started tear down for paint
06-06-2010, 11:32 PM
#51
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Another weekend gone, and a lot of it spent putting the car back together again!
First, finished off the front bumper. It just needed a bit of realignment with the brackets on the sides - I moved those inboard a bit, and that got rid of the flaring outwards of the rear edges of the bumper skin. Good stuff. HID kit in the fogs works nicely too.
Got the mirrors back on too, then moved to the interior. Decided the carpet was very gross, and removed the seats. Found about $0.60 in spare change, an empty bottle of San Pelligrino water and some eyeliner. Oh, and some stale peanuts. Gross.
All vacuumed out, and then hit the carpet with some Woolite Heavy Traffic cleaner. Looks new!
Door liners went back in too, and then all the leather bits were hit with some leather cleaner/conditioner. And then, I just finished with putting the centre console and armrest back in. Al the wood trim bits have been painted to match the exterior, and now is a very nice and inviting black. Looks good! And I'm rid of the wood look now too!
Literally the only two pieces left are the skirts. Got the last trim piece I needed for that on Saturday, and the dealer is also bringing in two new lift point rubbers as I killed the two front ones when I was dismantling the car.
Threw in the OE all season floor mats for the time being, as I'm cleaning the 'C43 AMG' branded velour ones. Finally, the eBay sourced carbon b-pillar trim went on too. All looking good I think!
Getting to the finish line now!
First, finished off the front bumper. It just needed a bit of realignment with the brackets on the sides - I moved those inboard a bit, and that got rid of the flaring outwards of the rear edges of the bumper skin. Good stuff. HID kit in the fogs works nicely too.
Got the mirrors back on too, then moved to the interior. Decided the carpet was very gross, and removed the seats. Found about $0.60 in spare change, an empty bottle of San Pelligrino water and some eyeliner. Oh, and some stale peanuts. Gross.
All vacuumed out, and then hit the carpet with some Woolite Heavy Traffic cleaner. Looks new!Door liners went back in too, and then all the leather bits were hit with some leather cleaner/conditioner. And then, I just finished with putting the centre console and armrest back in. Al the wood trim bits have been painted to match the exterior, and now is a very nice and inviting black. Looks good! And I'm rid of the wood look now too!
Literally the only two pieces left are the skirts. Got the last trim piece I needed for that on Saturday, and the dealer is also bringing in two new lift point rubbers as I killed the two front ones when I was dismantling the car.
Threw in the OE all season floor mats for the time being, as I'm cleaning the 'C43 AMG' branded velour ones. Finally, the eBay sourced carbon b-pillar trim went on too. All looking good I think!
Getting to the finish line now!
Last edited by Saaboteur; 06-06-2010 at 11:34 PM.
06-07-2010, 12:31 AM
#52
MBWorld Fanatic!
Another weekend gone, and a lot of it spent putting the car back together again!
First, finished off the front bumper. It just needed a bit of realignment with the brackets on the sides - I moved those inboard a bit, and that got rid of the flaring outwards of the rear edges of the bumper skin. Good stuff. HID kit in the fogs works nicely too.
Got the mirrors back on too, then moved to the interior. Decided the carpet was very gross, and removed the seats. Found about $0.60 in spare change, an empty bottle of San Pelligrino water and some eyeliner. Oh, and some stale peanuts. Gross. All vacuumed out, and then hit the carpet with some Woolite Heavy Traffic cleaner. Looks new!
Door liners went back in too, and then all the leather bits were hit with some leather cleaner/conditioner. And then, I just finished with putting the centre console and armrest back in. Al the wood trim bits have been painted to match the exterior, and now is a very nice and inviting black. Looks good! And I'm rid of the wood look now too!
Literally the only two pieces left are the skirts. Got the last trim piece I needed for that on Saturday, and the dealer is also bringing in two new lift point rubbers as I killed the two front ones when I was dismantling the car.
Threw in the OE all season floor mats for the time being, as I'm cleaning the 'C43 AMG' branded velour ones. Finally, the eBay sourced carbon b-pillar trim went on too. All looking good I think!
Getting to the finish line now!
First, finished off the front bumper. It just needed a bit of realignment with the brackets on the sides - I moved those inboard a bit, and that got rid of the flaring outwards of the rear edges of the bumper skin. Good stuff. HID kit in the fogs works nicely too.
Got the mirrors back on too, then moved to the interior. Decided the carpet was very gross, and removed the seats. Found about $0.60 in spare change, an empty bottle of San Pelligrino water and some eyeliner. Oh, and some stale peanuts. Gross.
