DIY: Front and Rear Sway Bars
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Joined: Apr 2005
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05 CLK55
thanks!
there are a couple different brands you could go with:
Stock: 20 mm front and 13 mm rear
C32: 22 mm front and 16 mm rear
H&R: 26 mm front and 19 mm rear
Evosport: 24 mm front and 19 mm rear
Eibach: 24 mm front and 22 mm rear
i would recommend going with a H&R front and a Eibach rear
there are a couple different brands you could go with:
Stock: 20 mm front and 13 mm rear
C32: 22 mm front and 16 mm rear
H&R: 26 mm front and 19 mm rear
Evosport: 24 mm front and 19 mm rear
Eibach: 24 mm front and 22 mm rear
i would recommend going with a H&R front and a Eibach rear
I see why you suggest H&R front and Eibach rear, but has anyone tried this? Is that a good idea?
Thread Starter
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From: Boston
2004 C32 ///AMG
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From: SoCal. Desert
'16 E350, gone: '03 c230k
rlee, my stock '03 c230k has a lot of understeer (plows). I'd really like to do something about it without sacrificing ride quality (small town = bad roads or dirt roads). The H&E bars are 6mm thicker F&R, leading one to believe the balance will remain the same, but the body roll will be less. You mention less understeer ... I'm wondering, a lot less, or just noticeably less, or ??? I assume it still has too much understeer, hence your desire to go to a larger rear bar? Please let us know on the balance (understeer/oversteer), or if the larger rear bar makes the car tailhappy (a little or a lot). Thanks!!!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Boston
2004 C32 ///AMG
rlee, my stock '03 c230k has a lot of understeer (plows). I'd really like to do something about it without sacrificing ride quality (small town = bad roads or dirt roads). The H&E bars are 6mm thicker F&R, leading one to believe the balance will remain the same, but the body roll will be less. You mention less understeer ... I'm wondering, a lot less, or just noticeably less, or ??? I assume it still has too much understeer, hence your desire to go to a larger rear bar? Please let us know on the balance (understeer/oversteer), or if the larger rear bar makes the car tailhappy (a little or a lot). Thanks!!!
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From: Ashburn, VA
'19 GLC 300, '19 TM3SR+
Good job! One thing: the bushings need to be greased before closing them up. Any good synthetic marine-grade grease would work fine. I could not see any on the pics - nor was it mentioned verbally.
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From: Seattle
w203 m112
Some grease came with the Eibach sway bar.
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From: Seattle
w203 m112
I have the eibach rear installed right now and all I can say is that the car feels SOO much tighter. There is MUCH less body roll and the car definately does not excessively oversteer or anything crazy. I cant wait to install my front sway bar 
Removing the rear sway bar was easy with all of Rlee's tips because I could bend it, but had a much harder time installing the new bar because I wasnt able to bend the new bar at all. Without being able to bend it, I was unable to install it the way I originally removed it. As a result, I installed it a little differently..
*****Tip for removing the rear sway bar*****
There is a hanger for the exhaust pipe between where the sway bar and the muffler. If you unbolt this, from under the car, then rotate the rubber hanger, you can literally pull the stock sway bar over the hanger towards the muffler. At that point, there is MUCH more space to play w/ the rear bar and the bar is literally CAKE to take out. Install the new sway bar in the reverse.
Hope this helps
Removing the rear sway bar was easy with all of Rlee's tips because I could bend it, but had a much harder time installing the new bar because I wasnt able to bend the new bar at all. Without being able to bend it, I was unable to install it the way I originally removed it. As a result, I installed it a little differently..
*****Tip for removing the rear sway bar*****
There is a hanger for the exhaust pipe between where the sway bar and the muffler. If you unbolt this, from under the car, then rotate the rubber hanger, you can literally pull the stock sway bar over the hanger towards the muffler. At that point, there is MUCH more space to play w/ the rear bar and the bar is literally CAKE to take out. Install the new sway bar in the reverse.
Hope this helps
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From: San Jose, Bay Area
2002 C230 coupe , NOt THE AVATAR!!
i just talk to my friend yesterday and ask him about doing sway bar on my car
he said sway bar is good if you have stock or Tein basic suspension but not as a great team with a PSS9 because the PSS9 is already stiff, and if i add sway bar it might made the car start drifting or hopping when i do corner because the car still need some body roll to absorb the turn
any more info i could get??
he said sway bar is good if you have stock or Tein basic suspension but not as a great team with a PSS9 because the PSS9 is already stiff, and if i add sway bar it might made the car start drifting or hopping when i do corner because the car still need some body roll to absorb the turn
any more info i could get??
