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I purchased a fantastically maintained 2007 CLK550 a couple of years ago and I don't know why but I just love this little car. It's so subtle but yet has serious go. I am determined to take care of it to last me at least another four years and then teach my daughter how to drive with it. I have done some work already by changing coil packs, cam magnets, rear brakes and parking brakes and even a broken fog light lens. So far, it's been pretty easy to work on. But now I'm looking to update the suspension in two phases, first the struts, shocks and sway bars and then phase two, the upper and lower front control arms and maybe the rear thrust arms. I was hoping to get some feedback on my list of parts below before I pull the trigger on purchasing the "suspension refresh".
My budget is about $1500 and I'm not looking to harshen the ride. I like a comfortable ride but when I'm going 75-85 MPH, I like the car to feel stable and safe. And I like to be able to corner and not feel like the car is going to roll. My CLK has the 486 sport package. VIN: WDBTJ72HX7F217518
This is about $1100 which leaves me enough for control arms and a couple of specialized tools.
So the question I have that I really would love to have answered is, given my objective, am I getting the right parts or should I beef them up or tone down?
someone can chime in and i am sure it depends on the cars life... but i think the front control arm, the big one is the one that goes out often? could add that.
for me... my motor mounts were on the way out... it made a big difference with the vibrations in the car also (since we are talking about comfort)
when i bought my car i basically had the same thought and went a similar path. i went with b6 short stroke, hr springs, hr swap, oem links, motor mounts, spark plugs, and ALL major fluids changed.
Seems about right, but coupe of things about H&R sway bars.
1. About a year ago I was trying to buy front sway bar and all suppliers had sway bars (for sport suspension) with incorrectly drilled link holes (10mm instead of 12mm). I spoke with H&R directly and they told me that all batches around that time were made incorrectly. Hope they fixed the issue, but I'd double check with a store your are going to buy from.
2. I'm pretty sure in order to install front H&R sway bar I'll need different sway bar brackets.
I ended up buy rear H&R sway bar and original clk63/63BS front sway bar (made by eibach, it was about $150)
someone can chime in and i am sure it depends on the cars life... but i think the front control arm, the big one is the one that goes out often? could add that.
for me... my motor mounts were on the way out... it made a big difference with the vibrations in the car also (since we are talking about comfort)
when i bought my car i basically had the same thought and went a similar path. i went with b6 short stroke, hr springs, hr swap, oem links, motor mounts, spark plugs, and ALL major fluids changed.
i think your ok... gives you a good start.
I am also thinking about the engine mounts. Probably after the suspension.
From what I can tell, there are two part #s for the sway bars. The # 72392-2 is for 12mm (sport package 486) and 72392 is for 10mm (non-sport package).
From what I can tell, there are two part #s for the sway bars. The # 72392-2 is for 12mm (sport package 486) and 72392 is for 10mm (non-sport package).
That's correct, and at that time both of them had 10mm holes
to compress the springs but then I thought I might just take the old struts with the new struts to a shop and pay them to assemble them and I out them into the car.
, it looks to be easy if you have a lift in your garage. I did the mounts on my 911 and it was too easy. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
I read your thread and really appreciate the contribution you made. I was thinking of buying this to compress the springs but then I thought I might just take the old struts with the new struts to a shop and pay them to assemble them and I out them into the car.
i had a friend that let me borrow the tool to compress... agreed you will need support hardware.
I'm not sure if that compressor will work. There aren't many 'coils' in the front springs to grab ahold of. I found that I can grab the middle 3 coils but the top and bottom are obstructed by the strut assembly and remain under tension. I can post some pics when I get home.
Making someone else do it is a great idea
I did my engine mounts through the top on my CLK55 without disconnecting the exhaust. I don't ever, ever plan on doing them in my CLK550, there is even less room. I've done *a lot* of car work and I simply won't ever do that again.
I'm nearby if you have any questions.
03-26-2019, 03:04 PM
CLK550 Suspension Refresh
