my rear suspension makes noise from the right side and squeaks and qwirks over every bump, car was sitting for almost a year before i bought it (other thread explains how car was, most problems fixed, this is last one mainly). Lubricated and greased suspension and drove about 65 miles and noise has not gone away. I have the self leveling suspension system without ADS i believe. I think i need accumulators also cause car feels bumps a little to much when sitting properly. Noise from right rear can not be from accumulators right?? Maybe the car was sitting so low for so long (because there was no mineral oil in system at all) so it damaged the shock absorber. i dont know what to do. Ive read that some say since i flushed system with mineral oil now and raised height and greased suspension that i need to drive car for hundreds of miles for it to grease up or break itself in. All i know is self leveling shock abosrbers are expensive as hell. is there any alternative, conversion kit or anything that is potentially a good thing to do? please let me know any opinions, suggestions, or solutions. thanks in advance.
Now does that mean it fits car with self leveling suspension or fits all except ones with self leveling?? they could have done a better job wording it. If it doesnt fit they should have put "without" instead of the word with
Self leveling shocks will cost you $593.79 (each) thru BenzBin (see link). The Monroe shocks will not work with your current setup if you have self leveling. If you have non self leveling shocks you should go with Bilstein. Bilstein and Sachs is oem, monroe is not. HD Bilstein are stiff and not as comfortable a ride but give a more precise feel. If you want comfort go with bilstein comfort.
In the rear system of the '95 S500 its the "accumulators" that are the real "shock absorber" of the system... the rear "shocks" are actually valved struts..
Accumulators as a rule wear out way first over the struts... yes, the rear struts might show minor seepage but that is normal for a higher milage car.
Accumulators can wear out either from use or age - doesn't matter - the sounds you describe are symptomatic of accumulators...
Been there done that. Bumpy ride = accumulators.
Squeak or thumping sound from rear = hydrolic struts
I hate to break it to you but the parts alone total are about $1,300 if you change everything. My opinion is IT IS WORTH IT! I went the route of changing the accums first. Helped the bumpy ride but still had the thumping in the rear over bumps as well as a "loose" feeling in the back. When I changed the rear struts I went ahead and changed the fronts as well. I also changes all the bushings where needed. The differance is night and day. The car glides over the road and feels as sure footed as a mountain goat, even at high speed.
I know it's a ton of dough. Take it to an independent Merc mechanic you trust and have him take a look. The honest ones will tell you what's really needed and what can wait.
thanks guys, yeah i just found out that car is also leaking mineral oil for self leveling in the back so that is why car does not stay at desired height and slowly lowers itself, however when it is at correct height or actually a little high in the back the ride is bouncy over bumps so my mechanic recommended accumulators. the squeaking from right rear he said is the shock/strut which has quited down some but not all the way. Is it true that i can change only one? he said it is not like rotors, i should change only the one that is making the noise.
Yes. You do not need to change both as pairs. I replaced only the one making the noise in my car. FYI, I found a good deal on struts. PM me if you're interested.
company called strutmasters makes a conversion pair of struts for the rear, for both its 400$$, they block of the line so no more self leveling. here is the link, what do u guys think?? im leaning towards just replacing the right rear with same OEM part but iunno if this would be just as good.
The "Strut Masters" conversion originally came from US car conversions - it eliminates the Hydo system and converts to Monroe.
I have never heard of anyone posting about their success/satisfaction with that deal for a MB...
Back to basics.... my opinion, first a accumulator replacement (pair). The pair can be had for under $200 for the parts, last time I looked on eBay. If you are a DIY guy there are a couple good pictorral posts of the replacemen. If you are not a DIY guy, but have a hard copy print of the replacement process in hand.. shopping for a indie shop, job could be done in 4 hours real time, no more than 5 real shop hours...hunt for the right guy/shop, again with paper in hand.. you should be able to replace your accumulators (parts and labor) for just a bit more than Strut Masters parts only.
After the accumulators are done, you will really appreciate the difference, then you may have one strut to replace...
HD Bilstein are stiff and not as comfortable a ride but give a more precise feel. If you want comfort go with bilstein comfort.
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