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From: BC, Canada
2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
Stock AMG is the way to go. You can take every corner 20-30km/h faster and the car is almost perfectly neutral (still ever so slight understeer, which is good enough for most drivers). Makes it very controllable in the twisties without it being stupidly stiff. Also I'm a fan of OEM 
Thickening the front will increase understeer. Rear will increase oversteer. The amount of torsion the bar can take is proportional to the 4th power of the diameter, that's straight out of my mechanics textbook. Which means that if you were to increase a bar's thickness by 20%, you're actually increasing stiffness by [(1.2)^4] - 1 = 1.07, or 107%. So if the front is thicker than the rear already, increasing both by 1mm will actually REDUCE understeer as the rear is increasing by a greater PROPORTION.
Thickening the front will increase understeer. Rear will increase oversteer. The amount of torsion the bar can take is proportional to the 4th power of the diameter, that's straight out of my mechanics textbook. Which means that if you were to increase a bar's thickness by 20%, you're actually increasing stiffness by [(1.2)^4] - 1 = 1.07, or 107%. So if the front is thicker than the rear already, increasing both by 1mm will actually REDUCE understeer as the rear is increasing by a greater PROPORTION.
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From: San Diego, CA
2011 SL550
ok so we are all talking about sway bars but im not sure if my question could be related since i could not find a post for it, my question is... is it ok to buy spacers for my stock 03 c230 wheels for the staggered look i really dont want to change the wheels because i absolutely love them but i like the staggered look and there are no staggered wheels for these paticular wheels, are there any negative effects when you put about a 12mm spacer in the rear wheels
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From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
ok so we are all talking about sway bars but im not sure if my question could be related since i could not find a post for it, my question is... is it ok to buy spacers for my stock 03 c230 wheels for the staggered look i really dont want to change the wheels because i absolutely love them but i like the staggered look and there are no staggered wheels for these paticular wheels, are there any negative effects when you put about a 12mm spacer in the rear wheels
People have said that using spacers will reduce the life of your wheel bearings. I've used 20mm spacers on my rear wheels for at least 5 of my 6 1/2 years of ownership, and actually did just have my one side's bearings redone. Though I wouldn't be too quick to say that there's a cause and effect; I drive my car pretty hard, have autocrossed it, and have a pretty stiff suspension (not to mention my general lack of confidence in MB's parts these days). I'm currently in the same boat as you, though - my 18" OZ rims don't come staggered, so I'm thinking of swapping over the 20mm spacers from my OEM rims - it just doesn't look right with the rims tucked in so much on the rear.
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 29
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From: San Diego, CA
2011 SL550
Yes, it's not related.
People have said that using spacers will reduce the life of your wheel bearings. I've used 20mm spacers on my rear wheels for at least 5 of my 6 1/2 years of ownership, and actually did just have my one side's bearings redone. Though I wouldn't be too quick to say that there's a cause and effect; I drive my car pretty hard, have autocrossed it, and have a pretty stiff suspension (not to mention my general lack of confidence in MB's parts these days). I'm currently in the same boat as you, though - my 18" OZ rims don't come staggered, so I'm thinking of swapping over the 20mm spacers from my OEM rims - it just doesn't look right with the rims tucked in so much on the rear.
People have said that using spacers will reduce the life of your wheel bearings. I've used 20mm spacers on my rear wheels for at least 5 of my 6 1/2 years of ownership, and actually did just have my one side's bearings redone. Though I wouldn't be too quick to say that there's a cause and effect; I drive my car pretty hard, have autocrossed it, and have a pretty stiff suspension (not to mention my general lack of confidence in MB's parts these days). I'm currently in the same boat as you, though - my 18" OZ rims don't come staggered, so I'm thinking of swapping over the 20mm spacers from my OEM rims - it just doesn't look right with the rims tucked in so much on the rear.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,275
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From: BC, Canada
2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
Yes, it's not related.
