MothXz

What is it about mercedes that allows you to put 20" rims and not deteriorate the ride quality that much as compared to regular cars such as all hondas, toyotas, etc that with 18" rims you would feel everything on he road. It's just horrible. I noticed that on the E-class it has an option for "airmatic dual contol suspension." Is this the reason for the ride quality? If so, would lowering the E- class with eibach, H & R springs, etc and putting 19" or 20" rims on it defeat the purpose of this "airmatic dual control suspesion?" Do you need ESP or is it standard on all mercedes? I just can't image someone spending 100K on a CL and complain about the ride quality with 20" Lowenhart LD-1's or even 60k on a E-500. What does mercedes have that other cars don't? Thanks in advance!!!

Benzoid

Oversize wheels will always degrade your ride quality (and perhaps enhance roadholding ability given proper suspension tuning) no matter what kind of car you are talking about. If a car has superior ride quality the degradation is simply less noticable.

Additionally, MB cars are known for road isolation, although that depends on the year and model. If you were to put oversize wheels and tires on a C240 for example, you are going to notice more noise and harshness than you would on for example a new E and less noise and harshness than you would on for example a Lexus LS430.

The airmatic suspension is a way of dynamically tuning suspension while the car is being driven. This results in superior ride quality and noise isolation during normal driving, while being able to tighten up the suspension for performance driving. This is much like having two cars in one (or perhaps having your cake and eating it too).

MothXz

But if you want to lower the car with springs and put some wheels on it will this effect the airmatic dual control suspension? Will it work the same, worse, or not at all?

Benzoid

I dont think you are supposed to mess with the airmatic. At least I wouldn't. It is already engineered to be optimal.

If you can afford one of these cars it would be best to take it to a professional tuner who can enhance it appropriately, like Brabus or Lorinser or tuners with experience on these kinds of vehicles.

Try a web search for Brabus or Lorinser and you will get an idea of what these guys are doing.

(Its not quite the same thing as taking a torch to your Civic springs in the driveway and slapping on some Tunerz goodies and plastic wings.)

jl88

Lowering airmatic cars is easy. Takes 30 minutes for the front and even less for the rear. There are no springs/shocks to adjust or replace in an airmatic car. Another plus is when you lower an airmatic car, it does not affect the ride quality. The Airmatic still functions the same.

Click here to see my post about lowering airmatic cars


reducing tire wall height will always decrease the smoothness of the ride, however, others appreciate the road feel that comes with a stiffer ride. Especially if you're used to driving sports cars, you will want more road feel.

Juke-box

jl88, do you have pics of your WHOLE car?

i remember seeing them with brabus like rims..it looked awesome. you got anymore to share? or at least repost them ,i lost them..hehe

vraa

since we are on quality issues.. my dad has the sl500 and ONLY rides in ABC mode turned on.. he loves the sports car feel now.. whenever i want to go in the lex (i love the lex cuz it has Nakamichi.. best sound ever!) he complains thats its not as sporty.. sooo

if we get the s600 and get some 19's and lower it a bit will it give my dad the sporty feel?

MothXz

How many inches does the airmatic suspension lower the car if left stock? I ask this because the airmatic suspension has three settings. One for comfort and two for sport. So with that in mind, wouldn't it just be wise to go with the suspension and leave it on the lowest setting instead of changing the springs and shocks?

jl88

MothXz, the height can be adjusted. You can choose a modest or a drastic lowering.

Remember, the airmatic does not have any springs or shocks. You can lower the height of the car and it will not change the comfort level of the ride.

Benzoid

Well there's how much I know about it.. Sorry for the misdirection. Good thing somebody else reads these things.

At some point you would need to worry about tire clearance as the lowered car with the same travel as you claim is going to push the tires and wheels deeper into the car.

Assuming you work that out it sounds like airmatic might be the best possible way of getting your car lowered and still having keeping a decent ride.