Dziner82

hey guys,
have done a fair amount of shock/spring research on here and found some discussion between the bilstein part #'s and various springs, but i haven't seen anyone mention this shock/spring kit from vogtland:
http://www.vogtland-na.com/sportsuspension.asp

is there a reason that no one seems to be running this setup?

thanks for any feedback.

503C43 ////AMG

I have never seen that kit before...

nkctb7

If you look into the right kit for the C43 it is a non adjustable kit and paired with Bilstein shocks. The adjustable kit that is offered is paired with Koni shocks but is not for the C43. It varies by vehicle make and model. The Billy's are black and the Koni's are yellow. The junior and cup kit applications for the C43 are both non adjustable. Hope that helps.

Cheers

nd4spd13

The Bilsteins in the kit are black? Pretty sure that would mean they are B4s or B6s, so not the B8 sports, and not meant for springs that lower the car >1" from stock height. odd.

nkctb7

Both Bilstein and Koni must make specially designed and specifically tuned shocks to run in conjunction with the Vogtland kits. The Vogtland name is then stamped on them. Just like the stock Billy's have the Mercedes logo on them. It's really the best of all worlds for the shock and spring manufacturers as their sales increase across the board.

DRBC43AMG

B6's and B8's are BOTH yellows in official Bilstein catalogue

Dziner82

Thanks for the feedback, I thought that maybe they were actual vogtland shocks. So it seems like this would be a good kit? From what I've read on the forum vogtland is a trusted name and would not be using shocks that don't perform well with their springs.

I can always give them a call when I'm closer to purchasing.

nkctb7

It is like the generic products in a grocery store that are made by leading brand name suppliers. Vogtland has deals in place with both Bilstein and Koni to supply the shocks for their kits and put the Vogtland name on them. IMHO, Vogtland coils are the BEST that you can buy. There is a reason that many H&R and Eibach users are switching to Vogtland. In short, Vogtland springs will NOT sag over time like H&R's and they have the closest to stock ride feel, unlike the extremely harsh ride of Eibach's. Best of all, they vastly improve the handling and looks by offering a raked and aggressive stance.

I purchased my first set of Vogtlands long before many even heard of them. I was extremely impressed with the quality and ride. You will not find a better coil PERIOD.

Cheers

mkoons

Hi NKCTB

I need to replace my shocks & will do springs also. Since you are very pleased with the Vogtlands tell me how much drop you got & what shocks did you go with. The Billy Sports seem to be the most popular. I don't want to go with a harsher ride than what I have now.

503C43 ////AMG

Vogtlands claim a 1.4" drop but I believe that to be based off of the Euro springs which are already lower than the U.S springs, I dropped close to 1.4" with the largest spring pads possible. I have the bilstein sports and couldn't be happier with the performance

The ride is very firm

nkctb7

I ended up with just under a 3" drop in the front and 2.5" in the rear. My mistake was going with #1 pads all around as it was far too low for everyday driving. I was running Koni yellow sport adjustables and was completely happy with the ride but it was a little too low. Also, I was running that setup on my former '99 Kompressor.

I just purchased #5 pads for the front and #4 pads for the rear to run with Vogtland sport springs for my '99 C43. I am still debating on the shocks but am leaning towards the Koni's again as I like the adjustable option of changing the firmness of the ride. I also know what to expect with Koni's as I keep hearing that the Billy's are pretty firm. Like yourself, I wanted to avoid having a harsh ride and I'm positive that you will like the Vogtland/Koni setup just as I do. I can't say enough of just how impressive that combo is. Hope this helps you make your decision.

Cheers

mkoons

Thanks for all the info---
Been searching for the Koni adjustables, not finding anything for c43. Are you using a clk application? Where can you buy the sports and do you have parts numbers?
Thanks again.

nkctb7

There is no application for the C43 but they are available for the C36. Here's the link for the best prices.

http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/S...7&autoModClar=

Cheers

nd4spd13

Not this time! Usually tirerack is best, but AJUSA has much better prices for the Konis.

mkoons

Which Koni are you using, at Tire Rack I see a twin-tube for $163. or a mono-tube for $116. What's the difference, I believe the less expensive one is not adjustabe.

FlyWFO

Converting into layman's terms, the black bilsteins are the same as the Touring model on tire rack(?)

FlyWFO

Do/did u have the Vogtland shocks? Or were u leaning toward koni to replace konis u already had? Wondering if the Vogtland shocks are too stiff..

Super B

wow pricing stuff out its not to bad but mb arts camber arms... Wow.. Seems like a lot for some spherical ends on a threaded tube. They sure are pretty but...spendy.

So looks like after adding it up about 1,450 dollars in parts for vogtland springs, koni sports, mb arts rear, kmac front and alignment shop.

nd4spd13

If I were you I would throw on the springs and shocks and then see how bad camber is. I've put probably about 6k miles on my summer tires so far and the inside corner is still as fresh as the outside