pwrofjoe

Hi everyone,

Can you please let me know what is the best way to drop my car. I have a 2004 S430 with AMG sport suspension. I have read a lot about the lowering links at http://www.adjustableairride.com/ and using Star diagnostics at VRP performance tuning (http://vrptuning.com/cart/index.php?...=index&cPath=5). Seems like the links allow for more flexibility and I can change the ride hight as I need. Yet, seems like people are saying the Star diagnostic modification is safer, but doesn't allow for the car to be dropped too low.

Any help is appreciated. Thaks everyone!

my06clk

Links... Anything else is a waste of money.( That'll start a fight for sure..). BTW.. that is Sport packaging iE body parts.. there is no such thing as AMG sport suspension in 2004.

newton22

Star lowering or Renntech ELM if you wanna go lower. Links is not a correct way to lower the Airmatic system.

pwrofjoe

Thanks my06clk, and I noticed that when I purchased the car it had an AMG badge on it. Did someone just put that on or can someone actually purchase an S430 AMG?

I'm swaying away from the star method of lowering the car, only because there is no lowering height guarantee, and if i'm not totally slamming the car then the links shouldn't have a major negative impact, right?

ssonss1

links/thread.


John is a great person to do business with. You won't be disappointed with the links, i've had them for just over a year with 0 problems.

westcoast5

I also have had no problems with links at all.

newton22

Shouldn't. Just understand lowering the car with links IS NOT the same as lowering the car with Star or RT ELM. Links fool with the dampening values and such. The ride with a 2" drop via links as opposed to a 2" drop with RT ELM will be different. And in theory driving around with these incorrect values are putting the struts at risk for failure.

ssonss1

just driving the car stock puts the struts at risk for failure...links are just fine...i havent heard of even ONE problem with them....just give it a rest....

newton22

I'm just throwing the facts out there. Take it or leave it.

pwrofjoe

Thanks for your input ssonss1. If the car is lowered either way, wouldn't this cause problems for the struts either way.

Other question. I have an extended Mercedes warranty. If something went wrong with the Star method, wouldnt the dealership blame the "reprogramming"? If I use link and something goes bad, then I could change it back to the stock links and tell them there is a problem with the car?

westcoast5

someof the guys around here use links _ elm and only turn on the ELm at the show or when they wanna park really low and when using it normaly its just on the links and elm turned off.

newton22

As I said before, lowering via links is NOT the same. Your struts will operate more reliably if the car acknowledges that it is lowered.

If it is the dealer doing to the Star lowering, they shouldn't blame you for it. If they didn't want to deal with the possibility of failing struts, they wouldn't lower for you in the first place.

I'm not biased. I was lowered on links for 2 years until my struts failed.

Vader55

please. 5 years on my S500 and no problems and links on my E55 too.

newton22

Okay.

Guys, understand I am trying to help out. If you want to lower the car with links, no one is gonna stop you. I'm sharing knowledge which I have acquired from members who understand the Airmatic system better than I do.

Ignore my comments for all I care, just stop advertising falsified facts. The fact is, whether you deny it or not, that lowering the car with links isn't the same thing as lowering it via Star or RT ELM.

Also understand I'm not saying lowering the car with links will guarantee failure or anything. I'm sure some have and will have no issues with them.

pwrofjoe

Newton22, I really appreciate your feedback. It's important that we have expertise from both angels to make good decisions about the cars we care about.

Thanks everyone!

E43 S

So are you saying that something like the Rentech Lowering Modular is better, cuz I have an opportunity to acquire one for about 800$ used?[/I]

my06clk

Newton,

While I respect your strong feelings about links, I can assure you that there are no real facts that support either method. The only thing to go by is users with experience, and you will be hard pressed to find some with real fact to support the claim that there car failed solely because they used links instead of some other method.

What I find interesting is the fact that ALL W220's come stock with a adjustable link in the rear and yo never hear any complaints about rear shocks.Hmmm.

Anyway..

Since MOST users of any lowering method own cars between the years of 'Normal" airmatic issues, even if there were some real statistics taken they would be skewed by that fact alone.

Also take into consideration the Logical side of the discussion and the physical side.

Physically there IS a window on ANY airshock that maximizes the shocks ablilty to withstand the weight it's supporting and at the same time maintain the integrity of the shock. I don;t think anyone here can give any exact data as to what that particular window is for these cars..
We do know that since the car is programed to lower itself 3/4 inches after 80mph, that the lower limit must be lower than 3/4 how much who knows?? But for quality and safety sake we must assume that the engineers who built this car didn't program it any where near a danger zone.

Then we look at the logical. This seems simple enough for me as a programmer because this is my area of expertise.. i think I explained this somewhere before but I can;t remember.
Anyhow, logically the basic program for the height of the car has to be based on these things.
1. Physical input from the two front height transducers ( analog )
2. Physical input from the rear height transducer(s) ( analog also )
3. a programmed set of references that are matched to the above inputs that send an output to the Airmatic system based on the difference between these signals.

I hope that makes sense.

So the difference is that with STAR or a MODULE, When the references (3) are changed the car will adjust until the physical inputs (1 and 2) are correct again to the 'new" references

With the links, the Physical input values(1 and 2) are changed by the same amount, and the car will adjust itself till the inputs are correct again to the "original" references.(3)

the rest of the program for squatting, etc.. never changes in whether method because they all correspond to the requests of main function which stays the same no matter what.

So whomever says its not the same, well, fundamentally they are incorrect.

Looking at it in reverse,

If I loaded my car with 500lbs of bricks and weighted it down, transducer settings would be off therefore my car will raise till it is level again. When I
remove the 500lbs of bricks, my values will be off again and the car will lower itself till its level again.

Whether i had links or star or whatever this routine will NOT change..

You can't fool a program, unless you alter some value or another and those alterations MUST lead you back to a certain referenced value..

These cars don't have any conscious idea they are lowered or not. Just like an Elevator has no idea which floor its on, or even cares whether its going up or down at any particular time. It simply relies on signals and inputs to match a pre set of parameters... Thats how everything in our world works..

Links=$ less than $200

Module= Fortune..

results= The same.

Let your conscious be your guide.

I write programs like this with my eyes closed that's how I eat.
Links are how I roll...

pwrofjoe

Where can I purchase links for under $200? adjustibleairride.com sells them for $299.

E43 S

----not knowing anything about the subject at hand....it makes sense

E43 S

I have a question....can u raise and lower the car if u have a module? are there diff height settings you can play with, or once you install, thats it ....thats the height you will ride at?

westcoast5

Sonic ms in Mountain View has a 200 airmatic special, links,installed.

my06clk

Contact john and get a price for just the fronts. U don't need the rear. Ur car comes stock with an adjustable link in the rear.

S500 Man

i have the links from john had em for about 1 yr thank god no problems so far.

pwrofjoe

I contacted him... but it's too bad he is 344 miles away from me. Do you guys know of anyone closer to the Los Angeles area?

pwrofjoe

Are there any threads that have instructions on how to install and/or adjust the links?