tivoboy

So, we've had an 09 C300 for about a year now, nice car (although, as I have mentioned there were some things I preferred on the W203)

But, the thing is, the front spoiler on the bottom seems REALLY LOW. It hits about 75% of the concrete parking spot blocks, AND the weird thing is, that I can often pull into a spot, but then when i PULL OUT, the grill scraps.

How can that be? Does the car RISE while driving and then lower somehow after parking? It isn't the fact that more people are getting in, or i'm coming out of a restaurant after a 20lb feed or anything.

So, scraps on the bottom are okay, not really seen. but, last week it seems to RIGHT BOTTOM CORNER got bent, the plastic actually looks bent.

Any thoughts on what to do? I'd put a lip on it, but only find $$$ carbon fiber thingy's. Is there a nice ABS plastic lip for this puppy?

C300Sport

You should just get in the habit of stopping short when you park. The C is not a very long car so you shouldn't have much issue with you backend sticking out too far.
I had my car on a lift a couple weeks ago and was surprissed by the number of scrapes on the bottom of the spoiler...good thing none can be seen unless you get really low.

mr inkredibul

Wow...And I'm dropping mine on H&R SuperSports when it comes in. I've never had a problem scraping with my G35 which was also lowered except on ridiculously steeped inclines and even then it was the middle of the car, not the front.

C300Sport

Since the front overhang is so short, I think the scraping issue is only on curbs and parking stops and not on transitions to driveways, etc.

mr inkredibul

Then as you stated thats an easy fix...don't park over the wheel stop!

itcrashed

I never pull my wheels all the way up to curbs or parking blocks.
The car is short enough that you dont have to do that.

On top of that, it can't be good for your front end alignment regularly throwing pressure on the front wheels.

Doanster

Putting another lip on will only make your problem worse since it attaches to the bottom of the stock piece. As for your question about not scraping when parking, but then scraping when backing out, it's probably due to the fact that when we enter our cars, we "oomph" into the seats/plop ourselves down, thereby compressing the suspension just a tad/enough to scrape?

Your solution, just like others stated, is to park short. The Sport pkg is honestly one of the "true" sport pkgs out there from the factory IMO. Actual suspension and body cladding upgrades vs non-sport/luxury models. Almost perfect wheel gap, IMO. Ok, *maybe* another quarter inch would be perfect.

charliele729

I wish it was actually lower. One of the most thing I dislike on the front bumper is that the fangs on the two sides curves up to early instead of extending it out like the C63 bumper fangs. Hope I made sense.

snarlingchicken

Oh yeah. I definitely agree. Here's my quote from a few months back when I got the car.

I still need to get around to fixing the bottom. My dealer quoted me $250 for repairs, so I'll probably get around to doing that once I get a lip. I park a good foot away from parking blocks now, and I refuse to park on a steep driveway. Just habits we need to learn I guess.

C300Sport

Grab a set of 5mm spring pads to replace the stock 13mm pads...that will give you a 1/3 inch drop...may be perfect for you. I replaced only my rear pads to even out the wheel gap front and back.

envyxc350

Who in the world pulls their car all the way forward when parking?! My 350 is dropped on H&R supersport and have never hit anything. Just be a smarter driver/parker

Azn_C300

as some have already stated, don't drive over the parking block. or if you have to, start backing into spots so you can show off the sexy lips to pedestrians. lol

mac911

I agree. Do not go over the parking blocks. If you need to, have a passenger get out and direct you. If no passenger, get in and out yourself until you feel you know the spot to pull up to without getting to the cement block.

Go out of steep driveways very slowly and at an angle if possible.

Frnakito71

that's what i do all the time

tivoboy

okay okay okay, I get it.!! :-) Stop the madness.

Don't drive over the concrete bricks, makes total sense.

the issue is, I come in so slowly since it has been done a couple times before, and I don't feel anything, so figure I am OUT far enough. Then of course, after getting IN and not thinking about it, the pull OUT is what kills me.

I don't think I enter with a Harumph!, but at 235 it might be something, not sure why the get IN would be so different than the get OUT. Not like this is a rolls or range rover or CTN.

Having owned and driven many a porsche, ferrari and lamborghini (these are the worst!) I know to avoid the driveway, parking garage entry, exit, curbs, etc. I just don't know why this puppy seems to GET LOW on occasion, of course to the detriment of the spoiler.

I can continue to look to the sticky in my end, but the real owner - the #1 GF won't be able to think of it all the time.

I figured a lip of course would make it lower, but the lips I have seen stick out about .5 inch, and would offer both a bumper front - to indicate maybe where that concrete block is, and also offer ANOTHER SURFACE for the concrete to interfere with, but not being the spoiler. I like these CF lips, but think a nice black 1/4 inch ABS plastic one might be better served.

Doanster

Did I just hear you say you wanted to add the old-school curb feelers (remember those metal antennae?!?) to the front of your car???

That's exactly what I'm planning to do. New wheels going on first to see how satisfied I'll be (or not) with the gap.

tiag335i

Forgive me for asking the obvious, but why are you doing this? The C-class is not exactly a long car - you don't need to pull all the way in. Why can't you just stop a few inches short of the concrete block?

YYZ-E55

If you're stopped with the car in drive and you stomp the gas, the back end squats and the front end lifts.

If you're stopped with the car in reverse and you stomp the gas, the back end lifts and the front end squats... and scrapes on the parking curb. It doesn't take much acceleration to transfer the motion and compress the springs.

markc350

I agree...

I'm looking to get my front lip on this weekend to get that aggressive look i think is lacking.

MBnewby

My used C350 came "pre-scraped" when I bought her...drove me nuts at first but I'm over it, mostly. I never ever eva eva eva pull up close to parking blocks, curbs, etc. I too am looking to get a front lip but can't see spending $300 on a piece of plastic, hoping for price to go down as the car is a little older.

Illusive

Yeah it is pretty low. I accidentally misjudged my distance and scraped the bottom going over the cement parking block. Oh well. On the other hand, when it snowed up here, the rut that forms between the tire tracks in the snow caused a lot of problems. I could hear the snow and ice scraping along the bottom of the car.

JimPap

You know even when you've gotten into the habit of stopping short, there is going to be that day when you're not paying attention and will do a number on it. Might want to go ahead a buy a spare.