my 72 280SE 4.5 [heavy w108 content]

[lewda]

help!!

alright guys, maybe one of you who have done a static low on the W108 can chime in, but tonight and the other day i noticed that my W108's rear suspension [ i have cut about 1.25 of a coil off the rear springs] is raising back up?!? The camber in the rear is no longer there and the rear has gone back up about 1-2" giving me a severe racked look. My car has the hydro-pneumatic compensator in the rear, not the spring, i dunno if this has anything to do with it, the hdryo thing looks like this:



My guess is the Hydro-pneumatic is obviously doing its job and righting the rear, of course, it didnt right it back to stock ride height, but definitely raised it enough where I dont like it. So....before i go back in and cut some more off the rear springs, anyone have any insight to this, ever experienced it before? Couldnt find much on the research as most information didnt involve lowering the car

[Nick475]

Looks great!

[PG1_Euro36]

amazing build man.. always want some W108. keep up your good work

[lewda]

ok, well, got the car out today to run to the store then snap some shots, but it ended up raining, so I only ended up getting a couple of shots from my phone....hopefully tomorrow it wont rain and i can get some better pics, anyways...heres how she sits now:

[D&W]

Yes, Peachparts is awesome, I trolled the hell outa Peachparts when I first got the car as it didnt run.

I think next weekend I will check out the bump stops, the ones that the car is resting on are the ones that are shaped like little cones. I'll try and see if I can trim them in half, but I would say that it is def what is keeping the front from coming down a bit. I went out in the garage last night and the rear is just like maybe a half inch from white wall tucking, although the tire is tucked.

Well I guess its decently low, my driveway isnt that steep, but the exhaust was dragging on the concrete on its way into the garage.

yes, my exhaust was the lowest point also and scraped a lot! I've had mine tucked up higher now which has helped out a lot with clearance

[lewda]

Yes, Peachparts is awesome, I trolled the hell outa Peachparts when I first got the car as it didnt run.

I think next weekend I will check out the bump stops, the ones that the car is resting on are the ones that are shaped like little cones. I'll try and see if I can trim them in half, but I would say that it is def what is keeping the front from coming down a bit. I went out in the garage last night and the rear is just like maybe a half inch from white wall tucking, although the tire is tucked.

Well I guess its decently low, my driveway isnt that steep, but the exhaust was dragging on the concrete on its way into the garage.

[D&W]

Thanks! Yeah, the rocker panel seemed to sit level with the ground until later in the evening, the rear seems a bit lower than the front. When you aired your car, did you get rid of the bump stops on the lower control arm? It seems that when I put the car down from the jack stands that the front sits on the lower bump stops.

yeah, def need to get some better photos, this is the only site I have come across [that i know of] where there are so many vintage German cars, namely Mercedes, where people aren't asses about you wanting to lower it or modify it. I love this forum and I too love that there are so many W108's and 2002's and all vintage cars for that matter being rebuilt.

There was some bump stops removed and i believe they were the ones from inside the control arm, however you could also look at cutting them shorter?

I am stoked that there is so many more w108's showing up, they are such great cars Check out peachparts.com there is a great forum for any technical questions on these cars!

it is hard to capture actual height sometimes, do what you think looks good, your real close i think anyway, it looks nice

[lewda]

I would try and keep your lower rocker level with the ground, thats a good way to know where to make it sit, or with a tiny slight forward rake (front of rocker a touch lower than rear)

I went straight from springs to air so never lowered it any other method. but i like where your's is sitting, my vote would be down in the rear a touch more so you are tucking whitewall.

car is clean good work

Thanks! Yeah, the rocker panel seemed to sit level with the ground until later in the evening, the rear seems a bit lower than the front. When you aired your car, did you get rid of the bump stops on the lower control arm? It seems that when I put the car down from the jack stands that the front sits on the lower bump stops.

Its very hard to tell from my crappy photos that cars actual stance, the car sits lower than the pictures of it in the driveway now. the rear white wall tucks a smidge now, i probally wont be able to get any good photos of the car until the weekend.

Seems to be sitting fine for me also, but who knows what the camera isn't showing.
I like how this site has waves of w108 or 2002 that make it to the top. It's really in the end what keeps these cars alive and promotes them as great projects for others. So thank you my friend for this build :]

yeah, def need to get some better photos, this is the only site I have come across [that i know of] where there are so many vintage German cars, namely Mercedes, where people aren't asses about you wanting to lower it or modify it. I love this forum and I too love that there are so many W108's and 2002's and all vintage cars for that matter being rebuilt.

[TeckniX]

Seems to be sitting fine for me also, but who knows what the camera isn't showing.
I like how this site has waves of w108 or 2002 that make it to the top. It's really in the end what keeps these cars alive and promotes them as great projects for others. So thank you my friend for this build :]

[D&W]

I would try and keep your lower rocker level with the ground, thats a good way to know where to make it sit, or with a tiny slight forward rake (front of rocker a touch lower than rear)

I went straight from springs to air so never lowered it any other method. but i like where your's is sitting, my vote would be down in the rear a touch more so you are tucking whitewall.

car is clean good work

[lewda]

ok, so today, I decided to go ahead and lower the car, here ya go!


this is the car before lowering:


springs out:


spings to cut, these are the fronts, cut two coils off:


front lowered:



rear done:



car up for the night:



I cut a coil and a quarter in the rear as the rear was already sagging a bit, but the rear actually still seems a bit lower than the front, the front to me isnt low enough, I know the pictures arent that good, but i ran outa time when i was done, was dark by the time i got the last spring back in.

How many coils do you guys normally cut off on the W108's? The front swing arms are on the bump stops, did you guys remove these? I may end up keeping the car, so the suspension may be temp as a place holder for air, any input appreciated!

[D&W]

new bilstein shocks from autohausaz or something, they are like $70 a piece and cut the springs sorted!

[lewda]

just got back from our honeymoon not too long ago, some pics of the car from the wedding:






was cruising in town the other day and saw my cars baby brother, 250S, parked on the side of the street in the color my car was originally.



and a couple of randoms:




of course now that the wedding is over i scored a hood emblem finally from the junk yard. Next up on the list of plans for the car is to finish up the detail pieces and lower it! Been hard finding time with work and my mother being in the hospital, so the car isnt the main priority right now, but it will be lowered soon hopefully. Im not keeping it, so it wont go air, it will just have to go with ghetto cut springs. I am a little leery and the shocks on the car now are a little bouncy, any thoughts?

[lewda]

In materials, I think I am around 2500-3000, which includes the new tires. Took the car for a spin last night and to fill the tank up, got to the gas station and the interior driver door handle broke....had to get out by rolling the window down and opening it from the outside, yet another thing to fix/break, gotta love these 40 year old cars! :P

[L1no]

Looks amazing. Ballpark on how much the build cost?