C-Class (W203) 2001-2007, C160, C180, C200, C220, C230, C240, C270, C280, C300, C320, C230K, C350, Coupe

Eibach or h&r?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Jan 26, 2006 | 01:39 AM
  #1  
dey-bid's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver British Columbia
C230 Kompressor sedan
Eibach or h&r?

Alright i have read the other threads about suspension and i have decided to go with just the springs. So i dunt know which one to choose between eibach pro kit or h&r sport. I want the ride to b as comfortable as possible. I have also read about the spring pads and was wondering if i can just lower the car ONLY using those? If i could where would i b able to find them?
Thanks in advance for any input on this
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2006 | 01:50 AM
  #2  
ClayJ's Avatar
ON PROBATION
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,024
Likes: 0
I have had Eibachs on many of my cars in the past (mostly Porsches, Audis, Volvos, and Volkswagons). I do have H&R Sports (1's & 2's) on many of my cars now. I like the H&R springs. I do not, however, have current experience with the Eibach's.
My suggestion to you, nevertheless, is that if you "want the ride to b as comfortable as possible" that you go with the Eibach's.

Hopefully someone with current experience with the Eibach's will post their recommendations for you...
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2006 | 03:31 AM
  #3  
Cappa26's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 0
A box on 4 wheels
I had Eibachs before, it stiffens the ride a bit, but i've heard wonderful things about H&R and teins. I wasnt really impressed with eibachs, but they didnt let me down ethier.
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2006 | 04:16 AM
  #4  
FrankW's Avatar
MBworld Guru
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22,058
Likes: 19
From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
Eibach's pro-kit is stiffer than H&R sport. They lowers the car about the same.
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2006 | 04:18 AM
  #5  
MBenzNL's Avatar
Former Vendor of MBWorld
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,011
Likes: 3
From: global traveller
some slow@$$diesels
I have eibachs on my W202 (for more then 400.000km) and I had eibachs on my W201 (for more then 200.000km) and I have H&Rs on my W203 (for 2000km) and I definitely prefer the eibachs...and id it wasn't for the 4-5 weeks delivery time of a set of eibach adjusteable springs with shocks - I would def have gotten me those.

greetingz,
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2006 | 09:50 PM
  #6  
dey-bid's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver British Columbia
C230 Kompressor sedan
so which one rides the most stock like?
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 12:33 AM
  #7  
Cappa26's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 0
A box on 4 wheels
If you want I can sell you my new eibach pro kit springs for 260$ brand new, never opened. I bought them but I decided to modify other things first.
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 01:43 AM
  #8  
dey-bid's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver British Columbia
C230 Kompressor sedan
Originally Posted by Cappa26
If you want I can sell you my new eibach pro kit springs for 260$ brand new, never opened. I bought them but I decided to modify other things first.
nah i was gonna get it at a local shop here in Vancouver B.C. so they can install and align the car as well at a better price
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

Six Gift Ideas Your AMG Loving Dad or Grad Will Cherish

 
story-1

7 Craziest Things AMG Gas Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 02:35 AM
  #9  
white_w203's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,006
Likes: 0
From: East Bay, CA
is SOLD
i say go with h&r and not "e-bouncy".
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 02:32 PM
  #10  
LowCaliTi's Avatar
Super Member
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 630
Likes: 1
From: nJ/pHiLLy/nY
Audi 225 TT.w203 sedan.Bmw 318tiCali.Ed.VW Jetta vr6
Eibach on my Bimmer H&R on the Benz.... i am happier with the ride quality on the MB, Eibachs do point out the bounce a little more !
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 02:36 PM
  #11  
MJ50's Avatar
Super Moderator
MBWorld Ambassador

20 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,075
Likes: 980
From: MBworld
bone stock E55 AMG
Originally Posted by dey-bid
so which one rides the most stock like?
H&R
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 03:45 PM
  #12  
ClayJ's Avatar
ON PROBATION
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,024
Likes: 0
That's good to know guys. I have no current experience with the Eibachs on a MBZ -- and seems to me I'll keep it that way.
Thanks.
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 04:27 PM
  #13  
xxbenzc230kxx's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,661
Likes: 3
From: bay area
is not yet completed
i second H&R
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 11:17 PM
  #14  
dey-bid's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver British Columbia
C230 Kompressor sedan
Originally Posted by mj50
H&R
yea i guess i go with h&r then i guess...how long do the shocks last after the install does anyone noe?
Reply
Old Jan 28, 2006 | 01:12 PM
  #15  
LowCaliTi's Avatar
Super Member
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 630
Likes: 1
From: nJ/pHiLLy/nY
Audi 225 TT.w203 sedan.Bmw 318tiCali.Ed.VW Jetta vr6
H&R --6months-1 year you will start to notice struts giving way. Eibach--6 months or less, also it all depends on car condition, year. etc, etc...
Reply
Old Jan 28, 2006 | 11:07 PM
  #16  
dey-bid's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver British Columbia
C230 Kompressor sedan
Originally Posted by LowCaliTi
H&R --6months-1 year you will start to notice struts giving way. Eibach--6 months or less, also it all depends on car condition, year. etc, etc...
Oh really shiet is it bad for the frame of the car?
Reply
Old Jan 29, 2006 | 12:46 AM
  #17  
ClayJ's Avatar
ON PROBATION
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,024
Likes: 0
That's why you go with changing the shocks and springs at the same time. I've got the H&R Springs and Bilstein Heavy Duty's on several of my cars -- one of them with over 140,000 miles on it with no problems. The Bilstein HD's last forever (1,000,000 mile warranty).

