I have an '01 CLK 430 and I just ordered H&R springs from Tire Rack which are 1.4" lowering in front and 1.3" lowering in rear. I had my mechanic take out the front stock springs first and the H&R are noticeably short but when put in the car, it is not much lower. It only dropped the car about 3/8". I am not happy with the ride height and I'm wonderig if we are missing something or if something else needs to be done. I have noticed other pictures of CLK 430's with H&R springs and the ride height is A LOT lower than mine. Can anyone provide and assistance?

Martini-1

2 things to keep in mind:

1. spring pads
2. car needs to settle

This may be a dumb question, but what do you mean by "spring pads"? My mechanic said there is only a small shim on the top of the spring and that is all he see's. I talked to a MB tech and he said that there is no shim to change and the springs do all the lowering and the height is what it is. Any suggestions?

the spring pads/shims come in different sizes... usually numbered 1-4... I believe the small the number the smaller the size/thickness of the shim/spring pad...

Do I order these spring pads/shims through MB or are they available through aftermarket companies? Will this also make a significant difference in the ride height?

MB will have them... since the thickness of each spring pad is different, yes it will make a difference in ride height