W210 lower suspension?

[kit820]

Although I am not a boy racer but being from a art/design background, aerodynamic is not just a scientific matter but also quite importantly, an aesthetic one.

I find the ride height of my stock w210 elegance a little high, a little 'square'. I hope to lower it slightly just to give it a sharper look but at the same time, I do not want to compromise too much on the comfort level. I do not need the car to be sitting completely flat and crucially, I want to use where possible, authentic factory equipments unless of course the product comes from another good/reputable manufacture. Has anyone got any recommendation for me? How does the factory AMG set up seem?

regards

kit

 

[jberks]

Just swap the Elegance springs/shocks for Avantgarde ones - these are lower, slightly stiffer and are standard MB components.

 

[nicky]

Why not fit a set of 17 or 18 inch alloys to the car and make it look better instead of lowering it...These will fill the wheel arches and make it look better......

 

[SLinKyjoe]

just fill your boot with bricks....

 

[tom7035]

On a vehicle of this type, the beauty of 17 or 18" wheels/low profile tyres is certainly only in the eye of the beholder IMO, and will also seriously compromise ride comfort.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Now I dont wanna get into this too deep but.....................

would bigger wheels/lower profile create a harsher ride than leaving the wheels alone and lowering the springy bits etc? one must be more of a compromise than the other!

I would guess that leaving the suspension alone and getting bigger wheels would be the lesser of 2 evils here but please educate me if I am wrong.


My bootful of bricks works a treat by the way.

 

[nicky]

What i was trying to say is if you lower a car with standard wheels on it,it will looked clapped out......

You need the bigger wheels when you lower a car to make it look right....

 

[lwlwoo]

Lower profile and wider tyres

Hi,

I've been advised that changing standard wheels/tyres to lower profile and wider ones will increase road noises which will certainly ruin the ride comfort of a W210. It would definitely be satisfying to be seen driving a car that looks attractive and chunky but will a noiser drive tolerable in a long run?

FPM

 

[Bolide]

Lowered suspension

Everything you do to "improve", "pimp", "slam" or modify the car will take you away from a compromise that a lot of very talented German pointy-heads spent years achieving

Every action has an equal (and opposite) reaction, and nowhere is this more true than modifying cars. In general it's a fools errand unless you're good at deluding yourself that the 5" suspension drop you just did makes the car handle just like a Ferrari...

I'd follow jberks advice and change the springs. Big wheels are nice but, with big tyres, it's a big layout of £££ for a potentially uncomfortable result. Try and borrow a set and see if you like it first

Not that I'm against modified cars, though! Oh no... here's me in my 1975 BMW 2002. It's got twin, standard front anti-roll bars and rear springs cut down by one coil with a hacksaw. Can't get suspension modifications much more basic than that...



Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[kit820]

Thanks for all your advice. My concept is to enhance the look of the car but maintain its level of comfort, hence the idea was always about using stock MB equipments.

I did think about putting some 18s on, but being an underpowered E230 that I own, I shelved that idea and instead, I have been running the car on a set of 17s (standard feature on E430 of the same range). They do look quite fabulous and discreet. Where I am, chroming is relatively cheap and I may even go down that route if I feel like the dare one day.

Amid advice about the avantgarde suspension set up, given this is a standard set up, I doubt it would make too much difference to the level of comfort. I have even thought about a set of AMG suspension set up since the two are priced fairly closely. But to be cautious, my local MB dealer will let me have a ride on a used E class avantgarde as well as an E55, so as to let me decide which to go for.

AMG or Avantgarde? What do you think?

 

[SLinKyjoe]

my view.

AMG is desgined for serious handling and high performance. That measn they sacrifice the comfort for all the other things but by making a Merc an AMG they keep the luxury image. even if the ride is harsh.

Avantgarde is for good sporty looks and so on. think more modern/younger types. Hence the name Avangarde. You will have heard of TAG Heure watches? TAG is Techniques d'AvantGarde.

The Elegance is for mature comfort. You could say saggy and old, but wise and respectful sound better. Think Rolex Oyster types.

so thats how I would choose.

And classic seems to mean Cheap in German which is why the base models of a lot of german stuff are classics. I am sure they would say it means something else but it wont be sporty or luxury!


but as this thread is about size of wheels and comfort I would be inclined to go avantgarde. I still think that having bigger wheels on standard suspenion will be less of the compromise than lowering the suspension. I notice that nobody has a definitive on this. maybes people do both rather than one.

did you try the brick option?

 

[kit820]

Dear Slinkyjoe,

I never consider brick and car as being a good combination. Perhaps I think too much about the sinister side of the former.

Another thing that cross my mind, given my wheels are 17x7.5, I have thought about giving the rear a pair of wheel spacers just to fill the rear arch even better. Any comment on that? Also what size spacer should I go for?

yours

 

[SLinKyjoe]

17x7.5

what profile are your exisiting tyres? it maybe we can find the answer here. if they are already reasonably low profile an 18inch wheel with low profiles may not be that much harder and yet gain the aesthetic look you are after.

i am basing this on the fact you may be running on hard sidewall tyres as it is.

 

[kit820]

235/45R 17 on all four.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

lower the suspension. if you go for bigger wheels with lower profile tyres you will end up with strips of rubber as tyres. not comfy at all.

 

[kit820]

Cheers to you all for all the useful advice.

Here is my plan:

1: Lower the car with the set up from the avantgarde model.
2: Put some spacers both on front and rear of the vehicle, just to feel the wheel arch better.
3: And if feeling brave, chrome the current set of 17'' wheels from the E430 range.

 

[nicky]

Just remember if you lower the car get the camber angle correct or you will wear the insides of the tyres out very quickly...