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Hi Tony,
Interested to see your SL55 suspension completed, but I can't find what you ended up doing, to get the front SL350 anti-roll/sway bar to fit past the sump.
What spacer thickness did you end up? I would greatly appreciate an update and many thanks in anticipation.
I have everything done on my coil-over conversion with rear anti-roll/sway bar, but I'm still trying to get my front bar installed, also considering purchasing the VVK "Street" front (if they will sell separately?), but held up with this "Pandemic".
Good luck with your sale and stay safe.........Geo.
The Spacer under the Anti roll bar mounts to the chassis are a max 10mm before it interferes with the front subframe , this gives a bit of clearnace but the real key was to extend the Drop links so that at Ride height theres 12mm of under sump clearance , even with this tho at full droop theres zero clearance under the sump so its a case of fit them on the ground !
Over the last couple of years there have been countless threads outlining ABC failure either at a strut level or complete system meltdown. Opinions get thrown around, engineers get flamed and the topic of converting the ABC system to a standard coilover suspension gets mentioned, acclaimed but never fully explored. Everyone always talks about someone who knows someone who has done the conversion but no questions are ever answered.
My car is a '03 SL500. I have been running coilovers for 5000 miles now so I'll answer any questions once and for all and let's see if we can make a sticky out this thread for future reference.
First of all, let's start with the ABC system.
Yes, it will fail. There are no "if's" but rather "when". The design isn't particularly brilliant and the pressure generated by the hydraulic fluid far exceeds what the seals on the struts and the pump are designed to handle. Hence once it fails, if fails massively. Furthermore, replacing all 4 struts, pump, block and lines will not only exceed the cost of a used SL in today's market, but it will inevitably also fail.
Where do you get the conversion kit? StrutMasters SL500 Kits
There are two kits available.
The first is the Coilover system for $1595.
For an extra $200 you get a light fix module. The module is a series of resistors that will block the warning from the ABC sensors to the Comand system. That way rather than a flashing red warning that you cannot disable, you simply get a "Warning: ABC Display Malfunction" message that you can click through. Considering Mercedes charges over $2000 for each hydraulic strut, do yourself the favor and get the light fix module.
Do I need to modify anything?
No. The kit is a direct bolt on. They include the hardware to cap off the ABC lines at the struts. Other than that the coilovers mount at the same points your original suspension does.
Is there a kit available for my 55/600/63/65?
Unfortunately there aren't any kits available out there for the different R230 versions.
Is there a sway bar available?
If anyone has it, I have yet to find it. Would the car ride better with one? Absolutely. Does it ride well enough for me not to care? Absolutely.
How does it ride?
Let's start off the bat and say it: coilovers will never ride as smooth as a hydraulic suspension.
Once the ABC is off, you begin to realize just how heavy the chassis is.
The ride is tight but comfortable. The rebound on the coilovers is noticeable but not unlike an E500. All in all, it makes for a comfortable ride that is predictable under hard driving.
I have driven the car from New York City to Arizona with no trouble whatsoever and have logged on over 5K miles as of today.
Do i have a need to keep the ABC/Power Steering Pump?
The R230 has a tandem pump that operates both the ABC and the Power Steering system. A new pump is $1360 from Genuine Mercedes and even a used specimen will fetch upwards of $700 at a junkyard.
Luckily for you, once the conversion is completed there is no need for a tandem pump anymore.
I sourced a power steering pump from a 2001 S500 without ABC (any year W220 without ABC should do it).
Two out of the three mounting bolts line up perfectly and the stock lines from your R230 can be rerouted with minimal work.
Extra bonus: You get to use regular power steering fluid from Autozone or Walmart rather than having to track down CHF 11S at $30 a liter.
So there it is.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask away and I will do my best to answer.
If the high pressure power steering hose is broken do I just replace it with the same hose (230-460-29-24). Or is there a different hose at this point. I have been running coilovers for the last 3 years on the original lines.
The pump for the ML55. It’s the same pump that goes in the S-class as well plus the triangle shaped bracket that’s specific to the ML55. You need the bracket to securely mount the pump by all bolts. I believe 2 bolts. I found this pump plus bracket used online for my CL55 coilover conversion. Used for about $75. Buy new or used. Up to you.
so the ml55
pump will fit but need the mounting bracket, the original pump
is secured by 3 bolts but the new ml55 will only be 2 bolts is that right?
If the high pressure power steering hose is broken do I just replace it with the same hose (230-460-29-24). Or is there a different hose at this point. I have been running coilovers for the last 3 years on the original lines.
My 2004 SL55 has the dreaded RED dash with ABC Visit Workshop and after reading this entire thread over several years it sounds like the practical thing to do is just get a coil over kit (strutmasters or VVK or other) and call it a day. This is a weekend car for me that will not be tracked or driven hard so I'm not super concerned with any degradation in how the suspension feels from the stock ABC on the SL55.
My question is - looks like the strutmasters kit is around $3k https://rebuildmastertech.com/merced...onversion-kit/ and am I correct in understanding that the installation cost for an indy mechanic is about 15020 hours of labor which would add another 2-3k in cost so total is about $6k ??