Some people do go with the Bilstein Touring which is a slightly softer shock.

And no, you're not going to do anything to the frame or chassis of your car....
Reply
Old Jan 29, 2006 | 01:25 AM
  #18  
c230K415's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 491
Likes: 1
From: Redding, California
AMG GTS
Originally Posted by ClayJ
That's why you go with changing the shocks and springs at the same time. I've got the H&R Springs and Bilstein Heavy Duty's on several of my cars -- one of them with over 140,000 miles on it with no problems. The Bilstein HD's last forever (1,000,000 mile warranty).

Some people do go with the Bilstein Touring which is a slightly softer shock.

And no, you're not going to do anything to the frame or chassis of your car....
Thanks a lot for the info, I'm thinking of doing something with my suspension soon as well...so how do the Bilstein's feel? For example, do they feel softer or stiffer than the stock suspension?
Reply
Old Jan 29, 2006 | 01:59 AM
  #19  
ClayJ's Avatar
ON PROBATION
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,024
Likes: 0
Slightly stiffer- and not in a bad way. One of the proprietary things about Bilsteins is that their valving (the actual shock action) is in very small increments - like 2mm - and there are like 32 or so increments -- so they really are very smooth.

In combination with the H&R's (which are a progressive spring: softer at the top and then real stiff once they're fully compressed under load, say in a high-speed corner) you are going to notice some jounce on things like speedbumps, and you'll notice a wuicker resetting of the car on things like railroad tracks during a curver in the road most likely -- but none of it could acurately be described as 'harsh'. So, per se, the combination is not as soft on the road as the OEM AMG suspension. Difference as a percentage? Maybe 10-20% depending on the model of your car and what tires you have on it (lower profile, stiffer sidewall tires are going to add to any stiffness/harshness) -- and that's another reason why I like the PS2's, as they aren't too stiff while still being awesome performers.

But if you're going to go with the H&R's you should go ahead and do the Bilsteins at the same time; both for compatibility and because of the cost of install.

You may want to see if you can use the Touring Bilsteins with a lowering spring like the H&R (they may recommend against it because of compatibility issues) if you want all three things: lowering, better performance, and the smoothest road ride possible. If you are more concerned with lowering and performance and will accept a slightly stiffer ride go with the Bilstein HD's and the H&R's for sure.

Like I said, I have that combination on a bunch of my cars (like a dozen) and I didn't want to throw away smooth road ride on over half of them, and still knowledgably went with the HD's and H&R's.

What model of C-class are you doing, and what do you have/will you have for tires?

Last edited by ClayJ; Jan 29, 2006 at 02:02 AM.
Reply
Old Jan 30, 2006 | 03:46 AM
  #20  
dey-bid's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver British Columbia
C230 Kompressor sedan
Originally Posted by ClayJ
That's why you go with changing the shocks and springs at the same time. I've got the H&R Springs and Bilstein Heavy Duty's on several of my cars -- one of them with over 140,000 miles on it with no problems. The Bilstein HD's last forever (1,000,000 mile warranty).

Some people do go with the Bilstein Touring which is a slightly softer shock.

And no, you're not going to do anything to the frame or chassis of your car....
Thanks for the info
Reply
Old Jan 30, 2006 | 04:19 AM
  #21  
ClayJ's Avatar
ON PROBATION
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,024
Likes: 0
Anytime - always glad to share my experience with something or try to help in some way.
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:19 AM.

story-0
Six Gift Ideas Your AMG Loving Dad or Grad Will Cherish

Slideshow: Six gift ideas your AMG loving dad or grad will cherish.

By | 2026-06-03 17:26:18


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Craziest Things AMG Gas Ever Built

Slideshow: Sometimes AMG builds fast sedans. Other times, it builds twin-turbo V12 land missiles and six-wheeled off-road monsters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-26 17:59:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT 4-Door Coupe trades combustion for software, synthetic noise, and more than 1,100 horsepower.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 20:08:15


VIEW MORE
story-3
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-4
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-5
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-7
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-8
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-9
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE