After reading posts on this forum, I just replaced the boots, buffers and top nuts on my 1992 300E. It took exactly 1/2 hour per side. My MB dealer had given me an estimate of 2 1/2 hours at $86.00/hr.! The attached photos show some of the steps.

Basically, I chocked the rear wheels, used the MB jack to raise one side just high enough that the tire stayed on the floor. Then I removed the 22mm nut at the top of the strut while holding the strut shaft w/a 7mm allen wrench.

Working above the tire, remove whatever is left of the old boot, lower the strut shaft, remove the buffer, and simply reinstall the new buffer and boot. Then guide the top of the strut shaft back into the upper rubber mount, reinstall the steel saddle with washer and a new nut. Finally, lower the car with the jack all the way down and attach the boot to the two upper flanges first followed by attaching the bottom of the boot to the three plastic "wings". The toughest part is to get the top of the boot over the upper flanges. To help with this task, I bent up an old coat hanger to act as a hook to pull the top of the boot over the outer flange, worked quite well!

One other note, I purchased new boots from a part supplier in Van Nuys, CA but their boots are made from a very stiff plasticky material, and would not go on, so I bought another pair from MB, no problem, very rubbery and stretchable, did the trick.

Hope this helps.



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