The Forum

Garage => Mechanicals => Topic started by: orientrot on 04 January 2021, 08:04 PM

Title: 6.9 vs SLS vs standard sway bars
Post by: orientrot on 04 January 2021, 08:04 PM
I'm planning to add SLS to my 300SD project and have been wondering about what sway bars to use. I have the anti-squat rear arms and SLS components from a w126 and have a gen 1 W126 ABS differential I am planning to put a wavetrack LSD into. If I were to stick with stock sway bar options, are the 6.9 ones any stiffer/larger than the SLS or standard sway bar options?
Title: Re: 6.9 vs SLS vs standard sway bars
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 04 January 2021, 08:24 PM
Wow, that is a huge job. For what it's worth, the inner front fenders are completely different on the 6.9, so installing the struts would be next to impossible. There are also a lot of brackets welded to the body of a 6.9 for installing the spheres, which aren't present on a 300SD. And then all the metal lines...

A no-longer-active poster here named Casey bought a 6.9 with a reclining rear seat which he planned on putting an OM617 engine into with a head from a 300TD to run the HPF suspension system. I'm a bit sad he didn't finish the project.
Title: Re: 6.9 vs SLS vs standard sway bars
Post by: orientrot on 04 January 2021, 08:38 PM
I should clarify, I am not putting the hydropneumatic 6.9 suspension but the SLS rear hydraulic suspension from a 560SEL, nearly identical to the SLS rear option for the 116 (seems to have been popular on the Australian market 116), just a slightly different valve block and mounting. It's also somewhat similar to the system the 123 wagons had. I know a guy who has/had a parts euro 450SE SLS car (with LSD nonetheless) that I might be able to get the rear sway bar from.
Title: Re: 6.9 vs SLS vs standard sway bars
Post by: Squiggle Dog on 04 January 2021, 09:00 PM
Quote from: orientrot on 04 January 2021, 08:38 PM
I should clarify, I am not putting the hydropneumatic 6.9 suspension but the SLS rear hydraulic suspension from a 560SEL, nearly identical to the SLS rear option for the 116 (seems to have been popular on the Australian market 116), just a slightly different valve block and mounting. It's also somewhat similar to the system the 123 wagons had. I know a guy who has/had a parts euro 450SE SLS car (with LSD nonetheless) that I might be able to get the rear sway bar from.

Ah! I've seen W116's with this option. It seems much more realistic than a complete front and rear suspension conversion. It seems that the rear struts might bolt in place of the shock absorbers and springs. I was actually in a conversation with a guy who wanted to buy all the 6.9 suspension parts from me to put in his W126 chassis to convert it to HPF. Madness!
Title: Re: 6.9 vs SLS vs standard sway bars
Post by: JeffCullen on 05 January 2021, 01:50 AM
Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 04 January 2021, 09:00 PMI was actually in a conversation with a guy who wanted to buy all the 6.9 suspension parts from me to put in his W126 chassis to convert it to HPF. Madness!
Brave.
Title: Re: 6.9 vs SLS vs standard sway bars
Post by: orientrot on 05 January 2021, 12:54 PM
Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 04 January 2021, 09:00 PM
I was actually in a conversation with a guy who wanted to buy all the 6.9 suspension parts from me to put in his W126 chassis to convert it to HPF. Madness!

Same guy that had the SLS 450SE had one of those early HPF II 500SEL, also a parts car. He had some other crazy stuff like a ponton wagon project (I believe it was a Binz) that he sold to a guy in Germany for a few thousand, way less than it was actually worth, then had some basically barn find condition fintails that he was wanting $500 each for. I knew that that was the cheapest I'd ever find one in reasonable condition for but definitely didn't/don't need any more projects so no real regrets.