TemjinX2

quote about camber from the wiki

PA_Pete

While we're on the subject, I've been wanting to ask this for a little while now. What makes coil overs "better" than stock set up/lower springs? Is it simply the ability to adjust height? Besides lowering the car, what makes them superior to other means of lowering the car? Do they handle the car better? I'm trying to justify the cost of Coil Overs to that of just another set of springs.

TruTaing

Im no expert, but from my understanding: Swapping out just the springs will cause faster wear on the stock dampers because the stock dampers were not built w/ the aftermarket springs and rates in mind. Coil overs come with springs and rates matched to their dampers. Additionally, you can go much lower w/ coil overs without cutting springs and thus not messing w/ the spring's design.

shivi1345

ahhh......I didn't know that

So I guess put a fatter pad if the front is too high?....to like even it out??

B189s

Yes, some guys did that to balance the height front and rear..

importz_

oic i guess ima go get a rear spring pad #1 and as for the front im cutting half a coil up front

B189s

You'll love the look of your car after you install your springs

daiso'

it seems h&r springs w/ koni seem more expensive than tein basic or just about the same price.... for sure with h&r n koni my car will handle better but im just gonna lower it for straight show!!! aint gonna race my 191hp so i think i leaning towards the tein for the simple fact of winter hits Canada like a bi*ch.... i would personally sould not put aftermarket lowering springs w/ stock shocks( from past experiences).....

B189s

I think H&R springs and KONI setup is more expensive than Tein Basic. Go with SuperStreet Tein, so you can adjust the dampening.

I do know one thing, you can't raise the front that much in winter time. The rears you could, not the front. You have 17s for winter, so it should help

I have 16s for winter and it was still too low even after I raised my fronts all the way

I think your SS shocks would be strong enough for aftermarket springs. Non-sport shocks would be a different story. I had Eibach and 19s with my stock non-sport shocks and it was just plain limo bouncy

Someone is selling SS Tein COs in classified! Do it now

importz_

hopefully im also thinking about changing my whole body style thinking about either a AMG all round or a Reiger front end with AMG back & side skirts....

TemjinX2

i would suggest getting coilovers with damper adjustment. Coil overs allow for height adjustment depending on if its for daily driving or track. usually lower springs or coil overs still have stiffer spring rates then stock to compensate for the lower ride height.

You want the damper adjustment, so you change the shocks to soft for comfort and stiff for sport. Shocks can compensate for the the stiffer spring rates to a degree.

usually with just lower springs, the stock shocks are not designed to ride with the lower ride height and stiffness. Hence the oem shocks tend to wear out faster with lower springs.

if your car has a lot a mileage and you need to replace the shocks anyways. make sense to buy coilovers so you can replace the whole thing while the car is apart.


Lowering your car helps with looks, but also helps with the handling. The lower center of gravity will allow you to corner faster and put less stress on your tires when your cornering at high speeds.

There's more, but thats the basics.

Glocker

I have the H&R coilovers and can be dropped upto 2.5. And has dampner adjustment as well. And I really like it. I almost purchased the KW2 but it had more bounce to it. KW2- $1600 vs. H&R's $1175.00
The only way to allign rears for camber is by installing a camber kit.
Peter

daiso'

wow i'm learning a lot here...
now i know i want tein ss or h&r coilovers.... more expensive but it would seem its the best of both worlds.... height adjustable, and damper( so i can set it to soft and it will feel like oem, but lower?)...
nibo i really really want to buy right now but i gotta save some cash cuz i would rather buy brand new cuz with used you really dont know how many miles are one them even if they claim only a few.... unless i see some used bilstein cuz i think they have life time warranty on shocks....

TemjinX2

yeah once you really start getting into suspension. You learn about different setups. You can also change your car bias from understeer to oversteer or just little less understeer.

glocati

Since I did not see many lowered wagon suspension set-ups in my search -- (Short of Steve from Netherlands/MBenzNL-who's wagon is my inspiration ) Here's my wagon's suspension set-up:

2004 C240 Wagon
H&R Coilover - Street Performance Part # 29367.2 Specific to wagons 02-04 model years
Set to about 3 turns from lowest setting
Wheels=TSW Croft 18x18 32 et Front 18X9.5 35et Rear
Tires = Falken Ziex 512 225/40/18 front 255/35/18 rear
Comments: ~ 1/4" clearance between back of tire and coilover perch on front. Rears clear with 255 tires. As many have said on here- good luck with 265's.

daiso'

im going with coils.... end of conversation ....

JLD2k3

After searching and reading a few opinions on Koni versus Bilstein, I wanted to directly ask:

Is the Bilstein Heavy Duty or Sport the way to go?

Then, How does the answer to the above compare versus the Koni Sport?

Based on previous posts I lean toward Bilstein, but I'm not sure if HD or Sport is the way to go because most of the threads do not distinguish.

Thanks,
JLD

bumpnzx3

Not sure about the Bulstein- but the Koni's are adjustable and rebuildable if that matters at all to you.

JLD2k3

I'm not in the mood to be rebuilding or adjusting them once they're on the car. From Bilstein's website:

SPORT (S)
For the performance-minded driver, Bilstein “Sport” shocks deliver absolute mastery of the road surface. Designed to push a car’s suspension to it’s performance peak, these shocks are well suited for use with special springs, antisway bars or other suspension upgrades.

HEAVY DUTY (HD)
For most vehicles including full-size sedans, SUVs and trucks. These shocks provide improved handling and stability without sacrificing ride comfort. They offer super damping ability that makes them ideal for heavy hauling for occasional off-road use, while maintaining an exceptional “street” ride.

So the SPORT makes no mention of 'without sacrificing ride comfort' but the HD seems more suited to larger vehicles. I never go off the road or haul anything. SPORT might make more sense, but I worry that the ride comfort may suffer. Anyone with experience with both?

B189s

I have Bilstein sport shocks with cut Eibach springs in my other W203 and the ride it's not harsh at all, but a tad bouncy since I cut the springs. It's definitely a better ride compared my COs.

I'm getting H&R springs to lose the bouncy feeling tho..

bumpnzx3

i doubt there will be too much of a difference in the ride of the two- especially if you aren't going to lower it. me- i hate a buttery smooth ride, i like the feel of a sports car, so i would go with the 'sport' set. do you do much corner carving or anything of the sort? if not and you aren't going to lower it- may as well get the 'HD' set.

FrankW

get the Bilstein sport or Koni. They're designed to match the shorter springs with shorter shocks. the HD will just be like your stock shocks where when you put lowering springs the shocks operate in a already compressed state and can easily bottom out.

JLD2k3

Thanks, Frank. That's the info I was looking for. I have Eibach springs sitting in the garage, so I'll put those on at the same time. I wonder if Tire Rack would take them back in exchange for the H&R as they seem to be the board favorite.

K9ff

Hi everyone,

Havent been on this forum in a long time, good to be here again. I would like to raise my 02 C240 back up again a bit and would like to locate some late model C230K Springs to do so (the C240 Stocks are too high).

I have Eibach Pro Kits on my car right now and am willing to do a straight swap or pay you for your stocks. I am in the Bay Area so I can pickup or ship UPS Ground to the Lower 48 at no charge.

Thanks again!

jedcred

I'm in the Bay Area too and I might be interested, but unfortunately, I think coupe springs are different from sedan springs; somebody correct me if I'm wrong...

EDIT: looks like a preliminary search shows that coupe and sedan springs are interchangeable, though Eibach lists two differing springs for C240 sedans and C230 coupes...

Where approximately in the Bay Area are you?