Project Mercedes-Benz SLK 350
PART SIX: Andrew Everett concludes the SLK 350 project with a major suspension rebuild including a new rear subframe – free of charge!
With so much work done already, you’d be forgiven in thinking that surely the 2005 SLK would be near enough done, right? Wrong. The problem with cars of this age is that repairs turn into a virtual restoration and costs certainly mount up. Financially, our SLK would have been a write-off had we needed to fund the rear subframe replacement ourselves – and thankfully Mercedes-Benz renewed the rotten rear frame free-of-charge. Good luck getting any other manufacturer to step up and replace such an expensive part that is so labour intensive to change.
We knew our subframe was bad and we initially started checking the price and availability of a new one – £800! But a bit of internet action led us to the website BenzWorld.org where member Dave Evans (also a SLK Owners Club member) is leading a crusade to get the rear subframes inspected for free – and then if agreed, renewed by a Mercedes-Benz dealership. He is doing a fine job and having had ours inspected by our local dealer and condemned, we waited for the call to say that it was in stock.
With the MOT looming, we were about to pull the trigger and spend £200 having the rusty one welded up – just to keep the SLK on the road – when Mercedes-Benz Sheffield rang to say the subframe had arrived from Germany. I dropped our 2005 SLK off a week later – and two days after that, the SLK was finally furnished with a shiny new subframe along with a set of six new OE suspension arms that we supplied. I bet that made the job easier not having to fight the rusty old arms and retaining bolts to the death.
We also renewed all four dampers, as well as the front suspension arms and top mounts meaning that for possibly the first time in CM project car history, we have replaced the entire suspension on a car. Just as well as they were all absolutely worn out. Whilst the dampers were not leaking, they had no damping effect left which is why the car was so utterly awful to drive – how anyone can drive a car in this state is beyond me.
What added insult to injury is that they were, to coin a well-known technical phrase, an absolute bastard to change. Getting the front struts off is easy enough – the problem is that the springs are seemingly too long for the struts. We used various different spring compressors to compress the barrel-shaped springs and concluded that you really do need the compressors that Mercedes use. Anything else is just too dangerous – Ihave a small scar on my forehead now where a compressor slipped, came of
