Much anger right now, see if you can tell which pic shows why...
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Atlanta
03 C32 AMG
Much anger right now, see if you can tell which pic shows why...
So i was zainoing the E430 today, trying out the new Z-PC FUSION compound and thought i might get some food. I had washed my car, but didnt have time to re-do zaino this weekend and since the polish was still curing on the E, i thought i might as well take mine. But before leaving i noticed i had neglected to use tire shine so i went around happily preparing my wheels for their voyage to McDonalds (i had just watched Supersize Me, man that made me hungry 
). Anyways, i notice a strange difference between my rear wheel gaps, the rear left had a 4 finger gap, the rear right, more like half a finger. Curiously, i looked at both and one threw me into somewhat of a bad mood 
see if you can guess which one.
). Anyways, i notice a strange difference between my rear wheel gaps, the rear left had a 4 finger gap, the rear right, more like half a finger. Curiously, i looked at both and one threw me into somewhat of a bad mood see if you can guess which one.
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
It looks like you may have aftermarket springs that were physically shorter than the factory springs. You went over a bump, unloaded the suspension, and the aftermarket spring fell out of the perch.
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From: Hotlanta
AMG
Originally Posted by MarcusF
You went over a bump, unloaded the suspension, and the aftermarket spring fell out of the perch.
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From: north carolina
1998 honda civic lx
man, that stinks...let us know how it turns out. hope you get it to a shop without incident - it looks pretty wedged in there though - i guess not going anywhere on a few short rides....but not giving you the stability you need either in the long run. if that was a bump that caused it that was one big bump! the theory about the aftermarket springs being shorter seems to make sense, but i would think that if all of them are shorter, the car would just rest at the new height of the shorter springs all around and shouldn't pop out like that?
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From: New York, NY
06 SV650S, 11 Santa Fe
Make sure you go to a decent shop when you get suspension work done. His signature says he has H&R springs and Koni shocks. I would advise not going to the cheapest mechanic you can find to get it fixed because chances are you get what you pay for.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
Originally Posted by milllx
the theory about the aftermarket springs being shorter seems to make sense, but i would think that if all of them are shorter, the car would just rest at the new height of the shorter springs all around and shouldn't pop out like that?
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From: wilmington nc
99 CLK320 / 2003 WRX Wagon
No, H&R's will not fall out when the car is off of the ground. A H&R spring in not actually shorter than factory. Just different spring rates. I think you would have to cut about 2 coils off a H&R before it would fall out with the car off of the ground, maybe even more.
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From: So Cal
W213 '17 E43 ///AMG - W211, W208 no more
lowered cars utilizing sport springs don't necessarily cause this problem....
stock springs & aftermarket springs are designed to be the SAME height when uncompressed... the aftermarket springs may use less coils to allow for more compression
aftermarket springs that are cut, will have a shorter uncompressed height, which can lead to the problem shown above...
not to say that the car above has cut springs...
stock springs & aftermarket springs are designed to be the SAME height when uncompressed... the aftermarket springs may use less coils to allow for more compression
aftermarket springs that are cut, will have a shorter uncompressed height, which can lead to the problem shown above...
not to say that the car above has cut springs...
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From: north carolina
1998 honda civic lx
Originally Posted by MarcusF
The springs fall out because the car still has the original amount of suspension travel. Good spring manufacturers get around this by building a certain amount of sag into their springs. With short springs, the same thing can happen by simply putting the car on a lift. Cutting spings can produce the same results.
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From: north carolina
1998 honda civic lx
also here's a link to the place where king320 posted about getting the suspension install done https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class-w208/108447-my-two-latest-mods-suspension-laser-jammer-lots-pics-56k-beware.html
it does look like the H&R's are SLIGHTLY shorter than the stock springs?... but it looks like the car above definitely does not have cut springs.
it does look like the H&R's are SLIGHTLY shorter than the stock springs?... but it looks like the car above definitely does not have cut springs.
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From: SF Bay Area
991.1 gt3, w204 c63 507
jesus, i hope that will never happen to me. it's like a ticking time-bomb .. i suggest you get it towed to a shop or have a mechanic come to your house with a jack and a spring compressor
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
Originally Posted by milllx
maybe a dumb question- but what is suspension travel?
