1972 280SEL 4.5 airbag time

[Alex@abrhouston]

airbagging this guy with a full accuair E-level system with i-level as well


pulled the coils out and measured for bags.
going with slam specialties SS5's all the way around.



the rear bumpstops were trashed, so I have some polyurethane ones coming that will work (i think) well.

bags should be here next week, need to get some pipe for bag brackets.
mounting the tank and plumbing it while i wait.

I have to get this done quick like- i have a BMW 745 that I have to do as well... deadline for it is august 31!


I'd load up some more, but the pics are too big and I need to download a resizing tool on my work computer.

I'll be tossing more pics up on my facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/BMWdoctor


-A

[Alex@abrhouston]

rockin the old skool radio


the trunk looked like crap




so i ripped all that crap out.



and covered it up with some insulation



made a new floor mat and i think it looks great!

[Alex@abrhouston]

rear bumpstops were trash









ripped off the bonded rubber, and bolted up some polyurethane ones that i found.

i put some polyurethane coil mounts for the doppleglinger spring

[evoDRichie]

looks good!

[Nick475]

Lol those doppleglinger springs are such a weird concept

[Alex@abrhouston]

man, im just pulling your leg
I have no idea what its officially called, other than a single pivot swing axle- i just made it up lol

[A4crn]

Watching thi, after a year I'm getting to this point on my 115

[Alex@abrhouston]

Thread Starter

STOOPID busy at the shop.

managed to make the rear bag brackets and bumpstops out of polyurethane.

got the front (I think) figured out the way I like it. Need to copy it for the other side.

trying to come up with a way to secure the bag brackets in the front so they don't move. I thinking of welding tabs to the bottom ones and drilling a hole to pass a bolt into it..... The uppers I'm thinking of drilling/tapping the sides and bolting them from the side of the cup..... Air should be entertaining to hook up lol...... The bag clearance is close, and I don't want them to move around and possibly rub the control arm or subframe.

bumpstops up front are NLA either, so I'm gonna knock off the factory cups and put universal polyurethane ones on there..... I need to space them up with washers or something so they hit correctly. Meh. We'll see if it looks ghetto or not.


once the bag brackets get done and welded up I can finish that, run lines and get it sitting on air. Then off to the alignment machine so I can measure for ride height sensors and brackets.

i only get to work on this thing at night.... Sucks.
today I did a starter on an e90, motor mounts on a E63 AMG, diag'ed an E46, a E65, put panels together on another E65, showed an insurance adjuster a S6 Audi..... It just never ends... Not that I'm complaining

pics when I get time.


Welded up the brackets tonight, need to paint and install.
Need to run air lines and get it running on air.

[A4crn]

Can't wait to see how you designed the mounts. I'm also thinking of using "P" clips to secure the air lines to the chasis. At the moment I'm fabricating a mount to hold the air tank, manifold and ecu.

[Alex@abrhouston]

Its nothing crazy. the rear was simple. the fronts are slightly offset on the bottom to favor the larger opening on the control arm so the bag doesn't rub. the uppers are just like the rears, and i drilled/tapped some bolts thru the side of the upper mount to hold it in place. the crappy part (i think) will be hooking up air via the line coming near the subframe mount on the top of the cup. and figuring out how to run the air lines to the front w/o going under the car. I dont want to rip them off- and i dont want to run it thru the tunnel.

[andratch]

UPDATES! It's my car that Alex is working on, and for the most part, it's DONE! The Air system works perfectly, and it is opperated via iphone app, so you don't have to run any wires into the car. More professional pictures to come, but here are some samples!

[sCrapp]

Looks so right. I love them on the standard wheels,**** it when people put wheels that are too modern on it.

Is it possible to band these out whilst keeping the centre caps, like beetles?

[andratch]

Looks so right. I love them on the standard wheels,**** it when people put wheels that are too modern on it.

Is it possible to band these out whilst keeping the centre caps, like beetles?

For the most part, the W108 has steelies with hub caps on it. So...no. But the 300SE used polished steelies with CENTER caps - and I've seen those banded out quite a bit. It's a good look!

I would never change the stock wheels. The idea is to ride down the street at about 85% of stock height, and then drop it low when I don't have any turning to do.

[Junya]

wow this is a beauty. i think silver is the classiest color. awesome

[A4crn]

Awesome, where did you run the air hoses going from the back to the front, inside the car or under the chasis?

[Alex@abrhouston]

I ran them inside the car. looking at it, I didnt want to run it under the vehicle due to the floor pan, and i didnt want to run them inside the driveshaft tube/near the exhaust. the right side one went out the radio rubber hole. the left side went out the hood pop cable.

right side was a pain- it couldnt go straight down like the left side to the top of the bag. the battery is in the way. sucks.

so i ended up drilling a hole like the drivers side to get it out of the spring cup, and grinding a notch for the hose to go around the vehicle body and not hit the steering/a-arm/get close to the exhaust/etc.

[Alex@abrhouston]

heres a pic of the rear bag mounts mocked up




front bags mocked up.



new polyurethane front bumpstops, since the factory stops were NLA

[Alex@abrhouston]

I took some little squares i had floating around, drilled/tapped them and welded them where the brackets were gonna sit- since the factory sheetmetal wasnt thick enough



This is full up





put some new KYB shocks on the ole'girl




These are the fronts at full up

[Alex@abrhouston]

This is how i routed the passenger front hose and level wiring




and this is getting an alignment on its "normal" level (2).
I had to mount the heads on sideways, cause they hit the body if you put them on normally

regardless, it sittin pretty right now, and rolls down the road nicely

[A4crn]

Great info...thanks for the pics. Car looks great

[andratch]

Taking it home in a few days after final mechanical touches are done...looking nice!

[Marsss]

looking awesome man!

[Keith602]

Goddamn thats gorgeous!

[lewda]

looks fresh man! did you weld the cups you did for the bags to the body, or are they just bolted to the bags and resting in the factory spring perches both top and bottom?

[lewda]

For the most part, the W108 has steelies with hub caps on it. So...no. But the 300SE used polished steelies with CENTER caps - and I've seen those banded out quite a bit. It's a good look!

I would never change the stock wheels. The idea is to ride down the street at about 85% of stock height, and then drop it low when I don't have any turning to do.

they did indeed make them





they do come with a hefty cost though from my last research about a month ago