When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just did the Strutmasters conversion on a 2003 CL600. Bought it and 2 weeks later, found out the ABC system was failing, 10k fix. Decided against this because the system is notorious for repeat failures. I love it, I have 0 complaints and that's with out a sway bar. Body roll is minimal, barely noticeable. Still corners with ease. Feels solid, secure. A little harsher on road imperfections, but I'm on low pro tires, so I try to avoid the pot holes anyway. I highly recommend the conversion regarless of your reason. The security of knowing my ABC isn't going to drop out on me any minute now after spending umteen thousands on trying to prevent it, I think it's worth it's weight in gold.
Can you post pictures of your car after conversion? Seems like nobody can or will so these posts make me suspicious.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
Sure, it's late now so I can't get a decent shot, but I have the ones my tech sent me when he was done.
Strutmasters says it restores it to the original ride height, to be honest, I'm not sure what that is, so I wouldn't know. My tech claims that it sits slightly higher in the front than original, about factory in the rear. For those who are looking for that dropped look, you'll have to do some customization to achieve it. I wasn't, I guess if I was I could've left it sunken into the wheel well. I'm on 19 inches and to me it sits pretty.
Give it about a week or so and see if the front springs settle a little bit. They use Eibach springs and that's what is on my Supra. When they are new it takes them a few days to settle in.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
Originally Posted by fireman685
Give it about a week or so and see if the front springs settle a little bit. They use Eibach springs and that's what is on my Supra. When they are new it takes them a few days to settle in.
Good to know, thanks. If they do adjust a bit, I'll update the image for anyone interested
I own a 2002 CL500. I did the Strutmaster ABC to strut conversion. I can say from experience as well, that the ride comfort has dramatically changed. It is a softer ride, absorbing small imperfections better. But under hard steering at high speeds, there is a more recognizable lean. Keep In mind...I drive with aluminum alloy 22" rims. Regardless.....the ABC suspension was less forgiving over imperfect road conditions. Now it's smooth and comfortable. Would I recommend a sway bar....yup. With 22's it rubs the front fender slightly during a fast tight turn. Is it a must have......nope. But I am researching the method of adding a front sway bar. If I have to swap out lower control arms, no problem. I did the Strutmaster conversion myself. It took me about 7 hours. No lift...just two jacks and a jack stand and tools. Keep in mind......nothing on my car is factory. I've added car audio, video (ran new wires throughout and added double din dvd, 4 monitors, new speakers and tweeters, amps and subs), new paint, interior mods.....rebuilt and modified the headlights, LED lights interior and exterior....rims and now suspension. I initially maintained the ABC system....invested about $600. Then when the pump began to leak bad, I gave up. I have better things to do with my money than blow it. I have a 2001 CLK55 tricked out and a 2003 Mercedes S430. So what's the harm in modifying a CL500? It's just a car. No rules.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
Agreed, if it can be modified/enhanced to extract what you feel is most important than why not. I also agree with you about throwing good money away consistently on a system that was pretty much designed as a money pit. I love the stability of the ride, I find it very comfortable. Especially after a set of fresh tires. I drive under normal conditions, so I couldn't say what it feels like at a buck, buck & change or cornering at 60. I'm surprised you have the clearance for 22", I'm on 19 and I couldn't imagine going larger without serious rubbing. I've read there is a way to mount a sway bar to the existing control arms, but I'm not positive this is possible. Car looks good though. It appears your tires are larger in the front as opposed to in the rear or is that just the angle of the picture?
This is how it looks now with the strutmaster kit. The rear sits higher than the front. Not bad....hopefully will settle a bit. But I'm cool with it. The front are 9" wide and rear are 10.5" wide. Off hand...I believe I went 245/30/22 front and 295/25/22 rear....something like that. My car was silver. I painted it matte black. I'm currently wrapping the hood, top and trunk lid carbon fiber. Interior has been wrapped carbon fiber as well. This is a very difficult car to mod. But so worth it. I already respected Mercedes designs. But even more so now.
