W202 Sport Suspension

[theoriginalmrp]

Hi everyone.

Im Ben, and new to the forum

I've had my merc as a second car since february, and i'm very happy with it so far.

It's a 1996 C230 Kompressor saloon.

I recently fitted 19" rims wearing 235x35x19 tyres, and knew I was pushing the boundaries where fitment was concerned. I believe if it hadn't have been a sport model, the suspension would have sat higher, therefore not causing me the following problem.

Back wheels are fine, no probs at all

Front wheels grate slightly on wheelarch liners in reverse, and on lock. Otherwise no problems. The liners can be tapered/pinned in to stop this, but that's not the big issue here.

The main problem is the o/s/f wheel catching something on the outside edge of the tyre. Only seems to be when you hit a big dip. The strange thing is that the N/S/F is fine all the time

Closer inspection showed that the N/S wing had a more tucked up wing, where the other was ridged. Maybe a cheap aftermarket wing fitted after a prang? Me and my mate removed the rubber moulding, and pressed it as tight as possible, and tucking it out of the way before re-fitting the moulding, but it's still catching.

I've also noticed the car does sit ever so slightly lower on the drivers side anyway, giving not much grace.

Anybody got any ideas about reducing the suspension travel? Longer bump stops maybe?

I'm not sure about the set up of the sport model suspension, but spring clamps are bad news, and a last resort really.

Cheers Guys.

 

[Uncle Benz]

I think you are right about pushing the boundaries...

How many miles has the car covered?? Without getting into too much modifying, I would be tempted to fit a brand new pair of Merc springs to the front, especially as you have detected a difference in ride height already. I would lay money on them being the originals, and if your mileage is approaching 6 figures I would expect them to have settled a bit. New ones may provide that tiny bit of help you seek.

While you are there, make sure the front wishbone bushes (particularly the rear ones) and the lower balljoints are in good nick.

 

[theoriginalmrp]

Thanks for that, it was going through my mind.

And as for the miles, it's just turned 93K with full MB service history, though items like this are hardly service items.

In the meantime, i've tucked the wing lip up a bit more, so that may reduce it, though i'm sceptacle about it being eliminated. This pic gives you an idea about how close it goes, it's the wheel nearest to you thats causing the problem......

Also, is it the springs, shocks, or both that are different on the sport models? I've checked out GSF parts, and the only variations seem to be the diesel cars.
Thanks for the advice.......

Ben

 

[vijilants]

Speak to BlackC55. He is running 19in and also a sports suspension package.

 

[Aussie Nick]

Whillst I would agree that the car looks great, I would suggest that you have stepped way outside the engineering specs for this car which was never designed to operate with 19 inch low profile wheels and its already notifying you that you have overstepped the mark. I suspect down track you may experience mechanical and suspension problems.

Needless to say your insurer will , most likely, void any future claim in the event of an accident. Further I wonder what the police may say about the roadworthiness of your car especially in the event of an accident occurring which I hope never happens.

Where I come from ,if your car was inspected by the police it would be declared unroadworthy and you would not be allowed to drive it any further. However this may be different in your jurisdiction.

Again i would restate that the car looks great.

 

[theoriginalmrp]

Thanks for your input Nick.

I must state though that the overall rolling radius of the wheel and tyre isnt really that much bigger than the previous wheels that were fitted. I took this into consideration, and now the speedometer is far more accurate with the GPS, where before it was a few MPH out.

I wish to also add that although there is rubbing, it's very infrequent, it's not taking chunks out of the tyre, and I think the fault lies in the aftermarket wing/weak spring on the offside front corner rather than the size of the wheels.

Granted, there is a fair amount of difference in the size, but hey, if it looks good, why not?

Cheers again. And this is the car on the previous wheels size 235x50x17

Ben

 

[Aussie Nick]

I think it looks fantastic. Congratulations