All vacuumed out, and then hit the carpet with some Woolite Heavy Traffic cleaner. Looks new!Door liners went back in too, and then all the leather bits were hit with some leather cleaner/conditioner. And then, I just finished with putting the centre console and armrest back in. Al the wood trim bits have been painted to match the exterior, and now is a very nice and inviting black. Looks good! And I'm rid of the wood look now too!
Literally the only two pieces left are the skirts. Got the last trim piece I needed for that on Saturday, and the dealer is also bringing in two new lift point rubbers as I killed the two front ones when I was dismantling the car.
Threw in the OE all season floor mats for the time being, as I'm cleaning the 'C43 AMG' branded velour ones. Finally, the eBay sourced carbon b-pillar trim went on too. All looking good I think!
Getting to the finish line now!
YOUR CAR LOOKS GREAT, $$$$ WELL SPENT CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT.
06-08-2010, 11:49 PM
#53
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Well, got the side skirts on this evening, and then gave the car a quick wash to get rid of all the accumulated dust. Here are some pix before the car goes into the shop on Friday for the 3M. Also a few pix of the 6000k HID kit in the foglights.
Grille is stock, painted. It was painted by the previous owner too, but it was flaking off big time. I also didn't realize that the previous paint job on the grille had painted right over the shiny bits on the front. When the car came back, the painter had remove the shiny bits, so I just reattached them as is.
Grille is stock, painted. It was painted by the previous owner too, but it was flaking off big time. I also didn't realize that the previous paint job on the grille had painted right over the shiny bits on the front. When the car came back, the painter had remove the shiny bits, so I just reattached them as is.
06-08-2010, 11:56 PM
#54
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BMW and Mercedes
Well, got the side skirts on this evening, and then gave the car a quick wash to get rid of all the accumulated dust. Here are some pix before the car goes into the shop on Friday for the 3M. Also a few pix of the 6000k HID kit in the foglights.
Grille is stock, painted. It was painted by the previous owner too, but it was flaking off big time. I also didn't realize that the previous paint job on the grille had painted right over the shiny bits on the front. When the car came back, the painter had remove the shiny bits, so I just reattached them as is.
Grille is stock, painted. It was painted by the previous owner too, but it was flaking off big time. I also didn't realize that the previous paint job on the grille had painted right over the shiny bits on the front. When the car came back, the painter had remove the shiny bits, so I just reattached them as is.
06-09-2010, 12:04 AM
#55
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Well, got the side skirts on this evening, and then gave the car a quick wash to get rid of all the accumulated dust. Here are some pix before the car goes into the shop on Friday for the 3M. Also a few pix of the 6000k HID kit in the foglights.
Grille is stock, painted. It was painted by the previous owner too, but it was flaking off big time. I also didn't realize that the previous paint job on the grille had painted right over the shiny bits on the front. When the car came back, the painter had remove the shiny bits, so I just reattached them as is.
Grille is stock, painted. It was painted by the previous owner too, but it was flaking off big time. I also didn't realize that the previous paint job on the grille had painted right over the shiny bits on the front. When the car came back, the painter had remove the shiny bits, so I just reattached them as is.
06-09-2010, 11:15 AM
#56
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Thanks for the compliments guys! Lots of hard work into this little project.
Stock Hella fogs in my car, fit is perfect.
As soon as the fiancee saw the car, she also felt the chrome bits would have to be painted. Another little project. As the past two weekends were spent working on the car, this coming weekend will be spent doing yardwork. Bleah.
Fingers crossed can do a deal with a local guy for a set of 18" Monoblocks. Then suspension, then done. Until a 55 motor can be found, that is. But all in good time. Supercharger for the S2000 first!
Stock Hella fogs in my car, fit is perfect.
As soon as the fiancee saw the car, she also felt the chrome bits would have to be painted. Another little project. As the past two weekends were spent working on the car, this coming weekend will be spent doing yardwork. Bleah.
Fingers crossed can do a deal with a local guy for a set of 18" Monoblocks. Then suspension, then done. Until a 55 motor can be found, that is. But all in good time. Supercharger for the S2000 first!
07-02-2010, 02:36 AM
#57
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Just picked up these from my US shipping depot. Might be a while before I get them on the car though. I may just have them completely refinished first. They are Carlsson 1/6 Evos. Unfortunately, could not find a staggered set, so these are square - 18x8.5 ET40. From my calculations, the fronts should be a bit more aggressive, but I'll need at least a 10mm spacer in the rear to bring it out to where the 5-spoke CLK AMG wheels are sitting.
And then another gratuitous photo of an Audi S8 we saw just off Chinatown in Vancouver. Very subtle V10 badges...
And then another gratuitous photo of an Audi S8 we saw just off Chinatown in Vancouver. Very subtle V10 badges...
07-02-2010, 07:41 AM
#58
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Just picked up these from my US shipping depot. Might be a while before I get them on the car though. I may just have them completely refinished first. They are Carlsson 1/6 Evos. Unfortunately, could not find a staggered set, so these are square - 18x8.5 ET40. From my calculations, the fronts should be a bit more aggressive, but I'll need at least a 10mm spacer in the rear to bring it out to where the 5-spoke CLK AMG wheels are sitting.
And then another gratuitous photo of an Audi S8 we saw just off Chinatown in Vancouver. Very subtle V10 badges...
And then another gratuitous photo of an Audi S8 we saw just off Chinatown in Vancouver. Very subtle V10 badges...
07-22-2010, 12:51 AM
#59
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Here are some quick test fit pix of the Carlsson 1/6 Evos on the car. 18x8.5 +40 non staggered set. Would have preferred a staggered set, but couldn't find one and came upon these, so there I went. Figured I wouldn't beat myself up over the difference between 8.5s and 9s (12.7mm?!?)
Fronts are right on the limit, very very close to the upright, although of course the suspension is at full droop. Looks like plenty of spoke to caliper clearance at the front, should be okay for a C32/55/factory 4-piston caliper upgrade? Can't say for certain, suppose I should have a look at one of those calipers closely first.
Picked up a used set of H&R 10mm spacers for the rear, so they should sit the same as the CLK AMG rear wheels I have on there now. I will stagger the rubber though, probably 225s or 235s up front, and 245s or 255s at the rear. Going to get the Vogtlands on there before I buy any rubber though, see where everything sits.
Fronts are right on the limit, very very close to the upright, although of course the suspension is at full droop. Looks like plenty of spoke to caliper clearance at the front, should be okay for a C32/55/factory 4-piston caliper upgrade? Can't say for certain, suppose I should have a look at one of those calipers closely first.
Picked up a used set of H&R 10mm spacers for the rear, so they should sit the same as the CLK AMG rear wheels I have on there now. I will stagger the rubber though, probably 225s or 235s up front, and 245s or 255s at the rear. Going to get the Vogtlands on there before I buy any rubber though, see where everything sits.
07-22-2010, 02:59 AM
#60
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12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG sold)
I agree, on the front the offset makes the rim very (too?) close to the upright. With a tyre on you could end up rubbing. However, if you do not go too much overboard on width and considering the profile, the sidewall of the tyre should just fit. As you say, get the rest of the suspension fitted before buying some tyres. Could you get some used tyres fitted on the rims to do some size and fitting tests?
07-22-2010, 12:04 PM
#61
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Might grab a 3 or 5mm spacer up front to push the wheel out justa-justa. That would, again, improve caliper clearance (for a 4-pot upgrade) but then I'd be getting closer to the fender lip. Yee...maybe I should flog them and find a staggered set.
07-31-2010, 01:25 AM
#62
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A couple shots of new D2S 6000K headlamp bulbs installed, now matching the 6000K HID retrofitted fogs.
Next month....Vogtland spring install, with #4 spring pads all around. Hopefully will also get all new Bilstein HD shocks, along with all new suspension components to replace all rubber with new or custom (Speedybenz and K-Mac) pieces, with the exception of the front upper control arms.
Next month....Vogtland spring install, with #4 spring pads all around. Hopefully will also get all new Bilstein HD shocks, along with all new suspension components to replace all rubber with new or custom (Speedybenz and K-Mac) pieces, with the exception of the front upper control arms.
Last edited by Saaboteur; 07-31-2010 at 01:28 AM.
07-31-2010, 11:04 AM
#63
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A couple shots of new D2S 6000K headlamp bulbs installed, now matching the 6000K HID retrofitted fogs.
Next month....Vogtland spring install, with #4 spring pads all around. Hopefully will also get all new Bilstein HD shocks, along with all new suspension components to replace all rubber with new or custom (Speedybenz and K-Mac) pieces, with the exception of the front upper control arms.
