Does my butt sag?

[ghenne]

I worry something that the back of my 1965 230SL is lower than it should be. Here's a picture and some measurements. How do your cars compare?

A: 62cm (24.4 inches)
B: 64.5 cm (25.4 inches)

If you post your own measurements, note whether they are with or without hard top.

[J. Huber]

Now, if my wife asked me that, I'd have a "twix" moment --- but for you... yes. I think it looks low. I don't have my numbers handy but there was another thread about this. Might be your shocks? Try pushing down on a corner of the car -- does it pop back?

Second thing, I think your rear chrome trim piece is a little high too. Might just be the angle.

[al_lieffring]

I would put a spirit level on the top door trim and compare that with the level of the floor. you you can get many different impressions by looking from different angles.

[ghenne]

Should the top of the door be in fact perfectly level?

[al_lieffring]

I was refering to the upper of the 2 chrome trim strip at the bottom of the door (the one with the rubber bump strip) this is the standard I have aways used to gage the eveness of the suspension height. not so much on the pagodas but on the active suspension cars it was important to have a standard "jib line" to show customers whether or not the car was in fact sitting level. 

[badali]

Rear right is 25 1/4" front right is 25 7/8".  The drivers side is 1/2" lower for both.  I think mine has all the original springs.

[ctaylor738]

It looks a little low to me.  Here is a picture of a 230 that I just finished doing the rear suspension.  It has new Bilsteins, the original 20mm spring pads at the top and new pads at the bottom.

[ghenne]

Looks nice! What are its measurements?

[stickandrudderman]

As I've said before, one of the best and cheapest things you can do for your car is to renew the springs. They are old and almost certainly will have deteriorated.
Not only will your ride height be restored to what it should be, but the ride quality will be significantly better.
I've just completed a really nice job for a customer: At my recommendation we changed ALL lifed suspension components, rubbers, springs and shocks.
The transformation is fantastic and it's great to be able to see the smile on the customer's face when they drive the car for the first time!

[Raymond]

I think ride height can be one of the more frustrating issues on our cars if you change springs or spring rubbers.  The Rear-swing axle is the limiting factor.  It is most important to get the rear camber just right. Then, the rear height is what it is.  You have to adjust the front height to get the desired rake and, even with a lift, the front springs are a moderately painful task. 

For comparing measurements, I try to make the state of the car standard.  Level surface onto which the car was driven warm.  Full fuel tank, spare in and hard top on.  Then, to ensure that tire inflation is not a factor, I measure from the center of the wheel cover star to the lower lip of the wing.

If you have too much negative camber, you may get by with just new spring rubbers.  That is the cheapest and easiest to try first.  Rear springs and or rubbers are not to hard to replace, but the compensator spring is much more difficult to do and it's easy to damage the differential boot in the process. 

[thelews]

Your butt sags.

The correct way to measure is from the center of the hub (cap, point of star) to the fender lip.  Mine is 13.75" front and 14.00" rear.

Except when gunning that naughty baby!

[IXLR8]

Hi--

K&K offers three thicknesses for the upper rubber shim on the rear spring--30MM, 24MM and 18MM.

How do you know which one to use? Is there a matrix for each depending on 230/250/280, auto/manual, small/large fuel tank, etc?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Joe

[Raymond]

If the springs are factory original, there should be a paint code on them.  This will be 1, 2, or 3 stripes in white, red, or blue.  In the Factory Manual, (Big Blue Book) Chapter 32 Pages 0/3 to 0/7 there is a chart telling which thickness is indicated by the paint.  Now, cleaning off the road grime to enable you to see that is a challenge but can be done.  If the paint appears yellow, it started as white.  However, if over the years, someone has painted the springs or replaced them, you're guessing. 

If you remove the spring rubber, there will be a part number on it.  Chances are the number survived even after all these years.

Good luck!

[ctaylor738]

The red 230 was 24-3/4" in the back.