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W124 ultimate steering gear? - Printable Version

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W124 ultimate steering gear? - raysorenson - 03-08-2014

[Image: Frankengear_zps6438241a.jpg]

With the aluminum housing, it's 9 pounds lighter than the unobtanium W124 sportline steering gear. Steering feels a little heavier and marginally quicker. The difference is not overwhelming, but combined with a smaller R129 steering wheel it might add up to something significant.

Steering gear lore says that the teeth on the piston and the pitman arm shaft are made to go together and should not be mixed and matched, but I inspected the teeth of the two pitman arm shafts closely using a caliper and didn't see a difference in profile or pitch. Even so, I'm going to check the meshload adjustment again after I put a few miles on it.

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - winmutt - 03-14-2014

You built this? Directions?

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - raysorenson - 03-14-2014

Cliff notes:

Remove the 4 bolts for the bearing plate that are missing in the pic, remove the adjuster lock nut and screw the adjuster into the gear until the pinion shaft falls out, taking care to not let the bearing plate bind in the gear housing as you force it, and the shaft, out with the adjuster screw. You should be able to twist the plate during removal. If it doesn't twist, it's probably binding.

Reassemble with new large and small bearing plate o-rings (2 o-rings total), or reseal the whole thing while it's out. Adjust preload per WSM instructions.

I don't know if it would work, but most of the W140's have an even quicker ratio than the cossie's and the sportlines. I seriously doubt the W140 housing casting would work in a W124 so, should it be doable, the required guts would have to be installed into a W124 gear housing. Somebody else will have to do the homework on that one. I like what I've got.

Thread that helped me: http://forum.190rev.net/showthread.php?44528-What-in-this-picture-gives-a-steering-gear-it-s-ratio

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - DiseaselWeasel - 03-23-2014

You mean sedan sportsline steering gearbox. As wagon sportsline had std. limousine steering box, whlst sportsline sedan had shortest steering box. And sportsline coupé also got std. limousine box.

I put sedan sportsline in my coupé - wow! std. coupé is 3.6:1, sportsline sedan is 3.0:1. difference is very notable! low milage, no leaks, no play 50€ from scrap yard. Big Grin

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - swampmonkey - 03-23-2014

(03-23-2014, 12:44 PM)DiseaselWeasel You mean sedan sportsline steering gearbox. As wagon sportsline had std. limousine steering box, whlst sportsline sedan had shortest steering box. And sportsline coupé also got std. limousine box.

I put sedan sportsline in my coupé - wow! std. coupé is 3.6:1, sportsline sedan is 3.0:1. difference is very notable! low milage, no leaks, no play 50€ from scrap yard. Big Grin

low mileage due to change of stearingbox Wink you should look into that Wink

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - raysorenson - 03-23-2014

The 124.133 box I had, and most other W124's have 13.9:1. The 201.034 and W124 sportline sedan/saloon have 13.3:1 steering gear ratios. The R129 have 14:1 and the W140's generally have 13.0:1.

http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/outside/12264/disc_2/Program/Chassis/46-0001.pdf

Notes:
In general, the longer wheelbase models will be able to use a quicker ratio without feeling twitchy. The 13.3 won't be as quick in a w124 as it is in a w201. This is probably why the W140 has such a short ratio. For anyone contemplating using the W140 ratio in a W124, it may be only possible to fit the w140 fast bits into V8 W124 steering gear housings. As I said earlier, that's your homework to do.

PS:, still enjoying that quicker ratio :-)

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - ccrelan - 08-16-2014

There was a report of someone using a 1999 SLK steering box with minimal mods in a w124 and having the same 3 turns lock to lock as the sportline.

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - raysorenson - 08-17-2014

A quick google search reveals a 15.53:1 ratio for the r170 steering gear box. If it's got a short wheel base, expect a slower steering gear ratio.

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - hooblah - 08-17-2014

I've got a steering box from a 190 16v if anyone wants it?

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - DiseaselWeasel - 08-18-2014

This V8 Sportline steering box was no 200€ at MB's.... I love when they do clearouts Big Grin

[Image: lenkgetriebe_neu.jpg]

RE: W124 ultimate steering gear? - Sjevsspeed.nl - 12-07-2014

Gonna try to get rid if the steering box en try to retrofit a rack and pinion steering from a w210 or another car. but got a w210 donor car sitting here anf dimensions seem kinda doable.
anyone got experience with sutch a conversion?