Next month....Vogtland spring install, with #4 spring pads all around. Hopefully will also get all new Bilstein HD shocks, along with all new suspension components to replace all rubber with new or custom (Speedybenz and K-Mac) pieces, with the exception of the front upper control arms.
08-01-2010, 01:17 AM
#64
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1996 Mercedes C36 AMG
im dying to get new suspension
depending on some pictures and that DETAILED write youll post i think i might get this setup
or
go with some eibachs and bilsteins
depending on some pictures and that DETAILED write youll post i think i might get this setup
or
go with some eibachs and bilsteins
Last edited by Jasssc; 08-01-2010 at 03:37 AM.
08-01-2010, 01:39 AM
#65
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09-27-2010, 11:37 AM
#66
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Been collecting parts for a little while now....and I'm also a proponent of fixing things 'while you're in there', and also of preventative maintenance. Regarding the latter, I am going to flush the coolant, and also being uptight about replacing hoses - so have acquired nearly all of the rad and heater hoses. And will use the Mercedes coolant. And I bought all new stainless hose clamps too.
Suspension wise, there are Vogtlands and Bilstein Sports (got the CLK55 spec'd fronts), plus the K-Mac front camber/caster kit, all new rear suspension arms (including a pair of Speedybenz's camber arms) and rear control arm bushings.
Love the 'tested on the Nurburgring' sticker on the Bilsteins.
Finally, I have decided not to go ahead with the Carlssons, as it's going to require a bit more work with the need for spacers and longer lugs, so I picked up a set of 18" E55 Monoblocks. I know, everybody has them, but they do make the car look 'just right', and having a true staggered set (the Carlssons are 18x8.5 all round) feels better in my mind too.
Carlssons are for sale, hopefully someone going to snag them from me soon.
Car's going into the bodyshop on Wednesday to fix the damage from the 'complete-****-off-pre-wedding-rear-ender'...I'm hoping they'll be done in a couple of weeks.
Meantime, also picked up locally a spring compressor of the type that works nicely on Mercedes (and Saabs too!) and I'm on the hunt for the fan holder thingy too.
Suspension wise, there are Vogtlands and Bilstein Sports (got the CLK55 spec'd fronts), plus the K-Mac front camber/caster kit, all new rear suspension arms (including a pair of Speedybenz's camber arms) and rear control arm bushings.
Love the 'tested on the Nurburgring' sticker on the Bilsteins.
Finally, I have decided not to go ahead with the Carlssons, as it's going to require a bit more work with the need for spacers and longer lugs, so I picked up a set of 18" E55 Monoblocks. I know, everybody has them, but they do make the car look 'just right', and having a true staggered set (the Carlssons are 18x8.5 all round) feels better in my mind too.
Carlssons are for sale, hopefully someone going to snag them from me soon.
Car's going into the bodyshop on Wednesday to fix the damage from the 'complete-****-off-pre-wedding-rear-ender'...I'm hoping they'll be done in a couple of weeks.
Meantime, also picked up locally a spring compressor of the type that works nicely on Mercedes (and Saabs too!) and I'm on the hunt for the fan holder thingy too.
Last edited by Saaboteur; 09-27-2010 at 11:55 AM.
09-27-2010, 12:14 PM
#67
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12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG sold)
Looking good Saaboteur!
Could you do me a BIG favour? Please weight your 18" monos and post the results I have been longing to get this information, so I can then decide either going 18" AMG II's or else 18" AMG III's which should be much lighter (less metal mass)
Could you do me a BIG favour? Please weight your 18" monos and post the results
I have been longing to get this information, so I can then decide either going 18" AMG II's or else 18" AMG III's which should be much lighter (less metal mass)
Last edited by DRBC43AMG; 09-27-2010 at 12:22 PM. Reason: Added picture
09-27-2010, 05:23 PM
#68
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Been collecting parts for a little while now....and I'm also a proponent of fixing things 'while you're in there', and also of preventative maintenance. Regarding the latter, I am going to flush the coolant, and also being uptight about replacing hoses - so have acquired nearly all of the rad and heater hoses. And will use the Mercedes coolant. And I bought all new stainless hose clamps too.
Suspension wise, there are Vogtlands and Bilstein Sports (got the CLK55 spec'd fronts), plus the K-Mac front camber/caster kit, all new rear suspension arms (including a pair of Speedybenz's camber arms) and rear control arm bushings.
Love the 'tested on the Nurburgring' sticker on the Bilsteins.
