Washer Method
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11
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I live in New York Bipasha
I am new to this board but was hoping you could help me with lowering my car I live in Long Island one of pic look's like einsenhower parking lot. anyway went to the dealer for star diag and the would not do said M-BENZ will not lower the past factory spec or warranty would be vioded. I don't have a 55 like you. but I do have a CLS 500 /Albts white /AMG package/Cash-Nappa/Key-less go/P-tronic/ect/Loaded With everything EXCEPT 55 MOTOR & DISTRONIC/ ALSO have 20" with 245/30/20 295/25/20 need to how to post pic Please help have 3.5 finger gap in back and 3finger in the front (P.S. I do have long skinny finger to ) Please Help
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Florida
CLS 55 AMG
Originally Posted by FlyLow_500
Yes Posting pic's and lowering my car (P.s ) not to much of handy man/self tuner
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Newbie
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11
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Willing to pay someone to perform washer method on my CLS
Please If anyone in the New York Aear has done the washer method as it has been cliamed. you can make some extra buck$$$ and help me out just looking for inch 1-1.25 drop have bigger gap now that I put 20" wheels on the car just want a flush look not slamm to the ground still want to keep nice ride on the car Thank you in Advance for your help 
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 443
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From: Bay Area, CA
Ferrrari 458 Lamborghini SL 570-4 Mercedes CLS63
The picture showing how you drilled out your rear bracket to lower your cls is not showing up. I am clear on what and were to install the washers on the front but am not 100% certain what to do on the rear sensor bracket.....Any help would be great...Thanks!
Here are the Home Depot parts I used:
Crown Bolt Inc., Flat Washer 6mm, stainless steel, UPC# 3069901238 (3 pc)
Crown Bolt Inc., Lock Nut Tension 6mm, UPC# 3069957348 (1 pc)
[find these in the the drawers holding metric nuts, washers, etc]
Tungsten Carbide Cutter #9901
The washers fit perfectly and were reasonably consistent in thickness. I bought four packs and rejected a few that were a bit thicker than the others. I placed four per side which created a spacer of about 5.3mm. The factory nut, which has a flanged base, would barely tighten and I was afraid of stripping the bolt. It probably would have been okay with some Loctite applied. But since I don't want to take any chances I replaced it with the tension nut, which lacks the flanged bottom and hence is thinner. It tightens very well, with the bolt just extending through the top of the nut, and it will not come loose. I still may apply Loctite for added safety.
The tungsten carbide cutter costs more than the high speed cutters, but one bit did the job and it is still ready for battle. The support frame holding the rear sensor bracket is not aluminum (as someone mistakenly told me) but rather hardened steel, and I would think several high speed cutters would be needed to finish the job. I slotted the rear bracket holes about 6mm towards the ground / away from the engine as in the picture below. Using the tungsten carbide bit it took about 10 minutes per side with a cordless Dremel on a partial charge; less time would have been necessary if I had a corded unit, more if I were using the high speed cutters.
End result after raising/lowering a few times with the console button and driving around for a few days was 25-7/8" between ground and the top of each wheel well. I use the Airmatic Sport 1 setting almost exclusively. The stock height was 26-5/8" up front and 26-3/4" in the back, so the achieved drop was about 3/4" up front and 7/8" in the rear. This did eliminate the tire gap, and car looks great with no detectable compromise of ride quality. Also I would expect camber to remain in spec because of the modest drop, although I haven't yet had an alignment to confirm this.
Total cost including the cutting bit was about $13
Crown Bolt Inc., Flat Washer 6mm, stainless steel, UPC# 3069901238 (3 pc)
Crown Bolt Inc., Lock Nut Tension 6mm, UPC# 3069957348 (1 pc)
[find these in the the drawers holding metric nuts, washers, etc]
Tungsten Carbide Cutter #9901
The washers fit perfectly and were reasonably consistent in thickness. I bought four packs and rejected a few that were a bit thicker than the others. I placed four per side which created a spacer of about 5.3mm. The factory nut, which has a flanged base, would barely tighten and I was afraid of stripping the bolt. It probably would have been okay with some Loctite applied. But since I don't want to take any chances I replaced it with the tension nut, which lacks the flanged bottom and hence is thinner. It tightens very well, with the bolt just extending through the top of the nut, and it will not come loose. I still may apply Loctite for added safety.
The tungsten carbide cutter costs more than the high speed cutters, but one bit did the job and it is still ready for battle. The support frame holding the rear sensor bracket is not aluminum (as someone mistakenly told me) but rather hardened steel, and I would think several high speed cutters would be needed to finish the job. I slotted the rear bracket holes about 6mm towards the ground / away from the engine as in the picture below. Using the tungsten carbide bit it took about 10 minutes per side with a cordless Dremel on a partial charge; less time would have been necessary if I had a corded unit, more if I were using the high speed cutters.
End result after raising/lowering a few times with the console button and driving around for a few days was 25-7/8" between ground and the top of each wheel well. I use the Airmatic Sport 1 setting almost exclusively. The stock height was 26-5/8" up front and 26-3/4" in the back, so the achieved drop was about 3/4" up front and 7/8" in the rear. This did eliminate the tire gap, and car looks great with no detectable compromise of ride quality. Also I would expect camber to remain in spec because of the modest drop, although I haven't yet had an alignment to confirm this.
Total cost including the cutting bit was about $13
Last edited by proform; Jun 16, 2008 at 06:16 PM.
