Suspension upgrades???
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Out Of Control!!
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haters crazy
Suspension upgrades???
I would like to do some handling upgrades. My car understeers and I would like to eliminate that. Are there any suspension mods besides just shocks/springs we can do? Any sway bars or anything? I also boiled the ATE super blue fluid on the track trying to slow down from 140+mph for a sharp turn (may have melted a seal in the abs module as well
). I guess I need to make a custom brake duct unless there is one already available.
I am pretty happy with the straight line performance and I was doing very well at the MBCA event at Summit Point but I want to get rid of the understeer as much as possible.
Thanks for any suggestions
). I guess I need to make a custom brake duct unless there is one already available.I am pretty happy with the straight line performance and I was doing very well at the MBCA event at Summit Point but I want to get rid of the understeer as much as possible.
Thanks for any suggestions
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
When does it understeer? During corner entry? Corner exit? High speed turns only? All the time (cause if it understeers at low speeds, it definitely understeers at high speeds, which is all the time)? Also, do you have adjustable shocks, if so, based on the first questions, I can suggest how to adjust them.
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From: Indiana
2003 AMG SL55, 2002 AMG CLK55, 2002 AMG ML55, 2005 ML350, 1995 S320 LWB - totaled
A little help on set up!
An agressive track alignment will help. See if your local shop can dial in about 2.5 degrees of negative camber up front and go for 1.5 degrees rear that will help your over all cornering. Make sure your toe is as close to or at 0 degrees. Other wise you will scrub your tires and wear them out in NO TIME!!!
The agressive camber is hard enough on your tires.
Stiffer rear sway bars will help get your car to rotate better into the corners.
Also you need to play with tire pressures.
For track I run 42lbs cold front and rear. Then play with it hot add a little more to the rear and reduce the front. I am talking 2 lbs each way.
The harder the rears are the faster they will start to slide giving you
oversteer and reducing understeer. Same principle with stiffer sway bars alows the front to roll and transfer weight for better grip.
You can play with this for ever. I ahd to adjust my WRX track car every time I went to the track. Temps and track condition changes even hour to hour might require adjusting.
The agressive camber is hard enough on your tires.
Stiffer rear sway bars will help get your car to rotate better into the corners.
Also you need to play with tire pressures.
For track I run 42lbs cold front and rear. Then play with it hot add a little more to the rear and reduce the front. I am talking 2 lbs each way.
The harder the rears are the faster they will start to slide giving you
oversteer and reducing understeer. Same principle with stiffer sway bars alows the front to roll and transfer weight for better grip.
You can play with this for ever. I ahd to adjust my WRX track car every time I went to the track. Temps and track condition changes even hour to hour might require adjusting.
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2003 AMG SL55, 2002 AMG CLK55, 2002 AMG ML55, 2005 ML350, 1995 S320 LWB - totaled
In addition a strut tower brace up front might help to reduce shock tower flex and sharpen your steering.
A side note. Understeer is not a totally bad thing. Most cars are set up with it from the factory. It is much safer and slower than having a car set up to oversteer. It lets you know you are getting close to a crash with out snapping your head off when it lets go and throws you into the armco guardrail or a tree.
A side note. Understeer is not a totally bad thing. Most cars are set up with it from the factory. It is much safer and slower than having a car set up to oversteer. It lets you know you are getting close to a crash with out snapping your head off when it lets go and throws you into the armco guardrail or a tree.
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2008 CLK63 Black Series 2012 C63 Black Series 2014 SLS Black Series
All of the above information is great info. One observation I made looking at the picture of the car in you signature, I asume that is the car you are talking about, the front end seems to be quite a bit lower than the rear end. Fronts should almost always be lower, but yours looks considerably lower just by looking at the photo. I may be wrong, I am not expert in this area, however if you have the front to low, or a$$ too high, that would push your weight bias forward and may result in a push or understeer. How old are your front springs? What kind are they? What weight? Are you running coil-overs? If so try playing with the ride height a little bit
Look at the stance of the cars in the 3 post previous to mine, they are much more level. Like I said, just an observation, for what it's worth.
Look at the stance of the cars in the 3 post previous to mine, they are much more level. Like I said, just an observation, for what it's worth.
Last edited by jrcart; Apr 9, 2008 at 06:05 PM.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I will try to implement them next time out.
jrcart- I have the KW v.2's and the rear is set as far down as it will go
This is how the car sits now (missing black mesh in the bumper in the pic). Its pretty even
jrcart- I have the KW v.2's and the rear is set as far down as it will go
This is how the car sits now (missing black mesh in the bumper in the pic). Its pretty even
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John Deere
Anyone needing OEM parts, look here.
I can get you any OEM part you need, if you have the part numbers or VIN+good description. Some of the high-end replacement parts and accessories can be had for serious discounts over what the dealer wants.
