difference in cost is a major consideration. With the best prices, which I am not sure that I can get for the Mercedes bars, the difference in cost between Eibach and Mercedes bars and bushings is only about $75.00 more for Eibach. If I have to get the E500 bars from the dealer, there will be no difference in cost and it may even cost more for the Mercedes parts after I pay for bushings and sales tax. I think the Eibach bars come with polyurethane bushings, so that would be considered a plus. The front bar for Eibach is 28mm end to end with no taper, so I suppose it may be a bit stiffer than even the "Limo" bars. It will most likely cost me more to install both of the bars than they actually cost, so the $75.00 difference doesn’t really matter. I want to get the best set-up I can for my once $50,0000.00 dollar car, so $75.00 doesn’t make a difference. I am not saying that I am willing to buy very expensive custom bars, but $75.00 isn’t a big deal. What is the best set of bars to keep my car flat?

Eibach Anti-roll Bars for W124
Part Number 2505.320
Upgrademotoring ($446.25)
http://www.upgrademotoring.com/suspension/eibach/mercedes.htm
Autosupermart ($499)
http://autosupermart.com/old6/shopcart/eibach/eibach22.html
AutoWorld ($586)
http://www.autoworldaccessories.com/ViewPartinfo.cfm?parttype=9042
Modocar ($595)
http://www.modacar.com/mercedes/swaybars_mercedes.htm
Coximport ($???)
http://www.coximport.com/store/2505.320

Mercedes Bars & Bushings with online prices from (I did not call)
Rusty = Buy MB Parts www.**********.com
1-800-741-5252 Date: Nov-2002
124-323-77-65 "Limo" or Convertible Sportline bar $132.00
124-323-46-85 Front inner bushing, 28.5mm $6.75 (x2 = $13.50)
124-323-51-85 Front outer bushing, 22mm (hard?) $5.50 (x2 = $11.00)
124-326-25-65 E500 rear bar $168
201-326-16-81 Rear bushing, 18mm $25.50 (x2 = $50.00)

$132.00 + $13.50 + $11.00 + $168.00 + $50.00 = $374.00
If I can actually get those prices.

My dealer wants $185.00 front and $220.00 Rear for E500 bars = $405.00 + Bushings

[ksing44]

I am still not quite able to make my decision about the bars.
First, good things about E500 bars.
I like the idea of using the OE E500 bars and I know that the E500 rear bar is actually 1mm larger than the Eibach rear bar. In addition, based on what gsxr wrote in a previous post, it sounds like the OE bushings may be made from some kind of polyurethane and they have a Teflon inner sleeve. The Eibach probably does not have the Teflon sleeve. The taper on the big E500 bar may provide some degree of compliance at the ends that translates into a more comfortable ride, while still giving pretty flat cornering ability. The E500 bars sound pretty good.
Now on to the Eibach bars.
I understand that different materials can affect stiffness, but I still think the taper will make the E500 bar less stiff than the Eibach bar and most people seem to want the stiffest, biggest bar they can find. I have read that even super stiff bars should not have a dramatic affect on ride quality. It is not like changing the springs and shocks. Although it is important to match the front and rear bars, the front seems to be a much larger concern to most people, so the 1mm smaller Eibach rear bar may not be an issue. The Eibach rear bar is 2mm larger than my skinny little stock 15mm bar and that skinny little rear bar couldn’t be doing much work back there. I just read that Eibach is painted on the front swaybar of Chappy’s '02 CLK55. I thought I was right about Mercedes using reputable aftermarket suppliers for some of their "sport" parts. I learned from a previous post that Bilstein was not used in the earlier cars, but I knew for sure they used Bilstein more recently and I had read that AMG used the Eibach springs among other suppliers at different times. Now Chappy says that he has the Eibach swaybar. So actually, to get an AMG-like and still "Mercedes-correct" E320, I can use Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, Eibach swaybars, and some AMG Wheels. This should give me the handling characteristics of the AMG. Hey, I know that I still won’t have the speed, but that is OK because I am really very satisfied with the engine performance of my 1995 E320. I am curious about the big V8, but I am in love my I6 motor and stock performance, compared to AMG tuned, may be more likely to give me the years of reliability that Mercedes is known for.
Back to the bars. I am still trying to decide. Based on my list of concerns, I guess I am leaning toward the Eibach. Then I go back to E500 to be more "Mercedes" correct and to get that "taper" for a more compliant but still flat ride. If I pay about 1000.00 dollars to purchase and install the E500 bars and don’t get a flat ride, I will be very disappointed. Then again, if I spend about the same for the Eibach bars and end up sacrificing too much ride quality or end up ripping the wheels off my car when I am cornering, I will also be very disappointed. Thanks for all of the information, but I am still having a hard time making a decision.

[Greg123]

The tapered ends don't come into it. The choice can be affected by how 'springy' and stiff the metal is, but it's the small twist (less than 90 degrees over the full length of the bar) in the long centre section that actually does the anti roll, the ends are just short leavers to twist the middle, the ends won't actually tiwst, well a negligable amount. IT's cheaper not to taper them, but tapered is a bit more lightweight and less unsprung weight. Unless you can find out which of the bars are STIFFER, I would go with the cheapest. Either will be good, by the look of it the merc back bar is going to be slightly better but there may be a reason for ebach not doing that, it may have made the back end a bit 'tail happy' as increasing the anti roll on one axle without the other makes that axle more likely to slide out, therfore by varying the amount of front/rear anti roll you can control the balance (understeer/oversteer) of the car. Essentially it boils down to price and unless you can get a definate 'yes the ebach is stiffer' from someone it will be much of a muchness, shouldn't affect ride too much with standard springs, over gently undulating roads and humps wont' affect at all. Should make it great! Now if only I can find poly bushes for the rest of the suspension....