fitnessguru1323

i have decided to lower my clk with h&r springs and the bilstein shocks...before i have my guy install them i want to make sure i am not missing anything...ie pads, or something else i dont know about...im runnin factory e63 18s with 225/40/18 and 265/35/18 tires.. will i be ok? ie no rubbing issues or anything? thanks for all your input i have just never lowered a car i just know what i have read on this board.

dynomite05

You should be fine.

fitnessguru1323

thanks for the reply dyno...all those views and no response. i have done a lot of research here but i wanted to make sure i wasnt missing anything. Will i need those pads people speak of? and do they make the ride better or just to raise it a little bit? thanks dyno

dynomite05

The pads won't make a difference in ride quality. Just raising or lowering it a bit.

fitnessguru1323

what do you think of this setup?
http://www.vogtlandsuspension.com/p3...duct_info.html

dynomite05

Coil overs or springs? I had the springs and didn't like the height. They were not low enough for me. They are not as low as the H&R springs

fitnessguru1323

the spring shock combo...its like 685 for both. What drop did you get from them? do you have any pics of them on your car?

dynomite05

I only had the springs. I didn't get the whole suspension through them. These are the Vogtland springs on 17's






These are the H&R springs on 17's

1980Jason

I had my '01 CLK lowered about a year after I bought it and I'm having it undone as I'm writing this. Lowering a car will, over time, cause unnecessary stress on the vehicle and it's overall performance and quality. For example, things rattle that shouldn't be raddling despite the car being 2 months shy of turning 10. The quality of ride is not bad considering it was dropped 2 inches and I have 19 inch wheels on it but for longevity I wouldn't advise it. I thought it would give me better handling but the wheels did more for me than lowering it.

tc1728

Obviously, if your springs are stiffer, the car will ride harsher but the car will handle better, and a harsher ride will cause some extra rattles. As for your 9yr, 10 month old car, I don't think there is much you can do to make a 2001 car not rattle. Also how long have you had your car lowered to cause all these negative effects that you think your car is suffering from? And if if you knew this was going on, why didn't you go back to stock springs sooner? TC

dynomite05

What did you use to lower the car? I have been lowered for years and my ride quality has actually improved. The OP is replacing the shocks/struts along with the springs which IMO is the correct way to do it. If all you did was replace the springs on an old car, that explains all the trouble your having.


Side Note: I have had PSS9'S for about a week and they are definitely worth every penny! Feels like I don't have 19's on

RK-CLK55

I put 19" on my 2004 CLK55 when I bought it. A year later I put the Brabus Lowered Suspension kit on to drop it about 1". I thought the ride was actually better from about 30 mph and up. This Brabus kit included springs, struts, shocks, etc. The dealer who change the suspension out also did an alignment. I am glad I did it and have had no issues. The only thing is that the SSR GT3 wheels do get slight bends from the crappy streets where I live. So I have balanced the wheels twice over 25,000 miles. Otherwise it looks good and drives great on the highways. Now I see vehicles that put 19" to 22" tires on and they look jacked up because they haven't lowered them a inch or more to get rid some of the gap between the fenders (especially Chrysler 300C & Chargers).

MarcusF

Typically, cars can be lowered to some degree. Two full inches causes major changes to suspension geometry. If those changes are not compensated for, the results can be less than desired.