valiantclan

I have an 01 E430 sport I'd like to pretty up. It has an aftermarket grill w/no star (can't find). And I heard you could loose the governer (130 on the track sucks, w/ z class tires). The rear wing is needing replaced (no clue). And I have no clue what else is even avail for the thing. The other is An E320 wgn, cause I have kids. Not sure if thats even a thought. I should have never traded my 926 for a truck. Live and learn. Help would be loved.

cragigotgame

Just because they make a bunch of crap for our cars doesnt mean it will make your car look better. Remember less is more. But usually for starters it is rims/lowering/tint.

valiantclan

I'm afraid of tint; the head rests are limiting access. And the Bose sound would cost to replace. I had my E320 wgn done w/limo and it looks crappy (the job they did). I'm unsure . . .

E420White

I agree with the previous poster. Do lots of research on wheels, tires and lowering the ride- this gives you the most improvement in my opinion. The stock three inch front wheel gap I had looks funny to me now that I am lowered down:

Photos:
(i) non-lowered wheelgap w/stock 16 inch E420 wheel,
(ii) non-lowered wheelgap w/17 inch E430 sport wheel, and
(iii) lowered w/18 inch staggered monoblock II wheels from a 2000 E55...

valiantclan

The E430S has Kumho 235/45R17 94W on it right now. There's bearly 2" from top of tire to fender. Will that still lower and not rub anyplace? I don't want to risk damage.

cragigotgame

My back tires are tucked just a little bit and I can just barely get a pinkie in between my front tires and the fender and I have never rubbed. Course I'm still running my stock rims too.

E420White

Here's my opinion on lowering and adding larger wheels:

When I asked for advice on lowering on several boards, nearly everyone tried to convince me that lowering my car and putting 18 inch monoblock II wheels from a 2000 E55 would cause rubbing. Others said that the ride would be too harsh- neither has happened to me.

It's been nearly 3 weeks of daily driving, and I've yet to experience any rubbing. I lowered my car about 2 inches in the front and rears, and I'm running 245/40/18 in the front, 275/35/18 in the rears. The drive is only a little harsher, and is barely noticeable compared to 17's.

When these cars do rubb, it's often the front right side. The reason why my car hasn't rubbed is that I am running stock E55 wheels which are 8 inches wide with 31mm offset. The Sumitomo tires are also narrower than most, which you can verify on tirerack. Many of the aftermarket benz wheels are running 8.5 inches.

As I said, do your own research to find the best solution for your setup...

ohlord

dropped your car two inches,the ride is more than a little harsh compared to 16's and if you have not installed camber bolts and rear link kits and had it aligned at 2 inch drop you are at least -2.5 degrees off ideal -.5 camber in the rear and those tires won't last a year.But since they are about the cheapest brand tire you can purchase you probably are not worried about long life and high speed track use anyway,so it does not matter.

to the op you are up almost a mile high at miller and down almost 10% on power you are going to run out of track on the 3500 ft straight away at 3800 lbs even if you remove the Electronically limited top speed control so wish all you want even with Z rated tires.

E55 would have come in handy on track day

E420White

Valiant,

Yes, there are quite a few considerations when lowering your car: camber arms for the rear, camber bolts for the front if needed, full alignment, new lugbolts, more expensive tires, etc.

In summary, don't go this route unless you are patient and ready to open your wallet a little bit. The cost and work involved are worth it, as I really like the driving experience now. Lastly, find someone who has a similiar car with the lowered seutp and drive their car, see how you like it. I drove another E420 with similiar amg like wheels running 18's. I noticed that it had the same power as mine, it just felt better because it was lower....

later,

h0rn3t920

yea i have a 97 e420 i Put new projector headlights in got 15% tints new LED tail lights and hids and **** im going to lower it soon but eveyone thinks my car is 2 years old cause its in excellent condition and all the **** i did to it makes it look more like the modern newer e classes.

ejsheltra

Wheels and tires would improve the look the most over stock, IMHO. A good set of shocks would improve the control of your ride the most. Stay clear of replica wheels on Ebay. The casting process used in China is not as good as a German or US made set of wheels. Projector lights do look newer and there are several threads here on the subject. Seek out R Brenton on his experience and advice. Welcome and good luck with your Benzs.

valiantclan

How does one loose the 'Electronically limited top speed control' ?

valiantclan

How does one loose (remove) the 'Electronically limited top speed control', the governor.