When a spring is manufactured for a vehicle, the minimum and maximum length of the spring must be taken into account. Just as you want the spring long enough so it doesn’t fall out of the perch when the suspension is unloaded, you also don’t want “coil bind” (Is that the right term? Someone straighten me out if that’s the wrong phrase). Coil bind can happen when the bump stops don’t do their job. The bump stops are supposed to stop the suspension from bottoming out. Ordinarily they do, but the instructions in aftermarket springs say to “trim” the bump stops. Some people take that to be code for REMOVE the bump stops.
Not that anyone here cut springs, removed bump stops, or installed hydraulics. Lastly, if the half-unseated spring comes completely out, it may take out the brake line with it. That may result in a different kind of “bump stop”.
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I have HR springs on my cabrio and they are definately shorter than the stock springs. Its not even as big deal, remove your rear control arm nut jack up the car by the pivot joint and re seat the spring correctly. I bet the shop didnt line the spring up on the pad and bottom of the control arm correctly, causing it to not seat right making it fall out. I woudlnt even let this ruin your day, its 100% diy material. If you jack up the 208 with the HR spring, it doesnt even come close to coming out, the lower control arm angle holds it in. You would need like a 3 coil spring to fall out like everyone is saying here. I know people who cut springs on the rear to drop it more and never a problem., you just had an install prob no biggie 
Good luck!
Good luck!
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From: Seattle
05 E55
That sucks dude. I see you have #3 spring pads.
This happened on my Maxima with cut eibachs after hitting an unexpected railroad rack. With your springs and #3 pads, that is strange to see that at the least. You must have hit a SERIOUS bump.
I would investigate why this happed and make sure to check nothing else is wrong (shock bolted, control arm alright etc.)
Then if everything is OK, take it back to the place and show them. If they won't do it, just rent a spring compressor and do it yourself.
This happened on my Maxima with cut eibachs after hitting an unexpected railroad rack. With your springs and #3 pads, that is strange to see that at the least. You must have hit a SERIOUS bump.
I would investigate why this happed and make sure to check nothing else is wrong (shock bolted, control arm alright etc.)
Then if everything is OK, take it back to the place and show them. If they won't do it, just rent a spring compressor and do it yourself.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 547
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From: SF Bay Area
991.1 gt3, w204 c63 507
Originally Posted by str8ridin
That sucks dude. I see you have #3 spring pads.
This happened on my Maxima with cut eibachs after hitting an unexpected railroad rack. With your springs and #3 pads, that is strange to see that at the least. You must have hit a SERIOUS bump.
I would investigate why this happed and make sure to check nothing else is wrong (shock bolted, control arm alright etc.)
Then if everything is OK, take it back to the place and show them. If they won't do it, just rent a spring compressor and do it yourself.
This happened on my Maxima with cut eibachs after hitting an unexpected railroad rack. With your springs and #3 pads, that is strange to see that at the least. You must have hit a SERIOUS bump.
I would investigate why this happed and make sure to check nothing else is wrong (shock bolted, control arm alright etc.)
Then if everything is OK, take it back to the place and show them. If they won't do it, just rent a spring compressor and do it yourself.
i actually wouldn't recommend using the spring compressor by himself.. it can be a pretty dangerous situation if you've never done this before. i've heard stories about people who try to install springs by themselves... and it's not a pretty visual
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clk
Originally Posted by str8ridin
That sucks dude. I see you have #3 spring pads.
This happened on my Maxima with cut eibachs after hitting an unexpected railroad rack. With your springs and #3 pads, that is strange to see that at the least. You must have hit a SERIOUS bump.
I would investigate why this happed and make sure to check nothing else is wrong (shock bolted, control arm alright etc.)
Then if everything is OK, take it back to the place and show them. If they won't do it, just rent a spring compressor and do it yourself.
This happened on my Maxima with cut eibachs after hitting an unexpected railroad rack. With your springs and #3 pads, that is strange to see that at the least. You must have hit a SERIOUS bump.
I would investigate why this happed and make sure to check nothing else is wrong (shock bolted, control arm alright etc.)
Then if everything is OK, take it back to the place and show them. If they won't do it, just rent a spring compressor and do it yourself.
