GG C43

Greetings All,

Just picked up my new C43 Sedan. Overall the car is great (with the exception of steering that's a tad numb, brakes a tad spongey). My biggest issue I would love some advice on - from user's EXPERIENCE - is regarding ride quality adjustments / improvements.

I own an '09 C63 as well - that ride is firm and solid on any terrain. The car stays flat, there is no 'boaty and floaty' feel, or jiggly bounciness that I am feeling CONSTANTLY in my new C43 sedan. New car is running on stock 18's, all-season tires (not run-flats), and no modifications. Even at the firmest suspension setting, the car causes passengers to jiggle, bounce, and rock at any speed. I am trying to keep the body from rolling, bouncing, and jiggling. I don't mind a 'firm' ride -I just want the car to be much more stable and firmly planted.

Stiffer springs? Stiffer shocks? Anti-sway bars? I'm desperately looking for a cost-effective solution so I don't remain car-sick for the next 3 years

Thanks!

unr1

guhvies

Check your tyre pressures...

mo11

Mr. J

Do you have 18" or 19" wheels on yours?
I think spec is slightly different depending on wheel size.

Mr. J

That bounce you are feeling will be made worse if you try to firm up the suspension any further.

Mr. J

36 and 33 are the specs for 19s. Just had the car serviced Friday and yesterday I checked the pressures. Sure enough, they had overfilled them. I think a lot of the MB techs misread the fuel door placard and use the specs for a fully laden vehicle.

Gungaslow

Snarfalus

Snarfalus

Gungaslow

jonathan358

My 2018 door sill placard and gas cap placard shows the SAME numbers for a fully loaded vehicle (or 4 adult passengers), somewhere around low 4x's and mid-high 3x's.

I know for certain, from my gas cap placard, that the values for an unloaded car (driving by myself with nothing in trunk) is 36 fronts, 32 rears.

^ I recommend to follow that as most people won't have more than 2 people or heavy loads in a coupe. I also have the stock Pirelli P-Zero summer tires.

When the car was delivered, all 4 wheels were at 42,42,42,42. Blew one right away but I suspect that tire had a defect. Also keep in mind this is for cold tire pressure.

OC43AMG

I am so glad you brought this up. After owning my car for 8 months, the suspension has been my biggest issue. Its very similar to when I put my Vantage on lower springs, the dampers were not matched properly so the car was bouncy and jiggly. It would scare passengers if i hit a bump at high speeds because it would catapult the car up and it was unstable, however fortunately they make KW cup coilovers for my vantage and it fixed that issue.

I think the springs are too soft and the dampers are even softer. Even at "sport +" they are not powerful enough to control the rebound of the springs. I am waiting for an aftermarket full coilover setup.

TModelle

I've been thinking about this. Comfort mode is quite floaty. Perhaps a change to KW V3's? This seems to solve all suspension issues in all other cars I've had from Audi to BMW to Porsche. Has anyone tried V3's on the C43?

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

at least a couple guys here have done it.

i'm on their HAS Springs and ride is a lot more flat

TModelle

The HAS springs are very similar to the V3 springs, but shorter to accommodate the extra hardware, but the number of coils, coil diameter, etc are actually quite similar. However, I’m more interesting in the shock absorbers of the V3 and the improved damping characteristics they offer. Plus, just having one mode is quite tempting to have, at least to me.

munis

That is a 4000 dollar upgrade no?

TModelle

That's actually a small proportion compared to the price of the car that we pay in my country, fortunately or unfortunately!

TModelle

Anyone on KW V3's who can share their experience on their W205/S205/C205/A205?

KW V3's are almost always good across all makes and models, sometimes alarmingly good to the point that you wonder why the manufacturer couldn't do better. I've had them on Audi RS4, RS5, Porsche 993, 996, 997, and many BMWs. However, nothing like first hand experience to hear from and I've not tried them on a Mercedes before.

TModelle

With the HAS springs, are the floaty oscillations in the rear in Comfort mode eliminated or are they still there?

TModelle

Okay, so I just collected my 2019 C43 yesterday and now have a couple of hours of driving time on familiar roads. I spent 9 years driving an Audi S5 Sportback (4 door) with factory 20" wheels on these familiar roads, so now I can compare with the C43 experience.

The C43 suspension in anything other than Sport+ mode is totally undriveable and unusable. The shock absorbers are way too under-damped and you get jostled about and there's too much unwanted motion in Comfort and Sport modes. In Sport+ mode, the shock absorbers just begin to become controlled enough to control the springs. In comparison, the 2019 C43 suspension in Sport+ mode is like my Audi in Comfort mode. I am going to have to drive this car in Sport+ suspension mode 100% of the time now.

The suspension setup is just weird. What I really need is Sport+ as Comfort mode, and then a Sport++ and Sport+++ for a sportier drive.

zibby43

One of the better descriptions I've seen regarding this car's suspension behavior.

If I'm driving on the highway or a country road anywhere in the 40-60 mph and there's a small hump or rise in the road, the car literally feels like it is floating/lifting off the ground in C Mode.

At lower speeds, the suspension dispatches certain pavement imperfections with relative ease. But randomly, some imperfections will cause the suspension to react in a way that sends your spine through the base of your skull.

xX G Xx

Sounds like the V3 is the only way to go for ya. Local owners here swear by it. It's like a must have mod.. especially for the 5 door~ lol... only two complaints I've heard are 1) not easy to dial in.. needs expertise to get it right... 2) the rear springs does go soft after a while....

I'm looking at other options, but need to overcome the suspension signal first... i hear coding can shut it off... still researching...

TModelle

I’ve installed and set up so many V3’s I’ve lost count, so I’m confident it will be better. The V3 set comes with cancellers, so no issues with errors. My only concern is warranty at the moment and can I live with the existing ride for 3 years.

xX G Xx

Well, those are the only complaints I've heard from other C450/C43 owners here with the V3. I'm just a little concerned that many here locally claim that the rear goes soft and needs to be recalibrated in just a yr or two. And some are already at the stiffest setting. Sounds like the spring rate was not best matched... i dont know...

Ya, the V3 is the only set up that comes with signal cancellers. Hate that we can't choose... at least at the moment... some local shop claims that they can shut off the signal.. still trying to confirm

where are you located TModelle?