Risks of being Lowered
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Joined: Nov 2012
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From: CORONA CA (SOCAL)
SOLD W203..CURRENTLY DRIVING W211
Risks of being Lowered
Hey guys I recently got my w211 lowered via star, im not feeling the drop I have a 2 finger gap all around would like to go lower.
I know the usual tire wear that comes with being lowered witch I dont mind but are their any other issues I should be worried like (suspension components being stressed if I stay low and dont get an alignment ) .
I know the usual tire wear that comes with being lowered witch I dont mind but are their any other issues I should be worried like (suspension components being stressed if I stay low and dont get an alignment ) .
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2004.7 C180 Kompressor, BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro LT, Mercedes S, Cesna 152.
Check with your Local State Laws as to the legalities of your "adjusted" Vehicle height. I would suggest they have lowered it to comply, any further lowering may compromise your insurance in the event of a claim / accident. Also if you have a front tire blowout, the cars suspension / sump area may impact the road surface, causing you to loose control & damage your vehicle / others and the road surface.
Last edited by mercedes4ever; Feb 1, 2014 at 01:31 AM. Reason: Grammatik
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From: Blaine, WA
07 E320 Bluetec
Hey guys I recently got my w211 lowered via star, im not feeling the drop I have a 2 finger gap all around would like to go lower.
I know the usual tire wear that comes with being lowered witch I dont mind but are their any other issues I should be worried like (suspension components being stressed if I stay low and dont get an alignment ) .
I know the usual tire wear that comes with being lowered witch I dont mind but are their any other issues I should be worried like (suspension components being stressed if I stay low and dont get an alignment ) .
Last edited by pinebaron; Feb 1, 2014 at 01:13 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2011
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From: Arizona
W211
i think it depends if you are trying to just lower it or are you trying to LOWER it...
its all the same for any car, premature wearing on all suspension components i.e. bushings, ball joints, wheel bearings, etc.
i have seen very few lowered E's in all honesty... people put springs or get rid of the their wheel gap on stock tires and all the sudden they are "slammed"
if you don't care about the sunken look then it's easy, just keep an eye on ball joints because the lower you go the more stress you put on them. you def don't want to lose a ball joint while driving. i believe lowering it with star you will use your stock air ride? stock struts are not made to be that compressed when the car is low so they will go, ride quality will obviously change because you will have less air in the bags.
moral of the story there is a right way and wrong way to do it
just speaking from experience from a long line of "lowered" cars, all of them static
its all the same for any car, premature wearing on all suspension components i.e. bushings, ball joints, wheel bearings, etc.
i have seen very few lowered E's in all honesty... people put springs or get rid of the their wheel gap on stock tires and all the sudden they are "slammed"
if you don't care about the sunken look then it's easy, just keep an eye on ball joints because the lower you go the more stress you put on them. you def don't want to lose a ball joint while driving. i believe lowering it with star you will use your stock air ride? stock struts are not made to be that compressed when the car is low so they will go, ride quality will obviously change because you will have less air in the bags.
moral of the story there is a right way and wrong way to do it
just speaking from experience from a long line of "lowered" cars, all of them static
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Thread Starter
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From: CORONA CA (SOCAL)
SOLD W203..CURRENTLY DRIVING W211
Thanks for replys guys
Crafty- I do hear sum squeaky sound from driver ball joint which i replaced less than 500 miles ago...loosing a ball joint while driving scares me ( but how likely is that to happen )
Crafty- I do hear sum squeaky sound from driver ball joint which i replaced less than 500 miles ago...loosing a ball joint while driving scares me ( but how likely is that to happen )
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From: Arizona
W211
do you have pictures? everyone has different opinions of what low is... if you just replaced them you will be fine. like i said though the lower you go the more you change the geometry of the suspension and how the components were engineered. when you drop a car you start tweaking parts and they're forced function under angles and loads they weren't meant for.
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From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
You can do it via STAR diagnostics for the AirMatic, just find a shop to change it through the computer and set the new ride height. I like the lowered look just a tad above the tire so there's no gap but it isn't slammed. You're in California so you're lucky that you're in a state with a bunch of Mercedes shops that will do it for you, tried almost every shop in Colorado that has a STAR computer and with no luck. The other thing you can do is install lowering links to trick the sensor into thinking the car is higher than it really is, that's probably the best way. But again, no shop here would install them for me. Wish I had found MBClinic sooner.
My dad is from Carmel by the way, what a beautiful town.
My dad is from Carmel by the way, what a beautiful town.
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From: Bay Area
14 550 sedan
Washer method + star lowering is how I lowered about 1.5 inches. I would go lower but my city has too many hills and potholes. I think star lowering by itself will only get you about .7-1 inch if I remember correctly.
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From: Miami
2003 E320 W211
I agree I think lowering it 1.5 is enough.
Are you using the factory rims or did you go with a bigger rim?
My E class comes with 16" factory rims I recently installed 19". Looks nice but def need to lower the vehicle. I'm going to install eibach springs this week, specs say it with the lower the front and rear 1.5". Mine is a 2003 E-class and it doesn't have air ride suspension. So for about $500 I can lower the car.
I know the air ride suspension is nice but it's more things that will break and cost more money. So I'm fine with with that headache.
Here are a few pics. With factory rims and new ones. I'll post new pics in a few days after I lower it.
Are you using the factory rims or did you go with a bigger rim?
My E class comes with 16" factory rims I recently installed 19". Looks nice but def need to lower the vehicle. I'm going to install eibach springs this week, specs say it with the lower the front and rear 1.5". Mine is a 2003 E-class and it doesn't have air ride suspension. So for about $500 I can lower the car.
I know the air ride suspension is nice but it's more things that will break and cost more money. So I'm fine with with that headache.
Here are a few pics. With factory rims and new ones. I'll post new pics in a few days after I lower it.
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From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
Good idea installing springs instead of cutting them like ricers do hahaha, the air ride suspension is nice but you're absolutely right about it being a weak point on these cars. You're probably better off without it. Btw I really like your 19s 
lower that beauty, and I think that setup would look great wrapped matte white.
lower that beauty, and I think that setup would look great wrapped matte white.
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From: Miami
2003 E320 W211
AMGAffalterbach Thanks, negative. No spring cutting here, lol. I don't really like the raped look, if I ever would I'd prob go with matte grey,
Lemonsqueezy that's a bad *** car. I'll be happy with mine after I install the springs.
Lemonsqueezy that's a bad *** car. I'll be happy with mine after I install the springs.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: CORONA CA (SOCAL)
SOLD W203..CURRENTLY DRIVING W211
Lemonsqueezy - thats the type of lowered I want ill take pics tmorrow and post pics of mine I dont want it slammed just a lil above tire
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From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
Going back to your original question, if you lower it but don't go crazy, sure you'll get a little more tire wear from increased negative camber as is natural with the suspension geometry but I don't think it will make that much of a difference in the long run for the rest of your components if they are in good working order and they're maintained. I feel that to a large extent your concerns mostly affect people that are creating badass show cars like 09W211 and Crafty that are static slammed. Getting an alignment after being lowered will probably help minimize problems.
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From: Arizona
W211
good alignment is the most important thing after lowering a car
and yes i agree, at the height you are talking about you don't have to worry about anything, it's pretty much stock height at the end of the day
and yes i agree, at the height you are talking about you don't have to worry about anything, it's pretty much stock height at the end of the day
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From: Miami
2003 E320 W211
