Suspension crises

[SQ_W211]

Hello all,

I have CLK 230K, also I have 18" brabus replicas 8.5inch all around and find the ride to be slightly wobbly at the corners. I am thinking about changing the suspension to lower it with some stiffer springs. I have ordered Eibach Pro Kit which lowers the car by 35mm all around.

The questions is firstly, how much lower should I go? 35mm at front would be perfect i think. The backend sits abit too high at the moment and I am looking to improve that. S-A-M/U-N-I-T will be fitting this kit and I have been told by Dave that I can lower the suspension by 12mm further by reducing the rubber housing above the springs from 4 knots to 1knot. Can anyone tell me if i will be ok with 42mm lowered ride at the back or should i go with safe approach of2 or 3 knots of rubber to give that better look from the back end?

So any of you who have lowered their cars, please give me some feedback on how far i can go without sacrifising too much?

Thanks in advance.

 

[turbopete]

any more than an inch or 25mm lowering, especially at the front, will cause enough extra negative wheel camber for heavy tyre wear on the inner edges, similar to excessive toe out. if you can live with that, go for it. thats the rule of thumb. however, im not 100% certain, but i think camber is adjustable on mercs so if you lower it and get a full geometry set up done, it should take the car back to manufacturers spec and eliminate this problem.

 

[SQ_W211]

I think laser balancing can adjust the camber and set it to how it should be. I just hate having low profile wheels and have big gaps in the arches. plus i want slightly stiffer ride

 

[jibcl500]

What about the shocks???????? can they take the 35 or 42mm drop?

jib

 

[turbopete]

its often not a case of whether the shocks can take the lowering, but whether the springs will stay in place when the car lifts like over the brow of a hill or hump backed bridge. ive seen the boy racer brigade use std shocks and shorter springs, go over a sharp bridge or similar, the spring dislocates and slices into those nice expensive tyres they just fitted to those wheels that are almost as big as the corsa theyre fitted to!!! then it gets expensive!

 

[SQ_W211]

ermmmm I have read reviews about the Eibach Pro kit and havent yet heard anything bad about them. I dont want shocks as they make the ride really stiff. I think the springs will only dislocate if they are of cheap brand and used to the limit like 60mm lowering etc or when people use heat to compress the springs to save money.

I am more looking for reviews from people who have tried these on forum and what limits they have gone to and how the ride is after the drop

 

[5pares]

Modern lowering springs will be aslong or longer than standard springs when unpressurised so they should dislocate.

 

[SQ_W211]

Modern lowering springs will be aslong or longer than standard springs when unpressurised so they should dislocate.

should or shouldnt?

 

[turbopete]

i think he meant shouldnt. however in my experience, every set of lowering springs has been shorter than the originals! how can they be the same length or longer, be stronger to make the ride firmer, and then let the car sit lower? any specialists in the field i ever spoke to advise shorter shocks to match the springs. some stay in place if your not lowering much eg 25-30mm. ive also seen boy racers drop their car 45-50mm with springs, use standard shochs, then almost be in tears because when the car is jacked up for mot, it fails as the springs arent secure with the wheels at maximum downward (rebound) travel! some suspension companies offer different spring rates for the same car and same amount of lowering. the more you lower, the more the ride suffers as theres less travel to absorb the road imperfections etc! also, be aware of the height of any speed bumps in your area. if you damage the car on them at standard height you can claim for it, if the car is lowered though, you cant!

 

[SQ_W211]

Thanks for very informative post. I have had my fair share of boy racer cars. I have had VW Golf GTI Mk2 which was lowered on GSF springs by 60mm and standard shock. surprisingly i never had any issues with it at all.

However i do understand that cheaply made springs or worn out shock will have issues but i am not the type to let things get to that stage and would change things if and when required.

I will post some images once had it all setup and provide feedback on the ride quality.....