varoom

Who has done this?

On the front springs...

Do I cut top coil or bottom coil?

Do I need to cut a whole coil or just try half first?

Cheers

Justsaymo01

I have the original amg springs on mine with one coil cut front and back, from what i can tell your kinda stuck with a one whole coil on the top of the spring being cut on the front ones because you want the spring to be resting back in the original groove of the top strut plate so your spring couldn't potentialy pop out, this isn't an issue on the back because the top rubber can be rotated unless you you get realy crazy on how many coils your cutting.

I'm not saying this is the best way or correct way by any means to lower a car, I just got bored one day, and decided to do it, and if it didn't work I'd just buy a $200 set of lowering springs. From my experience with them being cut its not that bad, and I've had them cut for over a year now. If you get on some crappy back roads your going to notice your comfort level has degraded , but hey what lowered car doesn't lose some comfort after being lowered.

I'm within the next couple months going to try a set of the BC coilovers to get my car a little lower not much though. I dont feel comfortable cutting anymore spring off being I'd have to cute a whole other coil off, and in that case there wouldn't enough spring left to support it's self and totaly not work.

Good luck with either way you go.

Xattica

Are you for real? Cutting coils is not safe. Also, you have a +60k car! I don't even recommended on the MK3 VW forums.

ProjectCamaro

I have to agree, just buy some lowering springs that are made for your car and that ride height and call it a day.

Quicktwinturbo

No no no no no no no no no no no no non on on on no. Don't be a European ricer.

varoom

I know it's not ideal and wouldn't even dream of doing it myself...

But I've read loads of guys doing it on this forum.

This is where I got the idea from lol

91RS

Just buy some springs...

AMG3.2

Don't do it

Zeppelin

Not safe? Please tell us why?

Only risk is if the suspension bottoms out too easily but based on my experience with the W203 this is not an issue. Ride quality is probably better than a aftermarket lowering spring as the strut is designed for the stock spring rate.

jahoo

I cut one coil in the front with the same thought, if too low I would just buy a new set of H&R's.

My 02 Canadian C32 came with ridiculous 3"+ wheel gap in the front. With one coil cut it is still slightly higher than a C230 with H&R's and just a little lower than what OEM should look like. I also cut one 'donut' from the long factory bump stop. You will probably need to cut the rears by a coil as well, or get a smaller pad.

Justsaymo01

I don't disagree with the opinions from others saying its cheesy to cut springs on a Mercedes. I was just stating my experience with cut springs and how I did it, pretty much what you were asking. I'm not trying to start an argument, but why did you want to know how to do something that your not even going to consider doing Maybe your reply should have been your actual question.

Capn

Buy some used H&R springs for $200 man like others say don't mess around with the driving dynamics of the car.

Zeppelin

Messing with the suspension on these cars will not get you in to trouble. I have run a bunch of combinations of parts and nothing will make these pigs handle much better than stock. The tires make the biggest difference, DOT racing tires that is.

I currently run the following:

H&R springs
C55 struts
C230 front swaybar
Two rear swaybars - stock Siamesed to a H&R
Nitto NT-05s

maska

Please, Don't !!

varoom

i said i wouldnt have even considered cutting springs....

until i have read loads of guy doing it on here...

so now im thinking.....mmmm....how do i do it?

i have a spare set of h&r springs to try.

Justsaymo01

I got ya, sorry I got a little rude .

blkonblkc55amg

Dont do it!!!!!

559EVO

Dont do it!
But if you want to go cheap just go to the muffler shop and ask them to heat your coils while you monitor the ride height you will tell him when to stop. Thats how if was done in the 90's! j/k dont try that also

splinter

^ +1

Listen to what this man says.

C_DirtyTwo

two rear sway bars?? for real?

AMG3.2

Wait, whaaaaat?

Zeppelin

Yeah, just welded them together. Was trying to cure the under steer in these cars but realized it is impossible without changing out the rear subframe bushings as the rear subframe just floats on the W203 chassis. I did not want to mess up the ride quality with the Renntech bushings so decided to live with what I got.

ghiaguy

damn, thats hardcore

OCKlasse

One of the biggest myths in the modding world is that cutting springs "ruins" the car.

ghiaguy

it may not ruin it, but a spring is designed with a certain length/spring rate in mind. altering this will change the car, rarely for the better