HFBamaFan

I own a 2007 CLK 55 AMG and I was wanting to upgrade to either a CLK 63 AMG or add on a supercharger to my current car. And advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
Hunter

BlackOnBlackCLK

no question get the 63

blackbenzz

I disagree. Unless it's a black series, get the supercharger. You will CRUSH the 63 (BS or not) with a Kleemann 55. If you do get the charger, look for the older style charger.

JamE55

Current standing votes for Presidency

1. Blackbenzz 90%
2. Hilary Clinton 5%
3. Barack Obama 5%

To the OP you know who you need to listen to.

Peterclk55

It depends what you want in terms of delivery. As I understand it the 63 gives less low down grunt and is more higher revving so you need to work the engine more whereas the supercharged 55 will provide more power than a NA 55 but deliver it in the similar way to the standard car.

But I have a NA clk55 and have never needed more power - the things I have changed are the anti-sway bars - to make it stiffer at the back to reduce understeer and a LSD to reduce the ECU interference at the limit of grip.

Can I ask why you have focussed on power rather than the chasis?

Discgolfer74

HFBamaFan

Well if you could upgrade both what would you recommend?

Peterclk55

Personally I’d go for the 63 – it uses its power more efficiently because it doesn’t waste any on running a charger and I would imagine its brakes and suspension are better than the older 55.

(But I would still change its anti-sway bars to make it less prone to understeer and also fit a Quaife LSD)

neilbo75

My vote goes for the 55K. The 208 car itself is smaller and lighter the 209. The supercharger gives more useable torque.

I recently spent a AMG track day at Hockenheim running the only 208 against several 63 C class sedans and one CLK 63 cab. My naturally aspirated 55 could beat the C class sedans through tight slalom cones. True, I had noticeably less acceleration power on the straightaways, but I could still beat a 63 for the first 300 yards of straightline accelration if my rival driver got a poor launch. I got the impression that a 55K would have crushed all comers.

Fuel economy will defnitely be better with the 55. The 63 owners were burning 20 to 30 percent more fuel on the highway trip to the track and on the track itself. Of course, a supercharger at WOT will probably wipe out that savings on the track.

Then again, the 63 has some advantages - the car has a better chassis and steering feel, the exhaust sounds great, and the paddle shifters are fun.

Bottom line: no way to make a mistake on the choice.

neilbo75

What's the difference between old and new? If my itchy finger finally pulls the trigger at Kleemann, can I get the old one?

blackbenzz

From what I understand the new style is a roots blower. The older one is a Autorotor charger which is better. They are no longer available and you would have to find one used. Older ones supposedly make more power

neilbo75

Who supplied your LSD and anti-sway bars and where did you get it done? My day at the track confirmed that understeering and traction are the two priority items for modding the 55.

Peterclk55

I had the work done by Birds http://www.birdsauto.com/ - but I am in England. I found that as I progressively used the car more at its limit the Electronic Stability Control was becoming too intrusive even when switch off and the car had far too much under-steer. So since last year the car has had a Quaife Limited slip differential along with H&R anti sway bars fitted.

The difference is subtle but profound: the anti-sway bars (front stiffer by 109% and rear by 167%) have made the car stiffer at the rear and so dialled out a lot of the under-steer; and the LSD has made the ESP is much less intrusive allow the power to be applied at the limit of grip – and just beyond – and together the car is much more enjoyable when driven hard.

The work cost approximately £2500 (pounds) but was money well spent. Here’s two pictures – you will see I have gone back to 18 inch wheels – for a better ride.

http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u...ch2008-2-1.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...rch2008-01.jpg

Chappy

Hunter, are you certain your CLK55 is an '07? MB quit making the 55 in coupe form in 2005 and the cabrio CLK55 was only available through 2006. - at least for the U.S. blokes.

neilbo75

Here is where 208 and 209 CLK 55 owners part company, or so it would seem.
On the TireRack site I see that H&R anti sway bars are available for the 208 in 28mm front diameter and 18mm rear diameter. For a 209 55 Cab, the site proposes 26mm front and 19mm rear. Both sets are listed in the "performance street" category.

Would you happen to know what diameter Birds put on your ride? Have any 208 AMG owners beefed-up their bars?

blackbenzz

I have yet to find sway bar that are any thicker than stock sways on the W208 CLK55. If you find one lemme know

JamE55

AMG historian is in da hizzouse! Thanks for the free class bossman!

Peterclk55

No I don't know the diameter - I went to Birds with the under steer/grip problem and they found Eibach and H&R units which equate to the following rate increases

Eibach 128% front 125% rear
H&R 109% front 167% rear

I went for the H&R's because they are more adjustable.

In normal driving there is no difference from the original set up, but boy what a difference when on a track day or driving at the limit. The only down side is that I went through one set of tyres (Goodyear Asymmetric F1s) in 4000 miles of fast road driving (no track)!

neilbo75

Birds is busy quoting percentage increases, if not different diameters. The H&R UK site does not propose anti-sway bars for the 208 55 CLK, but the H&R USA site does - maybe because the cars were set up differently to begin with? It's got me poor little brain understeering .

I wonder if PeterCLK can feel the effect of the bigger anti-sway bars as distinct from the LSD? And did those Goodyears wear out evenly or not?

blackbenzz

But Peter CLK has a 209. Make sur eyou double check the sway bay diameters for the aftermarket 208's because when I checked they were all the same as stock 55's

Peterclk55

The Goodyear’s wore out evenly it was just hard driving

Yes you can definitely identify the different roles the anti-sway bars and LSD play. When on a standard set up the car’s under steer was massive with very little progression to over steer – if you did get that far out the ESP would kick in even when switched off. With the H&R set up I now get initial under-steer quickly moving to progressive over steer (helped with just with a touch of the brakes) which can be caught. The LSD allows the car to corner much more aggressively because it allows slip by moving power to the wheel that has grip rather than reducing power and reduces the input of the ESP massively. It also allows you to drift in a controlled way.

I’m no F1 driver but could feel these changes – in fact they have fundamentally changed the character of the car when it’s at the limit while keeping it feeling stock when driving normally.