Don't believe me? Ask MachC5 on his wheels.
The sticky is in Classifieds. Heck, I'll make a thread here as well.
Don't believe me? Ask MachC5 on his wheels.
The sticky is in Classifieds. Heck, I'll make a thread here as well.
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From: Hotlanta
AMG
I would like to do some handling upgrades. My car understeers and I would like to eliminate that. Are there any suspension mods besides just shocks/springs we can do? Any sway bars or anything? I also boiled the ATE super blue fluid on the track trying to slow down from 140+mph for a sharp turn (may have melted a seal in the abs module as well). I guess I need to make a custom brake duct unless there is one already available.
I am pretty happy with the straight line performance and I was doing very well at the MBCA event at Summit Point but I want to get rid of the understeer as much as possible.
Thanks for any suggestions
). I guess I need to make a custom brake duct unless there is one already available.I am pretty happy with the straight line performance and I was doing very well at the MBCA event at Summit Point but I want to get rid of the understeer as much as possible.
Thanks for any suggestions
Any pics/vids of the MBCA event?
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From: Indiana
2003 AMG SL55, 2002 AMG CLK55, 2002 AMG ML55, 2005 ML350, 1995 S320 LWB - totaled
Another thought is to have your car corner balanced. Set the car on 4 scales and adjust the suspension to balance the car front to rear - side to side.
Will also tell you what your weight bias is.
Will also tell you what your weight bias is.
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I have some pics on my home ocmputer and a couple crappy vids. I posted this one in the other thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tieZ-raTN0
rsr911- I will look into that. I just realized I was only running 32PSI of pressure in my tires!
I just had tires mounted and balanced 2 days prior and I forgot to check!
Thread Starter
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Really though, that is one of the nicest looking 208's I have seen.
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New rims come in next week and I will do a photoshoot and post up pics
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
This may help you figure out the correct tire pressure for each corner (no, they won't all be the same).
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2003 AMG SL55, 2002 AMG CLK55, 2002 AMG ML55, 2005 ML350, 1995 S320 LWB - totaled
This may help you figure out the correct tire pressure for each corner (no, they won't all be the same).
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From: London
clk55 amg (209)
I dialed out the understeer on my 2003 209 55 amg by fitting H&R anti-sway bars with the following rate increases 109% front and 167% rear (from the AMG) ones. This was done as well as fitting a Quaife LSD to both increase the roll stiffness at the rear to get the car to handle better with a more progressive move to oversteer at the limit and get more traction from the rear wheels at the limit. This has done the trick. 
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2003 AMG SL55, 2002 AMG CLK55, 2002 AMG ML55, 2005 ML350, 1995 S320 LWB - totaled
I dialed out the understeer on my 2003 209 55 amg by fitting H&R anti-sway bars with the following rate increases 109% front and 167% rear (from the AMG) ones. This was done as well as fitting a Quaife LSD to both increase the roll stiffness at the rear to get the car to handle better with a more progressive move to oversteer at the limit and get more traction from the rear wheels at the limit. This has done the trick.
Thread Starter
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Feb 2003
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haters crazy
I dialed out the understeer on my 2003 209 55 amg by fitting H&R anti-sway bars with the following rate increases 109% front and 167% rear (from the AMG) ones. This was done as well as fitting a Quaife LSD to both increase the roll stiffness at the rear to get the car to handle better with a more progressive move to oversteer at the limit and get more traction from the rear wheels at the limit. This has done the trick.
Edit: ok so the H&R sways are 28mm in the front and 18mm in the rear. What are the stock ones?
Last edited by blackbenzz; Apr 11, 2008 at 02:20 PM.
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From: Sparks, NV
03 CLK 55 AMG, IMCO muffler/Magnaflow tips, KW V1 coilovers, 19" Petrol Metrix Wheels
you will definitely induce some oversteer with that sway bear set-up. i have almost the same set-up on my GTI.
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02 clk 55 amg
I met a guy racing his CL 55 in so cal and turns out he is the racing development manager for Eibach and a stunt/track driver for EuroCar Magazine. He said that eibach manufactures all of brabus's suspension parts for the 208. I'm am going to be ordering the H&R front and rear sway bars for mine real soon.
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From: So Cal
CLK Cabrio
wow kind of wish i got the h&r ones now. hey BB have you done anything new to your suspension? i put my stock 17s on with 245 front and 265 back and it made a difference. my friend said the bigger the difference between the front and rear the more understeer you will have!
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The swaybars are all the same thickness when comparing stock CLK55 and aftermarket sways. No point in getting new ones
What your friends said in regards to tires is absolutely true.
What your friends said in regards to tires is absolutely true.
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1999 CLK320
