Don Corleone

Hi folks,

I bought a 1985 american version black w201 190e 2.3. It has 8 holes rims from w124 series, 4x Sumitomo 205/60R15 and I put also european headlights.

My idea now is to make it a litle sportier by lowering it by 1.2 inches (Eibach kit for this car) and putting some bilstein "sport" (stiff) shock absorbers.

Any suggestion? are my choices good? can I try another brand?

Thanks in advance,

Ignacio G.
Viņa del Mar
CHILE

Dan's 1993 190E

I have the bilstien sport shocks and I love them.

I would not recommend lowering the car, unless you only want to lower it for looks.

The best upgrade you can make is to replace the sway bar bushings, preferably with polyeurathane instead of rubber. This is easy to do and cheap and is the first way to add stiffness in cornering.

If you can't find poly bushings for your car, you can order rubber ones and take them to the store and compare them with what they have.

Before thinking about springs, I would crawl under the car and measure the distance from the street to the lowest body part (muffler, oil pan, etc). Then think about whether or not you want those expensive parts riding so close to the street.

I had a spring kit on my 280CE and I went through about 2 mufflers per year. If you live in a really nice area with perfect roads it's one thing, but most of us have potholes and other irregularities in the road and springs aren't worth it. You CAN drive faster on perfect roads, but you MUST drive more carefully on most roads.

Shocks and bushings will probably make you very happy. Even new rubber bushings on an old car will make a huge difference if you can't find poly.

Dan

Don Corleone

Hey Dan,

Thank you very much for your quick answer. In fact I want to lower the car because of aesthetic purporses. On the other hand I had no idea about poly bushings. BTW you know some internet store where I can find those? remember I live in Chile and my country hasn't to many stores of that kind. In fact there's only 1 Daimler Benz representant (Kaufmann) and the prices are quite high.

Dan's 1993 190E

It is hard to find a listing for mercedes, but you can order universal ones from here.

http://www.suspension.com/s.b.bushings.htm

You'll have to measure the diameter of your sway bars (front and rear), and the distance from bolt to bolt. Also measure the diameter of the end link, you'll order just the grommets for the end links, but you have to know how thick the bolt/link is.

Again, think long and hard about the roads that you drive on everyday before lowering your car. Do you cross over any speed bumps? Is there a curb or height difference when you enter parking lots? Is there a hill/grade at the entrance to driveways or parking lots? And finally, if these things apply, do you trust the guy behind you if you have to stop before making the turn? 1.5 inches is a lot!

Dan

Dan's 1993 190E

I took a look at the Eibach stuff. The pro-kit (I think the one you refer to) isn't so extreme, but the sportline-kit is. You'll also need an alignment. They do sell spacers as well if you think it's too low when you're done.

Eibach pro-kit would definately be my choice for Mercedes springs.

Dan

Don Corleone

Thanks again.

Eibach is 1.2 inches lower than usual right? seems 3 cms. aprox. so it won't be to much. Now the only issue is quoting to compare prices. I will have to pay taxes in my country as well as shipping. It is important to get good price for both kits.

Pawsh

You could always go with Mercedes Sportline springs. They offer a less dramatic drop, compared to Eibachs or H&R. Also with Eibach, H&R, etc. lowering springs, you have to watch your camber. Some companies here (in the U.S.) sell camber correction links to help this. This is one of the reason I went with the Sportline suspension, as appossed to Eibach/H&R lowering kit.
If you find the Sportline springs to be "too soft", you can also opt for 400E or 500SL springs, just cut these to your needing.

Don't forget you can also upgrade the swaybars if you prefer to enhance your suspension.

Don Corleone

By Mercedes Sportline springs you mean Mercedes brander springs not aftermarket? For sure those springs are made by Boge or Bilstein and therefore can be bought for less money.

DuckRyder

I'm pretty sure he means springs from the "SportLine" model sold here in the US.

You might contact H&R and see if they offer any "OEM sport" springs. They offer these for several brands of cars in the US. (I'm not sure if the 190 is among them)

Edit, doesn't look like they do, but look at the foot notes after selecting your model at:

http://www.hrsprings.com/site/frameapplications.html

Particularly:

8 Mercedes-Benz cars ride height may vary due to vehicle options and Mercedes-Benz factory ride height adjustment shims. This original-MB-Part is a rubber shim perch, which is located on the top of the spring. These shims vary in thickness from 8 to 23mm.

HTH

Don Corleone

Thanks for the info added DuckRyder!

Unfortunately, although H&R kit might be good or even better than my original idea (Eibach), I cannot afford it.