Lowering: Don't Tell My Wife...
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: North Bay Area, California
2001 E320
Lowering: Don't Tell My Wife...
but I finally found a local shop to lower my '01 E320. The shop has ordered a set of H&R Springs and has quoted me a rough estimate of $240 for the springs and four hours labor @ $95 per hour.
Springs won't be in for at least a week and then the work will need to be scheduled, at least a week out, so hopefully it will be done in two weeks. I'll post the information and pictures when it's completed.
Springs won't be in for at least a week and then the work will need to be scheduled, at least a week out, so hopefully it will be done in two weeks. I'll post the information and pictures when it's completed.
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Joined: Feb 2006
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From: NorCal
'99 C43, '12 C63, '13 E350, '14 Sprinter
If you want to save some money you can borrow my spring compressors. I did my wifes E430 in about 3 hours and fine tuned spring pads many times. I see you're in the north Bay Area, so we may be close to one another.
One advantage to a DIY job is you get to inspect all the parts yourself. I've seen other threads where the spring perch on the W210s were rusting. Look these over carefully.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...ing+perch+rust
And here are some pics from the process:
http://www.benzworld.org/gallery/sho...&condition=and
One advantage to a DIY job is you get to inspect all the parts yourself. I've seen other threads where the spring perch on the W210s were rusting. Look these over carefully.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...ing+perch+rust
And here are some pics from the process:
http://www.benzworld.org/gallery/sho...&condition=and
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: North Bay Area, California
2001 E320
Originally Posted by SDR
If you want to save some money you can borrow my spring compressors.
Thank you very much for the offer; if I was any kind of mechanic at all, I would take you up on your offer. I think it would be a fun project and I would have a sense of accomplishment. But even simple projects don't seem to turn out so well for me. I'm the guy you see at the hardware store four times in a row, trying to figure out what part I need, with a stack of 'RETURNED' receipts.
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From: 626/714
Gone but not forgotten C36
[QUOTE=Richard / E320]four hours labor @ $95 per hour.QUOTE]
4 hours for labor is
(maybe 2 if they take their time)...most places don't charge by the hour for simple spring installs...check around and save a few hundred bux!
4 hours for labor is
(maybe 2 if they take their time)...most places don't charge by the hour for simple spring installs...check around and save a few hundred bux!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: North Bay Area, California
2001 E320
Originally Posted by RBrenton88
Wait a minute, what about the shocks? You can't use lower springs with stock height shocks. They'll get damaged.
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'98 E320 4Matic, '85 380SL
You for sure can't use the sport shocks with the stock springs. But maybe you can do sport springs with stock shocks? I know very little about this.
It probably won't ride quite right because the shocks will be in a continual state of compression. But I wouldn't worry about breaking them. If they work, great -- you saved some money. If they don't, you'd be replacing them anyways!
It probably won't ride quite right because the shocks will be in a continual state of compression. But I wouldn't worry about breaking them. If they work, great -- you saved some money. If they don't, you'd be replacing them anyways!
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From: SoCal OC
S, GL, Escalade ESV, my shoes
Originally Posted by Richard / E320
but I finally found a local shop to lower my '01 E320. The shop has ordered a set of H&R Springs and has quoted me a rough estimate of $240 for the springs and four hours labor @ $95 per hour.
Springs won't be in for at least a week and then the work will need to be scheduled, at least a week out, so hopefully it will be done in two weeks. I'll post the information and pictures when it's completed.
Springs won't be in for at least a week and then the work will need to be scheduled, at least a week out, so hopefully it will be done in two weeks. I'll post the information and pictures when it's completed.
The Bilstein SP or Koni is designed to accommodate short spring: short length, higher compression rate.
There's a big different between short shock & higher compression rate and long short & being compressed all the time. Look from outside, they're the same (and initial drive may make it feel the same). The difference is that short shock can shrink & expand as the car ride, while long shock at compressed state can't move much, or shrink any further at all.
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From: Seattle WA
99 E320
thinking aloud....
when the normal OEM shock is mated to shorter springs, the shock is then
already operating at less than the designed static compression length. this
robs the shock from the travel it was designed to operate with.....placing the
piston at a much reduced length during 'at rest' compression. might this
result in likelyhood of 'bottoming out'?
