Hello!

Im listening for recomendations on shock absorvers for my clk 55 amg w209 I want a smooth ride;rather than tough. What shocks can give me the most ride comfort? The car is a daily driver hence comfort over cornering abilities..

you don't get smooth and comfortable ride in an AMG.
being stiff is your best friend if you sometimes ride you car like a carthief!

stick with MB/AMG shocks if you want smooth ride.
otherwise go with Koni yellow shox as they are cheaper than factory parts and they offer adjustability
car is more fun to drive with koni's, they give more stability

How about the bilsteins ?

Bilstein B8 if you're lowered; Bilstein B6 if you're not lowered. If you want close to OEM comfort, then Bilstein B4 is the one.

thanks for the input!

aftermarket bilsteins don't have the same valving as MB shocks.

some people on this forum don't recommend aftermarket billys for AMG cars because they were not made for these cars, therefore i went with koni's instead when i got my stuff.
i got 3 konis for the price of 1 AMG shock from stealership, then you really know what to buy for less money.

1. That's true of any aftermarket shock; Koni included.

2. I don’t think that statement is true. Bilstein may not make a shock for every AMG vehicle ever made. For example, their current catalog doesn't show shocks for the C36 and C43, but they definitely show a part number for a CLK55.

In a nutshell, some prefer Konis and others prefer Bilsteins.

What are koni shocks advantage over bilsteins?

Which of the two would be better for the most comfort and daily driving use?

you can play with koni's 3 adjustment settings: soft - stiff - stiffest
maybe someday you wanna track your car, koni would be more prefferable than billy shock?

the question is, are you doing your car a disservice by going with aftermarket?? I would think MB spent tons of money dialing in the right shocks for these AMG cars ... why cheap out and go with Koni's???

I guess that would fully depend on if Koni updates there design? My car is 12 years old. I am sure that there has been some significant changes in shock/strut technology in that time.

Have you ever seen the episode of Fast and Loud where they rebuild and upgrade a Ferrari? I am sure when that car was new it was top of the line everything but with time things change and progress.

I understand ... but the difference is tho cost is not an issue for them and so they're aren't cheaping out!! AND I'm sure a lot of the parts are FREE from those vendors they promote!

I think you are missing my point. I don't know the true difference between the factory AMG setup and Koni's but if there design has been updated or came out after there is a good chance they are better. Just because something was the best doesn't mean it always will be.

and people bit-h about expensive rotors for c43-clk55-e55 cars.

There is not much difference between the cost of Bilstein Sports for the 209 CLK55 and the OEM Mercedes/AMG-valved Sachs shocks for the car. IMO you should stick with OEM suspension parts for the car. AMG engineered a "system" for the suspension that the shocks are a part of. I would stick with that system to get the handling, steering balance, and ride the car is famous for.
I personally think Konis even on their softest setting would be pretty stiff on the CLK. I had adjustable Konis on my S2000 and the softest setting was still very firm, about the same as the stock Showa shocks.

There is always going to be debates on what is the best this or that. It is really up to the owner of the car and what they want to do with it. Many people might have thought I ruined my C32 with the Tien coil overs but, it made the car stick to the ground like nothing I had ever driven before. Bumpy as hell yes but i liked it. I will however debate with anyone that says it AMG or the highway. If that was true companies like Tien, Ground Control, H&R, Bilstine, Vogtland, and many other would not exist. Look at companies like Brabus and Renntech. They specialize in modifying AMG cars. There has to be a reason right?

Regardless I hope the OP got what he was looking for, information on the options out there when replacing stock suspension.

The elusive "better shock" really sounds like a design question. Bilstein B4’s, B6’s and B8’s all use a monotube high pressure gas design. At least on a CLK they do. I don’t know about every other application available. Advantages of a monotube over a twintube? A larger piston area which has better control in a narrower band and they’ll cool faster. Disadvantages? On a track they’ll run hotter and they’re less precise over a wider band. Advantages of a twintube? They have a longer stroke, hold more oil, and they have a wider range. Disadvantages? They are less precise in the narrow range where the monotube excels. Advantages / disavantages of twintube hydraulic versus twintube low pressure gas? In theory the oil in the low pressure gas shock won’t boil as quickly as the oil in the hydraulic. In practice, is anyone really generating that much heat in a street car?

Like Bilstein, Koni has a lot of different designs. I don’t know what specific Koni is being discussed so the design is a mystery as well. As for better designs, there probably are better technical designs, but it really depends on what they’ll be used for. I personally don’t have a need for double adjustable JRZ’s, but some might.

note that original shocks are Bilsteins, but they have different valving than the shocks bought from Bilstein directly

Edit: for w208 anyway