Jun 16, 2015, 01:38 PM
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W212 Lowering Springs DIY Guide with Photos
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 3
Likes: 2
From: So Cal
1990 300CE
To me the SnakeDoc has a perfect drop and stance.
Last edited by Cruising; Feb 15, 2013 at 12:07 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,974
Likes: 5
From: Southern California
2017 W205 C43 AMG
Excellent, quality write-up. Thanks for putting in the effort to post this!
Great drop, very classy, very fitting for a Mercedes. H&R does a great job in balancing lowering the car versus slamming the car.
Great drop, very classy, very fitting for a Mercedes. H&R does a great job in balancing lowering the car versus slamming the car.
Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
From: Fort Lauderdale
2011 E350 / 2009 911 Track Car
Great post. Im sure many would appreciate this very much for a DYI spring installation =) Your an asset the the community
FYI - I have a lightly used set of KW Coil overs for the W212 platform for sale. Shoot me a pm if your interested.
FYI - I have a lightly used set of KW Coil overs for the W212 platform for sale. Shoot me a pm if your interested.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
2011 E350
Let's see if these show...dirty car, I know. Weather has been crappy around here. Kind of nice lately though. I tried to take multiple angles because of lighting.
I could back it out and take some more pics to get a better feel for the stance of the car, but I'm lazy as it's my day off. Haha.
So you'll just have to take my word for it that it's a great stance for the car. Not slammed, not too aggressive. It's really, really nice.
I could back it out and take some more pics to get a better feel for the stance of the car, but I'm lazy as it's my day off. Haha.
So you'll just have to take my word for it that it's a great stance for the car. Not slammed, not too aggressive. It's really, really nice.
Thanks for taking the time to take the photos and posting them. I saw them on my phone last week and was going to reply once I got back to my computer but somehow, haven't logged on to mbworld since then.
The height looked great on your car and is very helpful to know what the height will become after some settling.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
2011 E350
Thanks, SoCalCLK, JBellz, and blg615! I felt it was appropriate to have a write-up for the w212 since I'm sure someone down the road will want to DIY it themself.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
2011 E350
BEFORE & AFTER
In person, you can see a small difference in height. It's not an aggressive drop... though, I think it needs a little bit of road time to settle in and I should see another 1/2" or so.
The following photos are before and after where the 'after' photo was taken the morning after the installation. I'll give it a few weeks and post updated 'after' photos. From the photos, it doesn't really look like I lowered the car. What do you guys think?
Stock springs (top) / H&R springs (bottom)
In person, you can see a small difference in height. It's not an aggressive drop... though, I think it needs a little bit of road time to settle in and I should see another 1/2" or so.
The following photos are before and after where the 'after' photo was taken the morning after the installation. I'll give it a few weeks and post updated 'after' photos. From the photos, it doesn't really look like I lowered the car. What do you guys think?
Stock springs (top) / H&R springs (bottom)
Here's a follow-up photo after close to 2 weeks after the installation, albeit now with 20" wheels instead. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a follow-up photo with the same wheels as in the above. Oh well, you can see that it's starting to settle nicely.
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Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
2013 E350
Car's looking clean & nice choice on the wheels!
Coming from the VAG scene, i've been waiting for more posts like this on the forum. Thanks! Let me ask, did you have the sport spackage or not before installing the springs? I think i've read the drop is more significant if you don't already have sport package.
Coming from the VAG scene, i've been waiting for more posts like this on the forum. Thanks! Let me ask, did you have the sport spackage or not before installing the springs? I think i've read the drop is more significant if you don't already have sport package.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
2011 E350
Car's looking clean & nice choice on the wheels!
Coming from the VAG scene, i've been waiting for more posts like this on the forum. Thanks! Let me ask, did you have the sport spackage or not before installing the springs? I think i've read the drop is more significant if you don't already have sport package.
Coming from the VAG scene, i've been waiting for more posts like this on the forum. Thanks! Let me ask, did you have the sport spackage or not before installing the springs? I think i've read the drop is more significant if you don't already have sport package.
eNNCity, yes, mine was sport package so the amount it lowered seemed relatively limited the day after I lowered it. Though I must say, it's gradually starting to settle and I expect it to settle a bit more in the coming months. I would think it would definitely drop a non-sports package more since those are higher to begin with.
Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
2013 E350
Are you still using the stock shocks? I'm hesitating to purchase just the springs because I've always gone with a full coil-over setup. Wouldn't the shocks blow after nearly a year of use on aftermarket springs? This is pretty typical... ?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
2011 E350
Yes, stock shocks and struts. It will probably put some accelerated wear and tear on them. Coil-overs would probably be more ideal. If you're concerned about longevity, I would look for old postings of people who lowered their cars in 2010 and PM them to see how their shocks are holding up now after 3 years.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
S500 2000 , Corvette C6 2005, CLS 500 2006, BMW 328i Sport, E-Sport 2007, SL 500 AMG 2003
Compliments on your tool selection.
Complimenting your tool selection. Great tools set. Specially the craftsman socket set.
Thanks for the write up.
Thanks for the write up.
MBWorld has a good wealth of information for a newbie MB owner like myself but I couldn't find any DIY info for installing lowering springs for my w212 E350. So here's my attempt to give back to the community!
I recently purchased some H&R sport lowering springs and took the time to take photos and take notes along the way so that I can share my experience with others.
DISCLAIMER: This guide is for informational purposes only. It is only meant to educate you on the steps I went through to install H&R springs in my car. I am not a mechanic and I am not responsible for how you use this information. You understand that there are risks involved when modifying your suspension. This includes the risk of injury and/or death to yourself and to others during and after installation. Additional risks can include property damage to your vehicle, other personal property, and the property of others. Furthermore, you may be voiding your Mercedes-Benz warranty. It is strongly advised you have a professional mechanic perform any suspension work to your vehicle. If you are still foolish enough to attempt to do your own installation, please make safety (for you and for others around you) your #1 priority and remember, you are doing this at YOUR OWN RISK.
I'm going to break this guide down into three sections. Section 1 will contain the tools I used. Section 2 will cover the installation of the rear springs. And then Section 3 will cover the installation of the front springs.
SECTION 1 - Tools Used
These are the tools I used during installation.
1. Air compressor
2. Pneumatic impact wrench
3. Jack & Jackstands
4. 1/2" & 3/8" socket wrenches, metric sockets, and extensions (sockets used: 13mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 21mm)
5. Universal sockets for star bolts (sockets used: 10mm, 11mm, 14mm)
6. Torx bits (sizes used: T-55, T50, T-40)
7. Needle-nose pliers, wire-cutter, 18mm crescent wrench, flat-head screwdrivers
8. Spring compressor
9. Small sledge hammer
I recently purchased some H&R sport lowering springs and took the time to take photos and take notes along the way so that I can share my experience with others.
DISCLAIMER: This guide is for informational purposes only. It is only meant to educate you on the steps I went through to install H&R springs in my car. I am not a mechanic and I am not responsible for how you use this information. You understand that there are risks involved when modifying your suspension. This includes the risk of injury and/or death to yourself and to others during and after installation. Additional risks can include property damage to your vehicle, other personal property, and the property of others. Furthermore, you may be voiding your Mercedes-Benz warranty. It is strongly advised you have a professional mechanic perform any suspension work to your vehicle. If you are still foolish enough to attempt to do your own installation, please make safety (for you and for others around you) your #1 priority and remember, you are doing this at YOUR OWN RISK.
I'm going to break this guide down into three sections. Section 1 will contain the tools I used. Section 2 will cover the installation of the rear springs. And then Section 3 will cover the installation of the front springs.
SECTION 1 - Tools Used
These are the tools I used during installation.
1. Air compressor
2. Pneumatic impact wrench
3. Jack & Jackstands
4. 1/2" & 3/8" socket wrenches, metric sockets, and extensions (sockets used: 13mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 21mm)
5. Universal sockets for star bolts (sockets used: 10mm, 11mm, 14mm)
6. Torx bits (sizes used: T-55, T50, T-40)
7. Needle-nose pliers, wire-cutter, 18mm crescent wrench, flat-head screwdrivers
8. Spring compressor
9. Small sledge hammer
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
S500 2000 , Corvette C6 2005, CLS 500 2006, BMW 328i Sport, E-Sport 2007, SL 500 AMG 2003
IMO the difference is significant. You had huge wheel wells there. Also, if you raise a car off the ground and lower it again, it will look signicantly higher. Drive a few miles and will then settle to its natural position. Again, IMO. Great write up. MY .02: I'd edit the instructions to menion when people should jack the arms to relieve pressure from the spring. Other then that, absolutely perfect. Thanks for the hard work.
