My suspension setup on C36...

[omeyhomey]

Hey guys,

did a ton of searching on the forum and it seems like the most common sizes for the AMG guys is 225/255 F/R on 18x8/18x9, or 235/265 on 18x8.5/18x9.5.

I plan on dropping the car but only mildly, I am going for an AMG euro spec look (roughly 1" shorter than US spec) so I was going to go with vogtlands and #4 pads all around). I also wanted to run 235/40/18 fronts and 265/35/18 rears on 18x8 and 18x9 (roughly 35mm offset each) Kuhmo MX. I can get fender tool and roll it properly, but I was going to ask if its even necessary on such a mild drop.

P.S. I am on #2 pads all around right now so i'd be going up 2 steps in pads but dropping about 1.4 w/ vogtlands, so a net of roughly 1.0-1.2ish total.

what do you think?

[Proven Guilty]

that drop should look perfect for what you are going for. if it were me, i'd personally stick with the conventional tire sizes so you don't have to roll the fenders, period.

225/40/18 and 245/35/18 in the rear will work perfectly, and there was a special on tirerack for those exact sizes for the dunlop SP sport maxx tires i've got on my W208. there's no rubbing, no fender rolling, and it's got the sidewall protection for the wheel in the event someone is driving your car and chances a mild curb rash. we also run eibach pro kit with #1 pads with 19" wheels (et 38 front and rear with a 5mm spacer up front)

also, vogtland springs are also branded as koni and tend to have a lower drop than eibach pro kit. i'd go with the eibach pro kit on #2 pads all around, and it should be comparable to the euro spec stance.

hope that helps.

[jnolte]

no 245.....

[omeyhomey]

Originally posted by Proven Guilty
that drop should look perfect for what you are going for. if it were me, i'd personally stick with the conventional tire sizes so you don't have to roll the fenders, period.

225/40/18 and 245/35/18 in the rear will work perfectly, and there was a special on tirerack for those exact sizes for the dunlop SP sport maxx tires i've got on my W208. there's no rubbing, no fender rolling, and it's got the sidewall protection for the wheel in the event someone is driving your car and chances a mild curb rash. we also run eibach pro kit with #1 pads with 19" wheels (et 38 front and rear with a 5mm spacer up front)

also, vogtland springs are also branded as koni and tend to have a lower drop than eibach pro kit. i'd go with the eibach pro kit on #2 pads all around, and it should be comparable to the euro spec stance.

hope that helps.

I would but I will need quite a bit more traction with the mods I will be doing and I really don't think 245s will cut it, also I am set on Kuhmo MXs and the only two consecutive options are 245/40/18 (too tall) or 265/35/18 so I would really like to run the 265s if possible. Theres nothing in between those two.

I have no problem rolling fenders I've done it so many times (the proper way) with the tire rack $300 tool that i'd rather do it that way and get extra clearance and get alot more rubber. I'm tired of traction control kicking in every few seconds so I want to make sure I have enough rubber to the point where i'd never really need TC to kick in (B/c on these C36s its pretty damn intrusive.)

In addition, the 265/35/18s only weigh 23lbs where as the 245s weigh 25lbs. The 235s also weigh 23lbs so I'd have same weight at all 4 corners. Still trying to get an exact number on the replica wheel weights from LW&T, if its substantially lighter than stock then I should be able to drop quite a bit of unsprung weight.

Interesting on the eibach/vogtland setup. What is the eibach drop specs, 1.2"? I think vogtland is 1.4" if I'm not mistaken which is a bit much for what I'm going for. I really love eurospec height I think its the perfect look, lot of w202s are too "slammed" and I just don't find that attractive.

[Proven Guilty]

Originally posted by omeyhomey
I would but I will need quite a bit more traction with the mods I will be doing and I really don't think 245s will cut it, also I am set on Kuhmo MXs and the only two consecutive options are 245/40/18 (too tall) or 265/35/18 so I would really like to run the 265s if possible. Theres nothing in between those two.

I have no problem rolling fenders I've done it so many times (the proper way) with the tire rack $300 tool that i'd rather do it that way and get extra clearance and get alot more rubber. I'm tired of traction control kicking in every few seconds so I want to make sure I have enough rubber to the point where i'd never really need TC to kick in (B/c on these C36s its pretty damn intrusive.)

In addition, the 265/35/18s only weigh 23lbs where as the 245s weigh 25lbs. The 235s also weigh 23lbs so I'd have same weight at all 4 corners. Still trying to get an exact number on the replica wheel weights from LW&T, if its substantially lighter than stock then I should be able to drop quite a bit of unsprung weight.

Interesting on the eibach/vogtland setup. What is the eibach drop specs, 1.2"? I think vogtland is 1.4" if I'm not mistaken which is a bit much for what I'm going for. I really love eurospec height I think its the perfect look, lot of w202s are too "slammed" and I just don't find that attractive.

