CLS 219 Suspension Overhaul - OEM or your experience with Sportier Setup?

[DSK]

I'm going to be doing a full suspension overhaul on the 2007 CLS 320 CDI by the end of the year (arms, links, mounts, shocks, springs etc.) as I can feel the rear top mounts need to be replaced. When I do things, I just do the whole lot, it my way of doing things, nothing cheap or half arsed.

I have options 2 and 3 below on each of my Volvo T5's and the quality is sublime but, I am going to tread carefully upgrading the CLS.

Option 1 - Bilstein B4 dampers and OEM springs.
Option 2 - Bilstein B4 dampers and Eibach Springs
Option 3 - Bilstein B6 dampers & Eibach or H&R springs.

The CLS rides surprisingly well for what it is but, it does sit low as standard with low ground clearance which I am always overly cautious with when tackling speed bumps or ramps to ensure nothing grounds/ catches. I am more than happy with the standard ride height of the car. I can get the Bilstein B6 with Eibach springs for approximately £650 which is pretty good considering the quality of the components.

Current standard (non air matic model) height

Eibach quote a 30mm front / 25mm rear drop in ride height and I can appreciate that if some models have lowered setup from the factory then, the drop can be much less than quoted. Has anyone else on the forum fitted lowered springs with new shocks to their CLS? If so, I'd appreciate your comments on them and any pictures of how the car sits would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Wighty]

I'm going to be doing a full suspension overhaul on the 2007 CLS 320 CDI by the end of the year (arms, links, mounts, shocks, springs etc.) as I can feel the rear top mounts need to be replaced. When I do things, I just do the whole lot, it my way of doing things, nothing cheap or half arsed.

I have options 2 and 3 below on each of my Volvo T5's and the quality is sublime but, I am going to tread carefully upgrading the CLS.

Option 1 - Bilstein B4 dampers and OEM springs.
Option 2 - Bilstein B4 dampers and Eibach Springs
Option 3 - Bilstein B6 dampers & Eibach or H&R springs.

The CLS rides surprisingly well for what it is but, it does sit low as standard with low ground clearance which I am always overly cautious with when tackling speed bumps or ramps to ensure nothing grounds/ catches. I am more than happy with the standard ride height of the car. I can get the Bilstein B6 with Eibach springs for approximately £650 which is pretty good considering the quality of the components.

Current standard (non air matic model) height

Eibach quote a 30mm front / 25mm rear drop in ride height and I can appreciate that if some models have lowered setup from the factory then, the drop can be much less than quoted. Has anyone else on the forum fitted lowered springs with new shocks to their CLS? If so, I'd appreciate your comments on them and any pictures of how the car sits would be greatly appreciated.

Wow buddy , you really don't do things by half , do you !

 

[DSK]

Wow buddy , you really don't do things by half , do you !

If I had the mechanical abilities some fellow members have like yourself, I'd be doing rebuilds from the ground up.

 

[Wighty]

If I had the mechanical abilities some fellow members have like yourself, I'd be doing rebuilds from the ground up.

I'm forced into it as being too tight to pay anyone

 

[JBell]

H&R over Eibach every day, H&R are a far superior product

 

[DSK]

H&R over Eibach every day, H&R are a far superior product

Any specific reason why H&R is significantly better?

I have Eibach and H&R on each of the 2 Volvo's and I like them both, the Eibachs have been on there for some 9 years / 120,000 miles and still look brilliant and perform well. The H&R would seem a bit stiffer than the Eibach but have also done about 110,000 miles in 3 years and are looking and performing well.

 

[JBell]

Any specific reason why H&R is significantly better?

I have Eibach and H&R on each of the 2 Volvo's and I like them both, the Eibachs have been on there for some 9 years / 120,000 miles and still look brilliant and perform well. The H&R would seem a bit stiffer than the Eibach but have also done about 110,000 miles in 3 years and are looking and performing well.

I used to sell both and we always had less problems with H&R, they are the only ones I have put on my cars and their quality is superb

 

[Liam.Moran]

I’m using the Bilstein B12 kit on my CLS320cdi

The ride quality is good, it is a little harsher over rough road as to be expected however on smoother roads the car feels a lot less floaty, especially at higher motorway speeds I believe it’s a good compromise between handling and comfort and perfectly matches the sportier nature of the cls. I still have passengers complimenting me on the smooth ride, it still feels like a Mercedes, body roll is almost non existent unless you’re really hammering it. I would like to add the matching eibach anti roll bars however they’re out of production.

I’ve not had a problem with ride height, the front has three settings to rise slightly to match the rear, For my car the lowest setting was too low giving the car a slight rake. The rears have a spring shim that sits on the top of your springs at different thicknesses that adjust the height of the back too part, you can identify them by the number of burls on the side. I didn’t change mine

5mm “a211 325 01 84“ 1 burl
9mm “211 325 02 84” 2 burl
13mm “211 325 03 84” 3 burl
17mm “211 325 04 84” 4 burl
21mm “211 325 05 84” 5 burl



Here’s a few photos of the car. I’m also running 10mm front and 15mm eibach hubcentric wheel spacers and matching bolts, these really do help fill out the wheel arches, lowing the car the stock wheels look a little lost on the car.

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[LostKiwi]

One note on the shims, they don't raise or lower the car by the difference in thickness between shims. Whilst you might think going from a 21mm shim to a 5mm shim will lower by 16mm it will actually lower it by nearer 24mm (my observation from an SL - a CLS may be different). This is because the spring sits inboard of the outer suspension joints so has a leverage effect.

 

[DSK]

Laim

That's exactly what I was after! Your's looks to be sitting great and to a trained eye, well done. Your comments have reassured me that the B12 kit does on the CLS, what it did on my T5, just 'enhance and refine' upon a factory setup. Thank you ever so much for taking the time to detail what you have in your post and share the pictures!

 

[Liam.Moran]

One note on the shims, they don't raise or lower the car by the difference in thickness between shims. Whilst you might think going from a 21mm shim to a 5mm shim will lower by 16mm it will actually lower it by nearer 24mm (my observation from an SL - a CLS may be different). This is because the spring sits inboard of the outer suspension joints so has a leverage effect.

I believe this is also the case with the CLS too Kiwi.

the thickness is that of the shim rather than the lowering effect and of course everycar will leave that factory with different shims due to different options and weights so take care when adjusting them or you might end joining the stancenation forum instead and scrape on every leaf you pass!


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