Finally, I have decided not to go ahead with the Carlssons, as it's going to require a bit more work with the need for spacers and longer lugs, so I picked up a set of 18" E55 Monoblocks. I know, everybody has them, but they do make the car look 'just right', and having a true staggered set (the Carlssons are 18x8.5 all round) feels better in my mind too.
Carlssons are for sale, hopefully someone going to snag them from me soon.
Car's going into the bodyshop on Wednesday to fix the damage from the 'complete-****-off-pre-wedding-rear-ender'...I'm hoping they'll be done in a couple of weeks.
Meantime, also picked up locally a spring compressor of the type that works nicely on Mercedes (and Saabs too!) and I'm on the hunt for the fan holder thingy too.
Suspension wise, there are Vogtlands and Bilstein Sports (got the CLK55 spec'd fronts), plus the K-Mac front camber/caster kit, all new rear suspension arms (including a pair of Speedybenz's camber arms) and rear control arm bushings.
Love the 'tested on the Nurburgring' sticker on the Bilsteins.
Finally, I have decided not to go ahead with the Carlssons, as it's going to require a bit more work with the need for spacers and longer lugs, so I picked up a set of 18" E55 Monoblocks. I know, everybody has them, but they do make the car look 'just right', and having a true staggered set (the Carlssons are 18x8.5 all round) feels better in my mind too.
Carlssons are for sale, hopefully someone going to snag them from me soon.
Car's going into the bodyshop on Wednesday to fix the damage from the 'complete-****-off-pre-wedding-rear-ender'...I'm hoping they'll be done in a couple of weeks.
Meantime, also picked up locally a spring compressor of the type that works nicely on Mercedes (and Saabs too!) and I'm on the hunt for the fan holder thingy too.
09-28-2010, 12:08 AM
#69
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Using my ultra precise handheld luggage scale, I found the 18x8s to be about 25 lbs, and the 18x9s to be about 30 lbs. Cool?
09-28-2010, 04:29 AM
#70
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12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG sold)
Many thanks That's great to finally know the weight of those 18" monos. I'll have to get my 17" weighed also, but they have tyres on for the moment.
That's great to finally know the weight of those 18" monos. I'll have to get my 17" weighed also, but they have tyres on for the moment.
09-28-2010, 07:38 AM
#71
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12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG sold)
Hey guys, interesting stuff found while browsing the web.... This site which gives a whole lot of different weights for different wheels:
http://www.wheelweights.net/
http://www.wheelweights.net/
10-24-2010, 11:35 PM
#72
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This past weekend was set aside to R&R all of the coolant/heater hoses, and spark plugs too, but unfortunately I only managed to do the hoses. Good for my peace of mind for the winter that is coming. Maybe will try and get to the plugs next weekend...and hopefully suspension a couple of weeks after that. Woot!
The hoses weren't too bad to do, with the exception of the two hoses leading to the duo valve. While I could have probably gotten away with just removing the firewall centre section, I ended up removing the wiper assembly and the water collector to ensure easy access to those two, plus the other one on the other side.
The hoses weren't too bad to do, with the exception of the two hoses leading to the duo valve. While I could have probably gotten away with just removing the firewall centre section, I ended up removing the wiper assembly and the water collector to ensure easy access to those two, plus the other one on the other side.
11-11-2010, 08:31 PM
#75
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Well, my initial intention with this thread was just to document my tear down and repaint, but it's now morphed to be a 'resto-mod' thread, just to keep everything in one place. Hopefully I will soon be able to document a 55 swap, but I'll need more cash for that first. Just picked up a supercharger kit for my S2000, so the 55 will have to wait.
In the meantime....taking advantage of a day off from work due to Remembrance Day, I started on the suspension. Over the past year or so, I've collected the following bits and pieces:
-Speedybenz rear camber arms
-OE replacement rear torque arm, radius arm, thrust rod (or whatever they are called)
-rear inner control arm bushings
-Bilstein Sport shocks - W208 CLK / 202 spec'd rears (p/n B36-1855-HO) and W208 spec'd fronts (p/n BE3-2599-HO)
-Vogtland springs
-new #4 spring pads front and rear
-KMac front camber/caster kit (they replace all of the lower control arm bushings)
I went with #4 pads after sorting through many pix in the forum of different setups. I don't want the car too low as I drive it daily during the winter, and our roads are crap at the best of times anyway. I'm hoping the Vogtland / Bilstein Sport combo won't be too harsh, but we'll see I guess. Oh, and as far as I know, my car was all stock suspension wise, and all the pads that came off were #2s (with two little nibs on them).
