Semikolon

Hi

My car is a 2001 avantgarde wagon with height leveling (hydraulic shocks) on the rear end. I have just had both the subframes replaced as well as most of the rubber and rods attached to the rear subframe.

The avantgarde is lowered about 28mm from factory, but I want it lowered a bit more. I was thinking of just changing spring pads on all four wheels.

I don't know what pad number I currently have, but looking at the charts in EPC I should have number 4 pads (17mm) all round, but how much can I lower with pads without making any problems for myself?

I try to avoid all sorts of holes and bumps on the road, at least when turning, but anyways I want to be able to compress the shocks without touching anything with my wheels.

The wheels I am running are OEM 8x17 ET37 with 235/45 tires and OEM 7,5x16 ET41 with 215/55



Actually, I may have number 5 pads in the front, and number one pads and diifferent springs on the rear, depending on how they have calculated the "points" for the car.. aah, pain,.. maybe I'll ask my dealer, but I'm not sure if they could give a proper answer how much I could lower it without making any problems as this ain't what they do every year..

Semikolon

Anyone knows anything? I was thinking of taking it down one or two pads, which should lower it about 1 or 2cm

Will 2pads cause any problems?

MARK CUMMINS

I Have #1 Spring pad in my W210 Estate with H/R springs and AMG 18s Its Really Low!
No rubbing ..

The rear can be fine tuned via the adjustment on the servo rod end
Use a drive on lift to adjust the height of the rear end

Since Your Winters have snow .. Will You use another set of rims/tires for winter only?

Semikolon

I use the 16s for winter and 17s for summer


does that mean I don't have to change anything on the rear end? just change pads on the front?

MARK CUMMINS

Try changing the ride height for the REAR on a drive on lift ..so you can adjust the rear ride height .. That should work for the rear

front ..swap the spring pads

Semikolon

ok, didn't know that was possible thank you

but lowering it, let's say an extra 2 cm, will it cause any problems at all? I will get my wheels aligned after the lowering, but the rear camber is already at -2'17 on on side.. the total was 0'16 or something though...

Semikolon

here's my current angles

Front
Camber Left -0,55 Right -1,09
Caster Left 5,05 Right 5,16
KPI Left 10,47 Right 11,22
and the last one I don't know what's called in english.. is it Toe? Left 0,14 Right 0,02 Total 0,16
Combined angle Left 9,53 Right 10,15
Difference 0,02

Rear
The one I don't know the name of Left 0,12 Right 0,21 Total 0,33
Camber Left -1,26 Right -2,17
Don't know about this one either, but it says -0,04
and difference -0,05

Semikolon

and as a side topic I have another situation.

My dad's car, a 01 E320T CDI avantgarde.
The front end looks like it has been lowered way over an inch compared to mine and the rear of the same car, so the whole car is pointing downwards. We always thought there were wrong pads or springs on it, but come to think about it, can that car be adjusted the same way in the front as in the rear? it has the adaptive damping system (ADS)

When he bought it both front fenders were bent out at about 10 o'clock on the left and 2 on the right, so obviously that one is too low, at least to the driving style of the previous owner, and probably also for the driving style of my father.. he doesn't seem to care much about bumps...

MARK CUMMINS

One can use the repair bolts on the control arms to help with negative camber


rear you will need either kmac bushings or adjustable camber bars..
both work great. the adjustable bars are easy to install and adjust

Semikolon

But all bars, rods and bushings on the rear axle and subframe is new and original, shouldn't the camber be about correct then?

I talked to the guy at my dealer and he said it was good... I should take it in for a new alignment after a while though when the bushings had settled a bit..

4maticfrance

I very interested on this post. I'd like to lower my E430, it's a 4 MATIC so it looks like a 4X4...
I'm French so I checked all Européan companies (Eibach, Koni, Bilstein) unfotunatly it seems to be impossible to lower a 4 MATIC.
At the moment I have number 3 Pads (OEM), this morning I ordered number 1. I think that 8 mm less on the spring should give someting like 13 mm less on the weels ?
let's see...

here is my toy

4maticfrance