Hey,

So here is the situation, KMAC is sending a replacement kit from Australia for me....just waiting for it to arrive. My original set up was #1 pads in the front, and #2 in the back. The back end looks a little higher than the front. Since I am opening up the suspension in the back, I was wondering what your opinion (or anyone else's) is on putting #1 pads in the back. I have 15 inch rims on the car right now. I have 17 inch rims that I just purchased and will put on the car. I am wondering if putting on the 17 inch rims with 215/45/17 tires will accentuate the gap in the rear wheel well between the fender and the tire. Will going to #1 pads make a visual difference (the pad height difference is 5mm). Also, will it make an appreciable difference in the ride?
Thanks man.

N

 

Based on information gathered on these forums, it sounds like W124s and their owners can all be a little different when it comes to fine-tuning the pads for their preferred ride height. Your best indication is that YOU think it is a little high in the rear right now. You are absolutely correct that the 1-bump pad is 5mm thinner than the 2-bump pad. I read that a 5mm difference in the pad translates to about a 7mm difference in the gap at the lip of the fender, although I can’t confirm it with my personal experiences. There are definitely some guys on the forums that are running 1-bump pads at all four corners, although I think most people find the a 1-bump difference is good with the Eibach springs. It seems the Eibach springs tend to drop the rear more than the front. I think it is different with the H&R springs.

Larger rims and narrower tires do seem to visually exaggerate the size of the gap. I have also found that very small differences in the gap are much more apparent when the gap is small. For example, the small difference in the gap between the front and rear on your car might not be apparent if your car had not been lowered. Like your car, my car is very slightly higher in the rear. I am satisfied with this difference, because my car was slightly higher in the rear before I dropped the car. I wanted a symmetrical drop from the original specifications. I have to admit, however, that I must have measured my car about 1000 times and I am still debating with myself about trying 1-bump less in the rear. I hope that you do not go crazy like me.

I only have 16-inch wheels, so I am not an expert about the 17s, but I think tires and air pressure are the biggest factors that affect ride comfort. I think they are more critical than springs and shocks. 17-inch wheels, with narrow profile tires, will definitely decrease ride comfort, but they will also increase performance. It seems that it is always a balance between comfort and performance. My preference, for comfort, is to use Grand Touring H-rated tires inflated to the relatively low MB-recommended pressures. I have Michelin MXV4 right now, but I am planning to try the Bridgestone LSH.

It is great that K-MAC is sending you a "replacement" kit. I guess you mean that they are sending it free of charge. Of course you still have to deal with a bear of an install, but at least K-MAC stands behind their product. I sure hope it was a rare fluke that your bushing went bad. As I said in a previous post, my mechanic thought they were high quality parts, compared to other such devices that he had seen in the past. He is a Porsche "Race Tuner", so he has seen quite a few modifications in his day.

Good luck with your new kit and your 17-inch wheels. BTW, please remind me what suspension modifications you have done. What brand of springs and shocks did you use and what brand wheels and tires did you purchase. Some pictures would be nice.

My car is just very slightly higher in the rear.

 

I will try and post pics next week.

Once again, thank you for your help
Hopefully the car should be up and running by the middle of this week.

I have Koni Adjustable Shocks, Eibach Springs, #1 pads in the front, #2 pads in the rear, and of course the KMAC camber kit.