bhr

I just got my cls 350 a few days ago and i love the car. I am thinking of changing my 17"wheels to the new 19" five spoke AMG Wheels. The dealer says that they will install them on the car and they will lower it too. The service man says they have a way of lowering the car without effecting the ride at all. Can this be done???


Any pics of CLS with original body kits and 19" AMG Wheels

Teck

Should be no problem. We did the same with come cars!
Here are some pics with CLS 19'' AMG wheels

aniantchev

CLS 350? Are you located outside the US?

adam76

ill be pretty upset to find out the dealer can lower the CLS when i just dropped the cash on a lowering module...

john87699

telling you guys - they have a perfect way of doing it now without a lowering module - they simply drain out a preset amount of the hydraulic fluid (or whatever fluid it is) and they can get it to exact heights - doesn't affect the ride and you can just refill them to put them back up. They can also just adjust the height of the ride sensors like they did on My E 2 years ago, but they don't use that method anymore I found out - pretty much any tuning shop familiar with the E, CLS, etc. can do it - I totally understand the concern about messing with the suspension without using a lowering module like Carlsson's, but it works and costs about 250-350 to do. I'll be the guinea pig let you know how it turns out - my E rides like the day I got it and is lowered more than an inch.

adam76

the C-tronic has some intelligence though, somethig you will not get simply by lowering the sensors. after thinking about this a bit more, even if the delaer was able to change something to lower the ride height, i wonder if its a complete program change like the C-tronic where it knows it has been lowered, and knows how to dynamically adjust.

we can compare notes, see if the module is really worth the extra $$$, since i already paid, no turnin back now!

john87699

Sounds like a plan - how much was the module btw? haven't seen pricing for it yet.

Also, let me know if it lowers it enough - I think it will since these cars are pretty low to begin with considering the sport kit. Are you doing 19's or 20's? Was gonna do 20's but I'm worried it might make it a little higher off the ground than I want it - had a lot of regrets on my E when I had 20's on it.

bhr

Would the 19"wheels look nice on a CLS with no AMG kit. To be honest i have only seen these rims on CLS's with AMG kits.

I just have feeling that without the kit it will look too big on the car

scorchie

Hmm, I know how to lower the car without any mods to the car (using the diagnostic computer) and you definitely don't need to do any "draining" or anything like that.

Also, lowering it without using a module means that the car will still lower itself further at highway speeds (unless you do not select a Sport mode) and the raised height will be lowered by the same amount the car is lowered.

-s-

adam76

i suspect the same, i believe the suspension uses air too, not hydraulics, if so, maybe ill put some switches in j/k

this is why the module makes sense, it knows not to lower it at high speeds, because the vehicle already has been lowered.

U2fast4me

He must have been from elsewhere cause I don't think the US has the CLS350 version. I totally hope I was wrong cause the CLS500 cost higher than what I can afford.

vrracr

do you know anyone in houston that can do this? will our dealers know/be willing to do it?

adam76

it sounds like this may not be a good idea. if you lower your car an inch, and hit highway speeds, and the car lowers more due to the orignal program, you may be sitting on your tires...

i posted this in another thread in case you hadnt seen it, but its great info for anyone looking to lower their CLS, or any other ABC\Airmatic equipped Benz:

Carlsson C-Tronic® SUSPENSION
Intelligent lowering

• Intelligent adaptation of spring travel
• Sporty look by lowering up to max. 30 mm
• Improved driving dynamics through reduced roll
• For Mercedes Benz models with Airmatic and ABC suspension

The Carlsson C-Tronic® product range includes electronic control modules for a variety of applications, such as engine control and supercharger or turbo control, as well as the control of active and semi-active suspension systems. The solution offered under the Carlsson C-Tronic® SUSPENSION brand has been improved in several important respects and thus meets the high expectations of an intelligent electronic suspension control system.

Maximum ride comfort in all situations
As a rule, conventional systems for lowering vehicles with electronic sus¬pension systems do no more than lower the centre of gravity. By contrast, the Carlsson C-Tronic® SUSPENSION lowers not only the centre of gravity but also, thanks to its sophisticated technology, reacts intelligently to the changing road conditions. On poor surfaces where the suspension jounces continuously, the vehicle height is automatically raised to ensure sufficient spring travel for even ride comfort. This demand-responsive system is controlled electronically and automatically so the driver enjoys a high level of ride comfort in all situations. The permanent data synchronisation with pre-set values ensures split-second adaptation to the road conditions prevailing.

Sufficient spring travel guaranteed at all times
The Carlsson C-Tronic® SUSPENSION also ensures that the vehicle is not further lowered at speeds of over 120 km/h as programmed in the standard system. This guarantees sufficient spring travel and that the ride height does not fall below the minimum level.

Quick and easy installation
Thanks to the tried and tested C-Tronic® connection technology for the wiring harness, installing and removing the Carlsson C-Tronic® SUSPENSION is not only reliable but quick and easy. For customers, this means only a short fitting time and, therefore, low workshop costs. Furthermore, the vehicle can be returned to its original condition at any time.

scorchie

We do this quite a bit in California. We occasionally travel to Texas (Houston for instance), about every couple months, and could do it then. However you might be able to find places to do it in Houston already!

We've done a lot of E-classes (basically same chassis) and only two CLS-class cars. The limit of lowering is about 3/4"-1", otherwise the car is out of spec. Since the car lowers itself an additional 15mm when you cruise the car for a bit at speeds higher than 69mph, this is a good compromise for looks and safety. We've not heard of a problem with the cars going too low with this amount of lowering.

If you want more control or more lowering to dump the car, then a module is the way to go. Of course, the cost of a module ($1000+) vs. lowering without modifying the car ($250) is something to consider.

-s-

joeyc32

does any1 know of any places in NY that do this?

vrracr

I just found a place in Houston that lowers benz's all the time. they use a system they devised out of some brackets which lower the sensors and they are adjustable. they charge $400 but i'm sure that's negotiable.

i'm gonna go up there today and talk to them and report the results.

i understand that the car lowers more after 70mph but its not much and since i dont plan on slamming the car, i dont see an issue. of course, the process is reversable so it may be worth a shot. i'll def. have to be careful on the size of the aftermarket wheels i decide to go with i guess.

safeer

bm75204

Safeer --- Please keep me posted on this...thanks.

vrracr

i went by the shop yesterday. man, are they busy. the owner explained the process to me and you can tell they do it all the time. they had an SL which had just left after the same mod. he said it takes about an hour and he has all the parts in stock (they use some type of adjustable brackets). Anyways, he's going to cut me a deal, but they were too busy yesterday to do it so I may go by today to get it done. he said they've done 20-30 in the last 6 months so that's enough practice/experience for me.

safeer

bm75204

Excellent...I'd love to see 'after' pics if you get a chance to take some.