Kev04C320

I've had my car for a year and winter is coming soon again in Wisconsin. Last year, I switched my stock Michelin's to Pirelli P Zero All Seasons and the results were quite disappointing. I got stuck on several different occasions starting my car on slight slopes.

In order to prepare for winter and for aesthetic reasons, I'm planning to do the following mods:

1. Snow tires with new rims
I'm thinking about getting Dunlop M3s with the AMG Style III 171 rims

2. Lowering springs
Since I already have the sport shocks, I'm not going to replace it with AMG shocks. I want to get some springs to lower the car and close that ugly gap between the wheels and the car. I read that Renntech provide the lowest ride height, but since I will be driving in the snow, I don't want to go that low. Possibly, I want to go ~1 inch lower than stock. Which springs should I get be getting? Carlsson or Brabus?

nicedeboy

Buy a ML class with all-wheel drive.... you'll be set.

Saprissa

smart @$$ !! but TRUE !

Kev04C320

That would be my plan when I eventually get out of school and get a REAL job. Right now, improving my existing car with my stipend is all I can do.

CitronC230K_03

why not get a 4Matic, thats all wheel drive!

Saprissa

Kev,
i'm not an expert on tires, but I do know that ALL-SEASON tires plain suck in the snow. Check with Luke @ TIRERACK for recommendations on snow / winter tires.

As for suspension:
I highly recommend the CARLSSON RS Sport Suspension Kit. That's what I have. The kit comes with both HEIGHT adjustable springs (including 2 specialized wrench tools) and COMFORT adjustable BILSTEIN PS9 shocks. I know you only need the springs, so you might want to look into seeing if the CARLSSON springs are sold separately. They should be. I checked a bunch of suspension set-ups before I made the decision to go with the CARLSSON RS kit. AMG C32 (shocks & springs), BRABUS kit, H&R Coil-Overs, Cup Kit, and regular Sport springs, RENNTECH, EIBACH, and others sold on internet & catalogs. By far, the CARLSSONs were the best.
A bit pricy for ~$2000 - $2700 for the whole kit, but you might get a good deal on just the springs alone.

the best application of these, is the fact that they are ADJUSTABLE. So you can lower during the summer to your satisfaction, and raise them up again in the winter for safety. NICE deal !

Kev04C320

Thanks for your info Saprissa

I already made an inquiry to Carlsson and they said the sport springs are available separately. From what I've read and heard, the Carlsson springs are stiffer than the Brabus ones, so I'll probably go with those. As for the full blown coil-over kit, the reason for not going with the kit is that I will trade my car in for a MY2006 CLK next year.

wingless

For best winter performance, select winter-only tires, such as the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22. Each major manufacturer offers a performance winter-only selection that will perovide acceptable sonw and ice performance.

When this is combined with summer-only tires, then optimum year-round performance is attained.

Each tire is a compromise, but the compromise for all-season tires is that they provide marginal to poor performance, year-round.

Kev04C320

The P Zero performed fairly well in dry weather, but do suck on ice and snow. That's why I'm going for the Dunlop M3s which are winter only performance tires. I'll probably keep those when I trade or sell my car

elchinocache

kev, when u drove up a hill with the esp on in the snow, did the car almost come to a stop? When i was driving up hill the esp kicked in and almost kept the cars tires from rotating at all. It happens only on the really steep hills, has that happend to you or anyone, and is this normal?

dmatre

I ran my C230Sedan with 16" Dunlop WinterSport M2's last winter, and was able to drive through every condition I encountered. (lots of wet snow, a little ice - nothing deeper than about 4"-6".

The WinterSports are definitely better than all-season tires. Lowering springs aren't going to help, as in snow deeper than 4" or so, you will be 'snowplowing' with the front lip . . . meaning that you won't be going anywhere in snow that deep.

SteveS

I swapped my Michelin's out last winter for Continental Sport Extreme Contact's and was very pleased. I took several trips up into snow country, and they never let me down. The only downside is they have a pronounced flat spot bump until you put some heat into the tires, about 5 minutes of driving. Other than that, I highly recommend them. They handle well in the dry, wet and snow.