I also purchased a nice spring compressor, the style of which I've been lusting over for years, literally. My old Saabs have a similar shock / spring setup as the Benz, meaning the springs are utterly difficult to remove without the right kind of spring compressor. I finally found one locally and snapped it up.
Anyway, today I got all the springs and shocks off the car, as well as the front lower control arms. I also removed the front bushings on the control arms too (the WIS instructions basically say - "take a flat chisel and pound them out"). I don't have a press in my garage (probably should get one sooner or later), so my buddy is going to press the new KMac bushings in for me, hopefully tonight.
I was attempting to get the rear lower control arm off too, but the lowermost bolt on the right side was seized, so I stopped there and didn't get into it, as I don't have any spare bolts. I'll leave it for now, as the bushing is actually probably okay. If I can't get all the others, I'll probably leave them too, although of course the camber arm is replaced by the Speedybenz arm, so I need that one out for sure.
I also need a nice set of 'triple square' bits. I thought only VW/Audi used this type of fastener (ie, like torx, but instead of 6 points, 12 points). didn't realize a lot of the rear arms are fastened with this style of bolt. I'm hoping I can snag a set tomorrow, and then Saturday and Sunday will be dedicated to sorting that out.
At the front, the rear bushing was actually shot and falling apart. I think the bushing was actually replaced by the previous owner maybe 5 years ago. The front bushing is fine, but to get the adjustability, the KMac kit replaces both bushings with a solid poly filled piece. Should be okay.
Car is booked in for alignment Monday, fingers crossed i will have everything back together over the weekend.
I have to say the spring compressor is awesome, and definitely made things easier.
More later, some pix of the interim for now.
In the meantime....taking advantage of a day off from work due to Remembrance Day, I started on the suspension. Over the past year or so, I've collected the following bits and pieces:
-Speedybenz rear camber arms
-OE replacement rear torque arm, radius arm, thrust rod (or whatever they are called)
-rear inner control arm bushings
-Bilstein Sport shocks - W208 CLK / 202 spec'd rears (p/n B36-1855-HO) and W208 spec'd fronts (p/n BE3-2599-HO)
-Vogtland springs
-new #4 spring pads front and rear
-KMac front camber/caster kit (they replace all of the lower control arm bushings)
I went with #4 pads after sorting through many pix in the forum of different setups. I don't want the car too low as I drive it daily during the winter, and our roads are crap at the best of times anyway. I'm hoping the Vogtland / Bilstein Sport combo won't be too harsh, but we'll see I guess. Oh, and as far as I know, my car was all stock suspension wise, and all the pads that came off were #2s (with two little nibs on them).
I also purchased a nice spring compressor, the style of which I've been lusting over for years, literally. My old Saabs have a similar shock / spring setup as the Benz, meaning the springs are utterly difficult to remove without the right kind of spring compressor. I finally found one locally and snapped it up.
Anyway, today I got all the springs and shocks off the car, as well as the front lower control arms. I also removed the front bushings on the control arms too (the WIS instructions basically say - "take a flat chisel and pound them out"). I don't have a press in my garage (probably should get one sooner or later), so my buddy is going to press the new KMac bushings in for me, hopefully tonight.
I was attempting to get the rear lower control arm off too, but the lowermost bolt on the right side was seized, so I stopped there and didn't get into it, as I don't have any spare bolts. I'll leave it for now, as the bushing is actually probably okay. If I can't get all the others, I'll probably leave them too, although of course the camber arm is replaced by the Speedybenz arm, so I need that one out for sure.
I also need a nice set of 'triple square' bits. I thought only VW/Audi used this type of fastener (ie, like torx, but instead of 6 points, 12 points). didn't realize a lot of the rear arms are fastened with this style of bolt. I'm hoping I can snag a set tomorrow, and then Saturday and Sunday will be dedicated to sorting that out.
At the front, the rear bushing was actually shot and falling apart. I think the bushing was actually replaced by the previous owner maybe 5 years ago. The front bushing is fine, but to get the adjustability, the KMac kit replaces both bushings with a solid poly filled piece. Should be okay.
Car is booked in for alignment Monday, fingers crossed i will have everything back together over the weekend.
I have to say the spring compressor is awesome, and definitely made things easier.
More later, some pix of the interim for now.
Last edited by Saaboteur; 11-13-2010 at 12:43 AM.