....whereas, with the Bilstein Sport shock (designed for lowering spring) the
rod is designed to have more compression travel since it will have been
shortened for the static drop of the shorter spring.
i 'm probably saying what your saying...but with differnt baby words that my
mind can comprehend, eh, Zam?
when the normal OEM shock is mated to shorter springs, the shock is then
already operating at less than the designed static compression length. this
robs the shock from the travel it was designed to operate with.....placing the
piston at a much reduced length during 'at rest' compression. might this
result in likelyhood of 'bottoming out'?
....whereas, with the Bilstein Sport shock (designed for lowering spring) the
rod is designed to have more compression travel since it will have been
shortened for the static drop of the shorter spring.
i 'm probably saying what your saying...but with differnt baby words that my
mind can comprehend, eh, Zam?
Last edited by raymond g-; May 20, 2006 at 06:58 PM.
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From: NorCal
'99 C43, '12 C63, '13 E350, '14 Sprinter
Either way you say it, the point is accurate. However, I ran the stock shocks on my 190 for some time before replacing. Probably put 30K miles on it before replacing. I was bottoming out the spring rather than the shock - also called binding I believe.
Nonetheless, IMO you're safe with the stock shock for awhile. What's the harm if you only get 20K out of them instead of 40k if you eventually plan to replace anyway
Nonetheless, IMO you're safe with the stock shock for awhile. What's the harm if you only get 20K out of them instead of 40k if you eventually plan to replace anyway
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From: North Bay Area, California
2001 E320
Originally Posted by zam2000
The Bilstein SP or Koni is designed to accommodate short spring: short length, higher compression rate.
There's a big different between short shock & higher compression rate and long short & being compressed all the time.
There's a big different between short shock & higher compression rate and long short & being compressed all the time.
Thanks zam2000 and raymond g; I'm going to go by the shop on Monday and check this out. I don't want to spend money that I don't need to, but then I don't want to Mickey-Mouse something like this either.
It's frustrating that shops will tell you something that may not be accurate; in fact, you would think they would want me to spend more money in their shop and do the lowering correctly.
I'll post what their response is... thanks again!
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John Deere
Hey I pointed it out and Zam gets all the credit!
Seriously Richard, take what your shop says with a large grain of salt. We have actually done this mod, whereas the shop almost never sees mods. They are used to stock replacements. My own master tech had no idea what the difference between Bilstein Sport and HD was. I had to tell him. And I got that info here on these forums.
I'll give another example, my rotors in the front were warped. Clearly warped. But my tech stated that MB rotors never warp, ever. After I had him put on aftermarket rotors, no more brake pulse. Smooth as a baby's bottom upon hard and soft braking. The proof was in the pudding.
Seriously Richard, take what your shop says with a large grain of salt. We have actually done this mod, whereas the shop almost never sees mods. They are used to stock replacements. My own master tech had no idea what the difference between Bilstein Sport and HD was. I had to tell him. And I got that info here on these forums.
I'll give another example, my rotors in the front were warped. Clearly warped. But my tech stated that MB rotors never warp, ever. After I had him put on aftermarket rotors, no more brake pulse. Smooth as a baby's bottom upon hard and soft braking. The proof was in the pudding.
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: North Bay Area, California
2001 E320
Originally Posted by RBrenton88
Hey I pointed it out and Zam gets all the credit!
Seriously Richard, take what your shop says with a large grain of salt. We have actually done this mod, whereas the shop almost never sees mods. They are used to stock replacements.
Seriously Richard, take what your shop says with a large grain of salt. We have actually done this mod, whereas the shop almost never sees mods. They are used to stock replacements.
Hey, you're right! You did bring up the shock issue first, so thank-you. I will go by the shop Monday to discuss the issue but really it's about what the cost will be for a full set of Bilstein Comfort Shocks. Seems like the best thing to do and hopefully the labor isn't too much more by changing everything out at the same time.
Thanks RBrenton88, and everybody who replied...
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I would go to a shop that specializes in aftermarket mods. A regular shop and mechanic wouldn't normally deal in "sport" parts and thus might not have all the info he needs to complete this efficiently. Do some homework. There has to be a shop out there that can do an expert job and because they've done this job before, may not charge you so much. The four hours that they've quoted you seems excessive. My spring swap and drop took about a total 1 1/2 hours, 2 tops...My .02
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From: North Bay Area, California
2001 E320
Originally Posted by Richard / E320
Springs won't be in for at least a week and then the work will need to be scheduled, at least a week out, so hopefully it will be done in two weeks. I'll post the information and pictures when it's completed.
Got an email update from Tire Rack; the H&R springs have finally been shipped. Hopefully I will have them by Tuesday and will try to schedule an appointment for installation for the following Monday.
