HYPETODAY // '89 Mercedes-Benz W124 260E

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

as i know they never rotated this way. they were fixed with one bolt and some kind of a plastic disc in the center. the original springs also do not rotate, so i think this is not the problem. the complete system was approved by the german tüv.

Thank you, that's very helpful!

where do you mount your fittings? at the w201 they were attached to the side. which I do not think is right.

I've debated on how to best handle the fittings. As you know, the rear spring cups on the W124 are in kind of an awkward spot to run an air line to from the top. If you draw a straight line along the center of the spring upwards, it comes into the trunk right about the middle of the unibody frame rail. You could exit the frame rail into either the spare tire well or into the little sunken pockets on either side of the trunk, but I'm not sure how badly I want to punch holes in the frame.

Right now, my rear air lines and wiring enter the wheel well right about where the rear seat bulkhead is, and they're zip-tied away from the tire. I have a PTC right-angle fitting from Bag Riders (this one: link) and the air lines connect through a hole in my prototype spring cup. Obviously the hole has a rubber grommet to protect the line from abrasion.

In the front, the situation is obviously simpler, since the spring cups have nice exposed holes at the top you can run an air line through.

I'm curious about your thoughts on the air lines entering from the side, and why that concerns you, since I haven't reached a conclusion on how the rear is going to work on my final design.

[hypetoday]

Thank you, that's very helpful!



I've debated on how to best handle the fittings. As you know, the rear spring cups on the W124 are in kind of an awkward spot to run an air line to from the top. If you draw a straight line along the center of the spring upwards, it comes into the trunk right about the middle of the unibody frame rail. You could exit the frame rail into either the spare tire well or into the little sunken pockets on either side of the trunk, but I'm not sure how badly I want to punch holes in the frame.

Right now, my rear air lines and wiring enter the wheel well right about where the rear seat bulkhead is, and they're zip-tied away from the tire. I have a PTC right-angle fitting from Bag Riders (this one: link) and the air lines connect through a hole in my prototype spring cup. Obviously the hole has a rubber grommet to protect the line from abrasion.

In the front, the situation is obviously simpler, since the spring cups have nice exposed holes at the top you can run an air line through.

I'm curious about your thoughts on the air lines entering from the side, and why that concerns you, since I haven't reached a conclusion on how the rear is going to work on my final design.

the fitting entered from the side and ended in the spare wheel trough. it concerns me because i had an serious problem... when was no air in the bags, they pushed against the fitting. so after some time the air lines slipped out. while i was driving. several times. so please test whether the distance ranges!

do you use the same bags in the front and rear? the w201 had some "rolling bags" in the front. but they need 10-12 bar (145-175 psi)! i do not want that.

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

Uh yeah, I can see why that would be a problem. I've not noticed that same problem with my prototypes, but they exit the side into the front half of the wheel well, which gives the line a lot of flexibility and wiggle room. Again, I say this having had my car on air only intermittently, since I have yet to be happy with an adapter cup design.

I've been testing with SS-5s front and rear on mine, and as far as bags go, I REALLY like them. They're beautifully-made, and the internal bumpstop is a great feature. Up front, you'll have to make sure the adapter cup is long enough to clear the metal supports on the spring tower. My final design is 85mm tall, and I'm 95% sure the bag will clear.

On the rear, the SS-5s are extremely tight to the shock absorber, enough so that I had to completely scrap my first design. The bag cups you've got look like they have some side-to-side adjustability, so position the bag inward as far as it can go, and it should just clear the shock. Rolling-sleeve bags would have been easier to incorporate, but as you mention, they can have weird characteristics, so I have stuck with double-bellow bags so far.

One other nice thing about the Slam Specialties bags is that they offer really nice waterjet-cut mounting plates, which I have used. That's probably not an issue for you, since you've already got cups made up, but for anyone else, it's a huge time-saver, and they're all of $8 a piece.

[hypetoday]

thanks for the info, sam. another question. how tall are your bags?

[SD202]

just to chime in... I love my ss5's i run them all around on w202 and it is very simliar to 201 in the rear if not almost identical. I also had to sit the cup over a tad to clear the rear strut even with an ss5 its still a very very close fit. im talking like 2-3mm of clearance max

[hypetoday]

thanks for the info, dude!

[m5 power]

Huge fan of these!! looking good

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

thanks for the info, sam. another question. how tall are your bags?

SS-5s sit at 142mm with no air in them, 219mm max, 69mm min. I don't have my new brackets back from the welder yet to confirm, but my design is to have the bags sit at ~140mm at ride height in the front and ~160mm in the rear at ride height on my e-Level, perhaps 20mm less each for low cruise.

[neon017]

yes, but just in german. and maybe most of the pictures are deleted. there you go:
http://w201.com/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=48217

thx man and i forgot to say that your car looks SUPERCLEAN

[Press22]

Just read through the whole thread, loving the car. Keep it up!

[hypetoday]

just some ideas... do you remember my evo wheels? maybe i will give them a go.

[hypetoday]

there is something new in 8.5x17! h*te it or love it. there is nothing in-between.





not mine, but i have the same now. color isn't final yet.

[Concon666]

Love.

[W124_Starship]

Wow great build been following it for a little now ...... noticed that you where up in heilbron would love to see the car some time im out in Wiesbaden

Mfg Lamar

[keenan]

i think you should put your evo wheels on there!!
good job with the build