Thanks in advance for any feedback on cost of the coil over kit and install costs as I love my SL55 but cannot deal with the consistent ABC issues for just a casual weekend cruiser car. thanks john
My 2004 SL55 has the dreaded RED dash with ABC Visit Workshop and after reading this entire thread over several years it sounds like the practical thing to do is just get a coil over kit (strutmasters or VVK or other) and call it a day. This is a weekend car for me that will not be tracked or driven hard so I'm not super concerned with any degradation in how the suspension feels from the stock ABC on the SL55.
My question is - looks like the strutmasters kit is around $3k https://rebuildmastertech.com/merced...onversion-kit/ and am I correct in understanding that the installation cost for an indy mechanic is about 15020 hours of labor which would add another 2-3k in cost so total is about $6k ??
Thanks in advance for any feedback on cost of the coil over kit and install costs as I love my SL55 but cannot deal with the consistent ABC issues for just a casual weekend cruiser car. thanks john
My independant mechanic did it for about $1,300 and that included an alignment. I also got strutmasters, and they were very good to work with. My front end was way too high initially but they shipped replacements and it all worked out.
I highly advise against Strutmaster for Mercedes-Benz. Almost ALWAYS uneven upon installation. Very limited in adjustability. Every Strutmaster installation I’ve done has been extremely uneven in front or rear. Requiring customization or inserting knuckles. I highly recommend Neomax.
Last edited by amdeutsch; Aug 9, 2023 at 05:40 PM.
I've had Strutmaster coil overs on my 2005 SL500 for over two years. The kit is still $1,750 and mine shipped free. Labor was $1,200 so I spent $2,950. Sold my cores for $800 (rebuildmastertech.com) So I was all in under $2,200. Loving my SL again and not missing the ABC!
I have Strutmasters on my 2004 sl500 they are fine however there is no adjustments. these caught my eye on the above post. cheaper and lots of adjustments and ordering options https://www.goldelementautoworks.com...s-r230-03-11-1
Okay, I'm about to pull the trigger on a coilover system (replacing ABC on 2004 SL55 AMG). I'd like first person experience with coil over kits currently available and also swaybar vs no sway bar and if I get a kit without sway bars...if I can add them at a later date.
Yes you can add sway bars later. If you set your car up for a stiff, sports car suspension, the sway bars seem to make little difference - the car corners flat with or without them. But it's definitely something useful if you go for a softer setup/suspension. Also Mercedes R230 models originally sold with coil overs used sway bars, so you may want to prefer that design as already proven and factory tested.
Last edited by George993; Dec 21, 2021 at 05:52 PM.
Yes….you can always add swaybars later, if you feel the need to. I have Silvers Neomax Coilovers installed on my 2003 SL500. I’ve driven it over a year this way with no issues. I removed all ABC components including pump. Replaced with standard power steering pump. Works flawlessly. Keep all old ABC parts and resell. You can almost break even over time, besides labor. No swaybars on mine. No regrets. You will need to dial it in form to compensate. I love the way it handles. Feels more organic and predictable. Again….no regrets. No more worries.
I highly advise against Strutmaster for Mercedes-Benz. Almost ALWAYS uneven upon installation. Very limited in adjustability. Every Strutmaster installation I’ve done has been extremely uneven in front or rear. Requiring customization or inserting knuckles. I highly recommend Neomax.
I added the Front Sway Bar with the Strutmasters It makes a difference as I guess they are softest on the scale of coilovers. Is it dramatic? NO but I like the difference the sway bar makes. I bought my sway bar from
I added the Front Sway Bar with the Strutmasters It makes a difference as I guess they are softest on the scale of coilovers. Is it dramatic? NO but I like the difference the sway bar makes. I bought my sway bar from
I have a Strutmasters coilovers set (4 struts) for sale. I bought them on Dec 13, 2019 and had them installed on 02/10/2020. I just replaced them with VVK struts. There is nothing wrong with the struts, I just wanted the adjustments. The Strutmasters coilovers have exactly 2653 miles, practically new. I want 1/2 price of the Strutmasters current price, shipping on the buyer.
Yes….you can always add swaybars later, if you feel the need to. I have Silvers Neomax Coilovers installed on my 2003 SL500. I’ve driven it over a year this way with no issues. I removed all ABC components including pump. Replaced with standard power steering pump. Works flawlessly. Keep all old ABC parts and resell. You can almost break even over time, besides labor. No swaybars on mine. No regrets. You will need to dial it in form to compensate. I love the way it handles. Feels more organic and predictable. Again….no regrets. No more worries.
I believe that my wife would notice if I used too firm of a spring/shock setting to compensate for no sway bar...so I am considering adjusting Neomax a little softer and VVK or RMT sway bars.
My research says VVK are beefier with excellent fitment (but more expensive) and I am slightly concerned about the RMT being designed for the SL350 which is 450 pounds lighter than the SL55 (mainly in the front).
Do you have a part # for the standard steering pump.
This forum is full of great info and support.
I believe that my wife would notice if I used too firm of a spring/shock setting to compensate for no sway bar...so I am considering adjusting Neomax a little softer and VVK or RMT sway bars.
My research says VVK are beefier with excellent fitment (but more expensive) and I am slightly concerned about the RMT being designed for the SL350 which is 450 pounds lighter than the SL55 (mainly in the front).
.
I believe it is known here that VVK does not make Sway bars. However it is very easy to determine the diameter of the bar. Maybe I am wrong but the RMT bar is thicker than the MB 350 part.
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