6.9 vs 560SEL - esp handling and suspension

[s class]

All the 560SEL's in South Africa have 6.9 style hydro suspension, though I've recently been told that this was not the case for all markets.  Michel, what does your 560 have?

How do you compare the ride and handling of the 6.9 and 560?

Just curious. 

[WGB]

I have never seen an all hydro 126 but nearly all that I have come across in Australia had rear self-levelling.

I owned a 1987 300SE in the 1989 to 1994 and it had rear self-levelling - which makes me suspect that it was a standard feature for Australian market 126's as it originally had arrived with M-B tex seats and Plastic hubcaps (changed for a set of 15 slotters on arrival) so it would have been a poverty pack Australian Spec 126.

Bill

[nathan]

the full hydro setup was an option on the 126s...i believe it also had the similar knob above the steering wheel like the 6.9s...ive got some pics ina brochure stashed somewhere at my dads...as bill said, i think all aussie 560s had the rear self levelling

[s class]

I've driven a couple of all-hydro 560's some years ago - one needed new spheres badly, os it was a bit of a handful - the other one gave me the only taste of 'magic carpet' ride I've ever had. 

[Grant V]

Ryan, I'm open to correction here, but I think that the 560SEL's here had springs all round, but with hydropneumatic shocks at the rear, same as on the 300SE, 420SE and 500SE. You'd be teaching me a thing or six if some of the 560's were entirely hydropneumatic like on the 6.9.

[s class]

Grant, the full hydro setup (6.9 style) was available on the 560 as an option - of that I'm 99% certain.  It seems though that in some markets it was standard. 

Remember the 560's in South Africa came here under a strange arrangement.  Dawid was telling me that they all (200 or so) came as a bulk order to MBSA, who exported them to Kenya or Uganda or somewhere like that where they were for government fleet use.  Due to some political issues there, they were stored in the government garage for a year or so unused.  They were protected from sun and rain, but many suffered from dust storm damage.  Anyhow, this country, whichever it was, then approached MBSA to see if they would buy the cars back, which they did, making a tidy profit on the deal.  The cars where then sold off through MBSA delaerships.  I will check with Dawid tomorrow to clarify the details. 

The point is, these cars were all delivered with the same specs and options. 

Now I had always believed they were all-hydro, BUT now I need to find out. 

When I purchased my 6.9 struts at the dealership, they were listed as having never been sold in South Africa, which would be odd, if indeed our 560's were full hydro, as 200 or so is a fair population.  (6.9's and hydro 560's use the same struts in the MB succession system)

So, my mission, should I choose to accept it (which I guess I have) is to find out if our 560's were all-hydro. 

If I've been wrong all this time, well then I'm sorry.   

[Grant V]

Ryan, no need to apologise. I'd like to hear more about this, 'cause I was totally oblivious to the fact that the 560 was offered with full hydro. Let us know more when you get clarity.

[s class]

I checked with Dawid (a fellow postee here and MBCSA member) whom I work with - turns out it wasn't he ho told me the story - it must have been my other colleague and fellow merc nut Ferdie. 

I will ask him to remind me of the story. 

[oversize]

Was there ever an update on this story?

[s class]

10 years of experience later, I can add to this that the facts now seem to be that the 200 or so 560's that came into South Africa under that scheme had standard springs up front and SLS at the rear, and all were white with grey interior.  These 200 or so cars account for the bulk of the 560 population in South Africa.  Others did come into the country through the normal dealer chain, and were sold as new cars.  These are usually identifiable as being a colour other than white, or having some other options.  Most were also SLS cars, though I have encountered a small number with the full hydro option.

We never officially got the pre-facelift 500's here in South Africa, all were grey imports.  I'm only aware of two with full hydro, both of which I now own.  However, my local scrapyard did about 10 years ago strip a grey import 380SEL with full hydro (that must have been a rare beast), and I have the struts from that car sitting on my shelf.  I bought them as strategic spares given that I have 2 x 6.9 and 2 x 500SEL full hydro.

[slfan]

Hello S Class,

Can you please confirm if the W126 Struts (rear or front) are compatible in the 450SEL 6.9?  I would greatly appreciate your guidance here.

Thank you,

Slfan

[daantjie]

Yes both the same but the later w126 system had the extra lines for auto stiffening of struts in hard cornering and to lower car at speed. Way cool system way ahead of its time.

[slfan]

Daantjie,

Thank you for the information.

Best regards,


Angelo

[oversize]

I'm wondering if the 6.9 'sports' struts were as stiff as the 126 ones when in 'sport' mode?

[s class]

My blue #1670 euro 6.9 has standard struts fitted, that I bought new when they were still available.  Handling is rather imprecise and doesn't inspire confidence. 

My red #5795 AMG has the sports struts and they are very, very much nicer than the standard items.  Makes the car actually driveable.

My black 500SEL euro is an early first gen 126, with a hydro system basically like the 6.9's.  The struts have been modified by Lorinser, and I would describe them as being similar in character to the red 6.9's sports struts. 

My grey 500SEL euro has standard 1st gen 126 struts.  The car is not yet running, so I can't comment on its character.