Your car looks great as well. I love the black and classy chrome. Very sharp and prestine. For whatever reason....I have a tuner, racer side to me. Too much Fast & Furious I guess. But that's what this is all about....having a car that you enjoy driving. And for those who choose to keep the ABC setup...how can you argue? When functioning properly, there's nothing like it. Amazing ride. But it takes more money than the car KBB's in order to maintain it. I prefer to drive my car often. No worries
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
Wow, I love how perfectly you got the double din to sit. I saw some when I was shopping that looked terrible with the space fillers, especially on the awkward dash of the 00-02. Whoever did yours did a really nice job. There's nothing wrong with modifications, it's yours, you can do with it as you please. How are you not distracted by all those screens tho lol. Do you show yours at car shows or are the mods strictly for your own pleasure? I have to ask because I never understood it, why the matte? Is it just personal preference or is it that it makes you less noticeable while racing in the street circuit? Thanks, yea the black and chrome is classic. The only thing that would make it better would be a black & white interior, but white doesn't hold up well at all. Right now I have the alpaca gray which is pretty, but I'd love the black & white multi. To be honest I can't even comment on abc being an amazing ride, neither of my clk500's had it. They had the amg appearance packages only. This one I got 5/15 and about a week and a half later it was too low to drive. The minute I brought it to my tech, he said the rear was way too high, it had been locked up like that, I thought it was normal. So basically when I got it, it was already f'd, I never got that "floating on a cloud" feeling. 8k to fix with all the horror stories of repeat failures, hell no. I absolutely agree, it was more important for me to be able to drive and enjoy my car without fear the suspension would drop out while doing 80 on the highway. And the abc system can definitely surpass the value easily, you're right. I'd love to see pictures once your done with the wrap.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
Oh and your rear will most likely settle. Mine was the opposite, my front sat slightly higher than factory while my rear seemed to be about factory. Over time and with cabin/trunk weight they do settle some, but nothing drastic, that's why I didn't update the picture. You could try a few weights in your trunk, it'll help bring the rear down a bit. When I picked up my original struts the weight settled mine, a little creaking for a minute and then smooth sailing. I also made sure I parked level so that the cars weight was evenly distributed. Not sure this made a difference but it made sense to me.
Yes...I hope it settles. But then...I might worry about the back dipping too low. At least with the increased ride hight, I don't worry about my 22's hitting the fender in the rear. That's a substantial difference with the ABC. The struts were more stiff. Even in the lowest setting, it didn't bottom out. Using coils now require possible knuckles inserted up front. Or certainly a sway bar. On the highway this morning, I hit a severely uneven surface. My bottom dipped low and I heard my front bottom out. That irritated me. On the entrance ramp, I couldn't take it as hard and fast as I could previously. It didn't feel as stable....therefore....there's definitely some tweaking needed. I kinda enjoy this project. I'm learning alot. And thank you regarding the dvd install. I actually did it. Alot of finesse and patience. Research for days didn't get me too far, because there's few who have actually done it. Understanding the fiber optics and Mercedes wiring sequences was a challenge. But I figured it out.....lol. I will update the wrap pics once complete. I chose matte black because...........Uhhmmmm.......the original silver was not taken care of. Alot of scratches and peeling clearcoat from touch up work. Very few CL500 owners have gone with the matte look so I knew I would be the only one locally. I get astonishing looks and head knods. Very different. That's my style. Unique is what I prefer.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
That's awesome that you did that yourself. If I knew how to do my own work it would probably be hard to stop. I actually avoided the 00-02 while shopping because I hated the factory set up of the navigation unit and I had seen many poor attempts at upgrading it, so many that I figured it was impossible to achieve a seamless install. So I went 03, because that's when they introduced the different display. Your def right not many people can figure that one out, the ones I've seen have been clumsily slapped into the space after the divider had been cut.
I haven't had any issues with rubbing or bottoming out, but my rims are only 19." If you figure out the sway bar issue, I'd love to hear what you worked out. I had talked to my tech about using bars from the s class, eibach or the whole control arm & bar set up off the sl65 black series. I haven't noticed any real need for it, but I'd be interested in knowing for future reference. What did you do about your pump? I'm interested in gutting the remainder of my abc system and converting the ps pump. Called a pro shop around me, they were supposedly looking into what it would take and were supposed to get back to me, but I've heard nothing. Gotta keep looking. Ctravis had mentioned the s430 pump bolts up fine, but there's a difference in the pulleys on the v12, which is what I have. Someone else told me to try the sl65 black pump, which is a v12 also, but I need to find someone willing & capable to do it.
As far as the matte, that's cool, nothing wrong with standing out from the masses. I actually don't see any of these around where I am. I see a lot of Mercedes' "red headed step-children," the awful (imo) older c classes. CLK 350's, older E classes and then the newer CLA's, suv's and S classes. Mercedes has become such a common brand honestly, but I always loved the CL's because I had never seen them on the road, that and their design is timelessly beautiful. I had to ask because I've seen a lot of street racers go matte, so I was wondering if the theory was that you'd be less noticeable to police at night. That's cool tho, can't wait to see how it turns out.
