tusabes

has anyone done this in the Bay Area? I just got a lowered CL500 that I want to raise up a bit, as it rubs on bumps

esoteric83

I saw the electronic lowering kit from renntech and saw the price and I'm opting for the mechanical version. I could afford the 1300 price but why spend the $$$$ when the mechanical serves the same purpose. I looked up TWS and tried to order from them but website is not working so I found this place that looks like they are out of the UK http://www.cksperformance.com/index....hu82s6v4vkf0l1

JHouse

I have been told by a guy with the Star computer program that you can lower the car to the European specs by simply selecting the "Germany" setting in that section. That sounds a whole lot easier and way cheaper than all these other options.

Here is the exact quote: "You know that you can lower the car via STAR DAS right? You can also code the CGW to Germany as the designated country of sale for the car and it will meet the euro bumper height requirements."

saintz

I don't think that's accurate. There are various country setting modes, one of the most well known being the Netherlands setting. This changes the beep when locking mode of the car. It does not affect the height. I've never heard of a country mode that would change the height.

Everything I've seen, including talking to the dealer and an independent shop with SDS, is that you need to input the new suspension angle values, you can't simply select a single setting or just type in 3 instead of 4 to lower it by one inch.

saintz

Someone on here is selling one for $700.
https://mbworld.org/forums/cl55-amg-...le-remote.html

JHouse

OK, on a CL W215 here are the details no one told me. First, a half hour my a$$. But I might be able to shorten the time for you. My son came to help and it was greatly appreciated.

He’s getting better than me at the mechanical stuff. It is actually heartening to see the tables turning.

First, the rear can be done on ramps like I was told. Tip: raise the suspension as high as possible (two dots on your button). You have to get under the car. You are removing rubber pockets from a metal ball. The upper end goes to a flexible arm that moves very easily when detached, and it makes you think it is easy to destroy, which it probably is.

Take the bottom off first, it is pretty easy to just push it back with your hands or a screwdriver. Then the top twists off pretty easy without breaking that fragile arm. Note that before you take it off the arm is angled toward the center of the car. So keep it that way when you reattach the new one. Pour some liquid soap in the new ones and the slide right on with your hands.

Here is the critical part no one tells you: My set of new arms came being adjusted to the factory stock lengths. Double check them against the factory arms you remove. If you want to drop it to a 27” fender to ground height (I will post pictures) then you only need to shorten the links 3 FULL TURNS. That is half what it takes for the front arms.

I followed the instructions and change the fronts and the rears the exact same amount and the rears were way lower than the fronts. So adjusting the fronts and rears are completely different. The fronts need twice as many turns as the rears, and in the opposite direction.

Then, for the fronts. If you just jack up the front of the car at the forward rocker panel location just a little, you don’t need the wheel off the ground, you can get to the forward arms. You don’t need to go under the car for these. They are above the front tire and easy to get to. Pry them off the same way. Then 6 full turns LONGER than stock will get you to a 27” fender to ground height. Remember the soap. Easy peasy.

I’m telling the precise number of turns so that you don’t have to do it wrong the first time and end up with the rear end too low, and have to do it all over, like I did.

The adjustable links have a locking nut. It is pretty unnecessary, since the ends are on posts and can’t turn so it can never change positions. I found it easier to do the minimal tightening required after it was installed. One end is already tight and doesn’t need anything. The end you adjust can be tightened a tad, and that’s enough. Nothing can get out of whack.

When you get the car off the ramps and jack, it will be screwy. I used my height button to move it up and down about 10 times. I backed up, went forward, turned the car off and on, raised and lowered. For the 3 rounds of measurements, it was different every frick’n time. It seems to settle and lower more with each round of measurements. Drive it around. Hit the brakes, jump on the gas. Horse with the button. It will eventually settle in and get regulated. It freaked me out at first, and I was cussing all of you. But it settled down and now it is stable, and looks frick’n great. Just what I wanted. It looks perfect.

JHouse

I am totally used to the change now. It handles better and looks a lot better. There are springs in the struts, so they get compressed just a little, which I suspect makes it ride like it was designed to (European Spec ride height).