Shock absorbers - advice please

[MakaveliX]

Looking to replace the shocks on the Mercedes C240 2002 34K miles as the front passenger is really harsh on potholes. Did some reading and on these cars it is usually the shocks at fault.

Torn between getting mid-range Apec ( Just under £100 for the two as I can get a discount ) or Sachs which are £200 for two ( also discount, with a tradecard from Halfords )
I will be using the genuine Mercedes springs as I heard aftermarket springs for this car are usually false economy.

It is a luxury car which is driven sensibly and slowly - not driven as a performance car - so I don't need it to be planted or firm, if anything I prefer the ride to be soft.

Would mid-range Apec's be OK ? they come with 3Year/36,000 mile warranty. I have Apec pads on the Mazda and they have been brilliant.
Given the age of the car ( 22 years ) and the fact it is a project car more than anything - I don't want to spend excessive amounts, but ideally have it driving nice and smooth

Thanks

Edited by MakaveliX on Friday 4th October 07:58

[trevalvole]

Are you sure it is the shock absorbers - is it bouncing around? Before I had mine replaced all round, it was bouncing on certain bumpy roads and that turned out to be the rear shock absorbers that were virtually solid. I don't know anything about the cheaper ones you mention, but I had TRW ones fitted that can be had for about the same money, though there may be questions about their longevity. I suppose one question to ask yourself is how long you expect to keep the car for?

Mercs of this vintage are known for snapping their springs (from the MOT history mine did both front ones in turn about ten years ago), so could it be that? IIRC Sachs do different colour coded springs (usually various coloured dots), so if you can identify the colour coding on the existing springs, you could probably get ones with the same from Sachs, though it will take some research and springs do seem to be one of those rare things where genuine Merc parts aren't all that expensive.

ETA: A "while you've got the struts off" job could be replacing the top mounts at the same time.

Edited by trevalvole on Friday 4th October 09:53

[MakaveliX]

The car will be run for as long as realistic, was a project car initially but turned out I like driving it as a chilled out comfort car for short journeys.
What I’ll do is get the car in the air and see if I can see anything odd before committing to buying parts

[Scrump]

Back in the ‘90s when I had a 190e, Sachs were seen as a good quality item. On that basis I would go with the Sachs, but nowadays parts are often made by a new company who has just bought the old brand name - no idea if this is true with Sachs.

[geeks]

Who are the OEM for Merc shocks? Find that out and get them, or check with Merc and see how much they are from them.

[MakaveliX]

geeks said:

Who are the OEM for Merc shocks? Find that out and get them, or check with Merc and see how much they are from them.

Usually sachs. But again they are very expensive compared to mid range apec and there isn’t as much information regarding fitment compatibility on the sachs.
This can be an issue with Mercedes because in the UK we don’t have increased ground clearance. And some parts will be for higher clearance. At least with apec it states clearly for Cars without “ without increased ground clearance “ so in that regard the apecs are a safer bet

[trevalvole]

MakaveliX said:

What I’ll do is get the car in the air and see if I can see anything odd before committing to buying parts

Good idea. IIRC springs can snap near their tops and bottoms, so probably worth a good look, rather than just a glance.

[E-bmw]

trevalvole said:

MakaveliX said:

What I’ll do is get the car in the air and see if I can see anything odd before committing to buying parts

Good idea. IIRC springs can snap near their tops and bottoms, so probably worth a good look, rather than just a glance.

It can also be very hard to see if it right at the end, which is where they would likely go.

[Time4another]

If it's a bit of a project car I'd go with the cheaper shock absorbers.