People have said that using spacers will reduce the life of your wheel bearings. I've used 20mm spacers on my rear wheels for at least 5 of my 6 1/2 years of ownership, and actually did just have my one side's bearings redone. Though I wouldn't be too quick to say that there's a cause and effect; I drive my car pretty hard, have autocrossed it, and have a pretty stiff suspension (not to mention my general lack of confidence in MB's parts these days). I'm currently in the same boat as you, though - my 18" OZ rims don't come staggered, so I'm thinking of swapping over the 20mm spacers from my OEM rims - it just doesn't look right with the rims tucked in so much on the rear.
People have said that using spacers will reduce the life of your wheel bearings. I've used 20mm spacers on my rear wheels for at least 5 of my 6 1/2 years of ownership, and actually did just have my one side's bearings redone. Though I wouldn't be too quick to say that there's a cause and effect; I drive my car pretty hard, have autocrossed it, and have a pretty stiff suspension (not to mention my general lack of confidence in MB's parts these days). I'm currently in the same boat as you, though - my 18" OZ rims don't come staggered, so I'm thinking of swapping over the 20mm spacers from my OEM rims - it just doesn't look right with the rims tucked in so much on the rear.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,067
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From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
Yes, longer ones - just measure your stock ones from where the straight part of the bolt begins, and add the thickness of the spacer. I've got 35mms currently, and need 55 to go with my spacers. Make sure you get the right size and type (ball).
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 453
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From: Bay Area, CA
'04 Mars Red C230K Sport Coupe (not Coup-EH)
Another related question. I want to go with either the H&Rs or the Eibach sways. The Eibachs are about $100 less than the H&Rs, and I hear H&Rs tend to make noise later because of their design. Between the two, with cost factored in, which would you pick?
Also, just a double-double check before ordering, but the stock 2004 coupe has 10mm end links in the front and the back, correct?
Also, just a double-double check before ordering, but the stock 2004 coupe has 10mm end links in the front and the back, correct?
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2007
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C320 Sports Coupe 2003
OK, quick question on the OEM swaybars. From the pictures above there are two bolt holes on the OEM swaybars.
Seems to me that you 'could' change the leverage and hence the effective strength of the sway bar by swapping the bolt holes giving more or less leverage on the sway bar.
The question is 'is it possible?'
and 'is there a noticeable difference in doing this?'
Seems to me that you 'could' change the leverage and hence the effective strength of the sway bar by swapping the bolt holes giving more or less leverage on the sway bar.
The question is 'is it possible?'
and 'is there a noticeable difference in doing this?'
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 28
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C320 Sports Coupe 2003
Thickening the front will increase understeer. Rear will increase oversteer. The amount of torsion the bar can take is proportional to the 4th power of the diameter, that's straight out of my mechanics textbook. Which means that if you were to increase a bar's thickness by 20%, you're actually increasing stiffness by [(1.2)^4] - 1 = 1.07, or 107%. So if the front is thicker than the rear already, increasing both by 1mm will actually REDUCE understeer as the rear is increasing by a greater PROPORTION.
(1.2^4)/(1^4)
Which would be 2.07/1, ie.e for a 20% increase in thickness you are effectively doubling the stiffness?
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From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
I'd like to make the car more balanced, as it still understeers but
it would be nice to accomplish this without making the suspension any stiffer than it already is.
Also, I do get some body roll at speed on corners, but as I'm using
stock end links, and didn't put any extra metal wrapped on the bolts to compensate for the larger holes.
Can I get a noticeable benefit from the AMG endlinks?
Or I noticed people are using the adjustable ones from the Mini's?
(Maybe point me to a thread on how those effect the whole setup)
Last question, how do offset tires effect the whole setup?
I'm running 225/45/17 up front, and 255/40/17 in the rear.
One other small piece of data, I have adjustable shocks if that can play into the equation in a favorable manner.
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From: Orange County, CA
GMC - Miata - Trek - P-Car
…Can I get a noticeable benefit from the AMG endlinks?...
…Last question, how do offset tires effect the whole setup?...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,263
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From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
Wheel configuration and their respective tires aside, increase your rear (or decrease the front) roll couple.
Whats a "roll couple". Is that like "swingers"?
No, not if your existing links are in acceptable condition.
(New in 2006 at 85K miles)
Which end is currently experiencing the least adhesion during dynamic maneuvers? Therein lies your answer.
Whats a "roll couple". Is that like "swingers"?
No, not if your existing links are in acceptable condition.
(New in 2006 at 85K miles)
Which end is currently experiencing the least adhesion during dynamic maneuvers? Therein lies your answer.