I agree on the drop, if it's a functional drop and you're after performance from the suspension. Arguably the "super slammed" look is great on the right car with the right mods for show.

I'll try to post a pic or two of the eibach pro kit on #1 pads on our W208. it's honestly the most perfect drop i've ever had.

as far as the rubber, you can fit 275 in the rear with the right offset and mild pull on the rear wheel well. AMG rolled the rears from the factory, so the only way to get more clearance is to lightly pull them. you shouldn't really have rubbing issues, but the best bet for traction would be to track down a rear end from a W124 with an LSD, or weld your stocker. There's a few other options if you don't mind dropping coin into a quallife, but it's all in how far you want to go. Kleeman was king, but they're impossible to find nowadays.

[omeyhomey]

Originally posted by Proven Guilty
I agree on the drop, if it's a functional drop and you're after performance from the suspension. Arguably the "super slammed" look is great on the right car with the right mods for show.

I'll try to post a pic or two of the eibach pro kit on #1 pads on our W208. it's honestly the most perfect drop i've ever had.

as far as the rubber, you can fit 275 in the rear with the right offset and mild pull on the rear wheel well. AMG rolled the rears from the factory, so the only way to get more clearance is to lightly pull them. you shouldn't really have rubbing issues, but the best bet for traction would be to track down a rear end from a W124 with an LSD, or weld your stocker. There's a few other options if you don't mind dropping coin into a quallife, but it's all in how far you want to go. Kleeman was king, but they're impossible to find nowadays.

quaife is $$$, I may try to get LSD but getting 265 kuhmo mx should be all the grip I'd ever need I highly doubt I'll need LSD after I get those.

Since I'm not going with super low suspension, just about 1.0-1.2" drop, rubbing should not be an issue with 265s right?

I am also looking at some eibach sways but I am having trouble finding stock diameter specs. I know eibachs is 28/18mm (F/R) for their swaybars. if stock is really close to that they may not be worth while b/c they are $$$$. I'd rather put that money into poly LCA bushings and new steering damper (seems like mines leaking a bit).

I am leaning more towards eibachs now b/c I can stick with stock #2 pads which is just one less thing to complicate things. If I need more performance I can always swap out with bilstein sports down the road if need be (probably won't need to but just in case).

[expo5.0]

my eibachs dropped my car quite a bit... i think you may be tight

[omeyhomey]

after doing more homework. i figured out that going from a #2 pad to #4 pad all around will raise the car up .4 inches, so if I get the vogtlands that will only be a 1.0" drop which is .2" less than the eibachs. Also I am running on bilstein HD shocks which are roughly 1" taller than the bilstein sports so it should be close to what I'm looking for.

Also decided against sways, its just way too much money. I'd rather put that money into Poly Lower Control Arms and new steering damper which will give me much better feedback

thx for the great input guys.

[MeMyself]

Originally posted by omeyhomey
after doing more homework. i figured out that going from a #2 pad to #4 pad all around will raise the car up .4 inches, so if I get the vogtlands that will only be a 1.0" drop which is .2" less than the eibachs. Also I am running on bilstein HD shocks which are roughly 1" taller than the bilstein sports so it should be close to what I'm looking for.

Also decided against sways, its just way too much money. I'd rather put that money into Poly Lower Control Arms and new steering damper which will give me much better feedback

thx for the great input guys.


Where can I get these? "Poly Lower Control Arms"
I've been serching the net, cant find it anywhere for w202 :S

[jnolte]

Originally posted by omeyhomey
after doing more homework. i figured out that going from a #2 pad to #4 pad all around will raise the car up .4 inches, so if I get the vogtlands that will only be a 1.0" drop which is .2" less than the eibachs. Also I am running on bilstein HD shocks which are roughly 1" taller than the bilstein sports so it should be close to what I'm looking for.

Also decided against sways, its just way too much money. I'd rather put that money into Poly Lower Control Arms and new steering damper which will give me much better feedback

thx for the great input guys.

i have a front weichers sway bar that unfortunatly does not fit c43 beacuse of the throttle wire

[lamf]

Brabus V's i just bought came with 245's for the front and 275's for the rear. How much rubbing am i looking at with my eibachs and what can i do to prevent it when they go on once the streets are swept?

[jnolte]

get the adjustable perches

[omeyhomey]

Originally posted by MeMyself
Where can I get these? "Poly Lower Control Arms"
I've been serching the net, cant find it anywhere for w202 :S

LPD has them, use forum search

I just bought a pair for $100 shipped with the club202 discount. I also bought my steering damper and some other goodies while I was at it. gonna replace everything at once to save time on labor (springs, bushings, steering damper and etc).

Not doing swaybars b/c price to me just isn't worth it, I just want much better handling and feedback, not taking the car to the track or anything like that.

[omeyhomey]

Originally posted by jnolte
i have a front weichers sway bar that unfortunatly does not fit c43 beacuse of the throttle wire

I have a 1995 Wiechers bar, but a 96 C36. Can I make it fit or are they totally different? Whats the difference between these two bars exactly?

[Proven Guilty]

Originally posted by jnolte
i have a front weichers sway bar that unfortunatly does not fit c43 beacuse of the throttle wire

@omey - the billstein HDs were the OEM equipment for the C36s iirc. You'd also be much more happy if you swapped to W208 LCA bushings instead of the LPD auto parts poly bushings, because the W208 used solid whereas the W202 had the hollowed core that rotted and cracked. The ride would be much more compliant, and quiet. However, I would certainly recommend replacing the drag link, and steering shock dampner to tighten up the play in the wheel. A thicker swaybar will give you superior performance, if anything, the CLK55 sways were a little thicker front and rear and may prove to be an upgrade alternative. Someone did some research a while back; I believe it was remolexi and posted the thickness with part numbers from the corresponding models if you wanted to search for further alternatives.

The two share an identical underbody in terms of fitment for suspension parts, but keep in mind the W208 was a $47,000 car and the C280 was a $34,000 car. Lots of uncovered goodies are waiting on the Merc parts bin from the sister coupe.

@jnolte - you're referring to the shock tower brace. Swaybars tie the lower end of the suspension together, and are functionally anti roll bars. They keep the car planted, and the wheels flat when cornering by minimizing flex, whereas the shocktower (functionally strut tower brace) stiffens the top end of the suspension, minimizing chassis flex further.

@lamf - 245 and 275 will rub something awful on an aftermarket suspension. You can eliminate it by rolling and pulling the wheel arches, but to put that much rubber on pavement, you're likely going to crack the paint from the amount of metal you need to stretch to give the tires adequate clearance.

edit: here's the link to one of the many topics i was talking about omey if you wanted to look at alternates to eibach/H&R swaybars:
http://club202.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13931&highlight=sway+bar

[omeyhomey]

Originally posted by Proven Guilty
@omey - the billstein HDs were the OEM equipment for the C36s iirc. You'd also be much more happy if you swapped to W208 LCA bushings instead of the LPD auto parts poly bushings, because the W208 used solid whereas the W202 had the hollowed core that rotted and cracked. The ride would be much more compliant, and quiet. However, I would certainly recommend replacing the drag link, and steering shock dampner to tighten up the play in the wheel. A thicker swaybar will give you superior performance, if anything, the CLK55 sways were a little thicker front and rear and may prove to be an upgrade alternative. Someone did some research a while back; I believe it was remolexi and posted the thickness with part numbers from the corresponding models if you wanted to search for further alternatives.

The two share an identical underbody in terms of fitment for suspension parts, but keep in mind the W208 was a $47,000 car and the C280 was a $34,000 car. Lots of uncovered goodies are waiting on the Merc parts bin from the sister coupe.

edit: here's the link to one of the many topics i was talking about omey if you wanted to look at alternates to eibach/H&R swaybars:
http://club202.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13931&highlight=sway+bar

Hello Proven,

I did come across that thread earlier, but I noticed it did not have the special notch in the bar that we need for the M104s so I realized the ML55 bar may not work.

However what does the CLK55 bar look like? is it similar to our design? if so that may be a viable options if its direct fit.

i just got my vogtland springs today so I am going to run those with #4 pads all around to give me as much clearance as possible.

I went ahead and bought the LPD ones just so I never have to replace them and they will never go bad, many forum members seemed to be very happy with them and they made steering much more precise (along with steering damper) so I figured those two alone will be plenty in giving me the feel I'm looking for. One of my control arm mounts was actually busted and I had that fixed today so the car is already starting to feel tighter and more composed (although the suspension I feel is still too soft). The new springs should give me the balance I'm looking for.

Thanks again for the great info proven, I will research more about CLK55 bits.

[omeyhomey]

Got Vogtlands. Looking to run #4 pads all around. I also plan on getting the tirerack fender too and pulling the fenders.

I did not realize AMG did such a good job rolling the fenders, they really rolled them flat. One thing I DID notice though is that the rear fenders actually tilt inwards which is kind of weird. I plan on pulling them out so I can hopefully get another .5-1" of extra clearance to make room for my 265/35/18s.

heres a pic of the Tirerack fender tool.

http://www.eastwood.com/images/us/local/products/detail/p16482.jpg

[svt ricco]

can you post pics of your whip?

[Proven Guilty]

Promised you a pic, here's the W208 with eibach/koni shocks on number 1 pads.
http://www.soshanna.com/clk.JPG

[omeyhomey]

CLK looks nice man. very nice combo.