Thank you so much. Regarding the sway bar...I'm hoping I can simply replace the lower control arms with a S500 and use the stock sway bar as well, being that all the hardware is believed to be compatible. As of now...I let the ABC pump leak out and that still allows the power steering side to operate. I will roll with this until that too fails. Then I'm replace it with a PS pump from an S500. I have also contemplated removal of all remaining ABC components. Gradually I will. By the way....you're right. The 03+ audio and navigation are more ideal. Even having an auxiliary input audio jack in the glove box. Bigger screen and cleaner look. My wife's 2003 S430 I love. But like you...I don't see nor come across many of these CLs. I drove to Indiana to buy CL500. You see every other Benz out here. So the CL'S stands out. Most people don't even know what year it is. I did see one last week though....parked in front of someone's house sunk all the way down. I knocked on their door, curious about why it was sitting there dusty. As you would guess...........the pump went out. He can't afford to fix it. Surprise....maybe one reason we see so few on the road. Or they rarely drive them in order to preserve them. Or delay maintenance. Just a guess.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
You're welcome. I wonder if the s500 pump would work on mine. I was told there's a guy in Florida that fabricates custom spacers for the pulley, but I'd rather find something that is a direct fit with the v12 engine. I know the black series parts are expensive, but that might be my only option. I'd like to proactively just eliminate all abc components so I don't have to worry about the hoses rupturing in the future and I can nip the pump in the butt before it has me stranded with no ps. I have to do more research, but for now I'm still running my tandem as well. Yea I actually had mine shipped in from Texas. I had a MB dealer tell me that they were limited production, but I'm not sure how much validity that holds. I believe you are correct, as someone on my conversion thread had also surmised that the costly abc repairs had run most of them off the road. You do see plenty other models, most of which are nice looking cars. I personally always hated the older c's though which are wildly popular and the weird looking hatchback they attempted was an epic failure imo. The CL truly is timeless though and if well maintained, it does age gracefully. I actually prefer the earlier models over the newer ones, for their sleek and sharp body lines. The 03 does have an aux jack which was definitely way before its time. I can't even fathom what it was used for in 02 when the car was manufactured.
What year C-Class are you referring to? If it's the 2002ish.....I feel what you're saying. It's actually very reliable. I had one...for about 2 weeks. Then I sold it. Only because I do this to various cars on the side. Fix them up and bye bye. They're very very affordable. Easy to find and run forever. The Honda Civic of Mercedes, if you will. Lol. Not the prettiest, nor stylish. A shrunken S - class rear...and a soft front end that appeals to a younger or feminine buyer. Not too masculine. (No offense to anyone who owns one) I like them....just not enough to own (keep) one. But uhhmmmm.....regarding the PS pump on the CL.....at least when or if the power steering portion of the pump fails, you can still drive it home. Easier to drive during acceleration versus at a stand still. It will cause excessive stress on the suspension at slow speeds. But at least you won't be stuck....lol. I understand the massive V12 to be a beast of a motor. But is the power steering pump actually different then the smaller engine CLs?
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
I've heard it can run dry as well and still operate. Well it's good to know it won't leave me completely stranded if it were to go on the ps side. From what I have read in this particular thread, it's not so much the pump, it's the attached pulley that doesn't work with the v12 belt. I have time hopefully with my original, the only reason it's something I care to look further into now is because like I said, I want to gut the rest of the abc components and to my understanding the pump can't run without them for obvious reasons.
I was referring to the w202, earlier model w203. I personally never liked the design. I didn't know there was a hatchback c class until now, but I just looked at it and it definitely would be on the list of designs I don't like. The hatchback I was referring to was I guess there wagon, the R class. I don't doubt the c is reliable and I know they're decently priced used. The newer c classes though are a completely different animal, that was a much needed facelift.
Last edited by CLK500 TWINS; 06-29-2015 at 09:27 PM.
Whoa...that's alot of money. I understand wanting g to remove all of the former ABC components. But it may not be necessary to remove that pump. Even with everything else removed...the pump will run ...just dry. Will it overheat due to lack of lubrication and lock up both pumps? Has anyone gone a substantial amount of time running it dry on the ABC side?
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
If I'm not mistaken the original poster, Ctravis ran his dry for a while, but he did state he didn't recommend it, didn't elaborate as to why. I don't know if he gutted his system either, his may have just been leaky. If you read through this thread you should find it. Yea it's expensive, but if you wait for the original to go naturally, it is sort of 6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other. As the original is 1900 if I'm not mistaken. You can always try the few different Mercedes "dis assemblers" available online for a used one. Potomac German Auto is great for quality parts second hand, I know from experience on my first CLK, my body guy used them to try and keep my cost down after it got hit in the parking lot of my job. You have to call them though, their online inventory isn't updated often enough.
2001 S55 AMG Silver, 2003 CL600 Black Opal Metalic, 2005 CLK500 Silver (sold)& Orion Blue (sold)
This is a theory that I don't believe has ever been discussed or mentioned, but definitely deserves some further research. If there is a way this would work, it would be ideal. I'll have to look further into it.
QUOTE=Welwynnick;6482547]Hate to say this, but maybe you could just connect the ABC pump output back to the ABC reservoir, so the pump simply recirculates the oil?
I don't think running a pump dry is ever a good thing.
06-18-2015, 10:44 PM
