SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: DIY Steps + Photos! SL55 LOWERING LINKS!
09-23-2012, 03:49 AM
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DIY Steps + Photos! SL55 LOWERING LINKS!
How to make your own lowering links you may ask?
After hours and hours of reseach online i couldnt find much info on making your own lowering links.
So I figured it out my self and took plenty of photos
and will share my info on the way I lowered my SL55!
This may work with sl500 or other sl cars with lowering links.
Enjoy!
Tools and parts needed. (I WENT TO ACE HARDWEAR)
8 Threaded locking nuts. http://i48.tinypic.com/oub3pv.jpg
8 Ball joint assemblys. http://i48.tinypic.com/2rnbyn8.jpg
8 Threaded nuts.
1 threaded rod. (14 inches) http://i49.tinypic.com/21c6p8i.jpg
1 Metal Saw (for cutting the rod)
1 Drill (with a few bits for metal)
4 Wrenches. (1o mm, 8mm, 3/8, 7/16)
Right rear wheel nuts need to be broken loose, then Jack up car using your Mercedes jack. (Rear right jackhole)
Now Take off right rear wheel, now you should see behind the rotor on the lower control arm the top of the link! http://i46.tinypic.com/14siavt.jpg
Go ahead and grab that 10mm and the 8mm and get the top of the link off.
Now with the top disconnected wiggle the link and pull untill the bottom pops off!
Now go over to the front right wheel and you should see the front right link right behind the tire.
With out taking off wheel you can get to the link.
Take off the link just like you took of the rear link.
Now with both links off on the right side of car, time to build your adjustable links. This is the most important and tricky part of this all.
http://i49.tinypic.com/34tea1c.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/1hebgp.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/29ynp6o.jpg
REMEMBER THIS!
THE SHORTER IN BACK THE LOWER
THE LONGER IN FRONT THE LOWER.
As youll notice the OEM front link is shorter then the rear.
So its like if you just switched em it would be lower right?
Thats correct but it will be way to low. So with that being said,
Your links should be smaller then the back links and taller then the front oem links. (In the middle is the size I make mine)
And thats with both ball sockets tightened. That should perfect for a good stanced adjustment.
After links are put together lets start with the rear.
Crawl under the rear right control arm and take off the plastic cover.
2 push clips and it snaps off. should look like this.
http://i49.tinypic.com/359gs9x.jpg
Where the cover was inside the lower control arm youll see a ball with a nut. It will look like this.
http://i46.tinypic.com/5vtbbm.jpg
Take off the ball with a 10mm and 8mm wrench.
After its removed you can see if your link will fit in the hole.
http://i45.tinypic.com/ws1vmf.jpg
If not youll need to make it a little bigger with the drill like this.
http://i47.tinypic.com/mtastd.jpg
I found it easier to connect the top of the link on first then bottom.
after installed and tightened up it should look like this.
http://i50.tinypic.com/qnsg9v.jpg
With back link done and tight put on the wheel but not fulling tight as you may need to take it off to adjust it. (most likely)
Go to the front wheel now, The ball is on a small bracket on top where top link was connected. Its held on by a nut and is a 10mm and needs to be removed! looks like this. http://i48.tinypic.com/174j7m.jpg
after removing the bracket with the ball connected youll need to drill it out from the back. so that you can fit your link into it.
once you do, it will look like this.
http://i45.tinypic.com/2jfc27k.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/i6baqq.jpg
After everything is all tight put the lowering link with bracket on car!
Tighten everything again and take jack and stands out.
Moment of truth.
Start car and go check out the stance!
remember that i told you about rear shorter the lower
front taller is lower.
http://i49.tinypic.com/2re2r82.jpg
Adjust them how you like and do the left side!
Just repeat the steps.
If youre smart you already have left links already made from building the right side
This is how I lowered my SL55 and I hope this is useful for someone thinking of building lowering links.
This costed me under 70$ And was fun to do!
My lowest ABC setting is pretty low, Mainly when im parked
2nd setting is low and driveable and 3rd is used to get in drive way or over speed bumps!
Drives perfect, Better from what i think!!
Good luck and REMEMBER to think of safety!!
This is my car before i attemped the lowering links on its lowest ABC setting. http://i45.tinypic.com/qqofnn.jpg
-Corey P.
2004 SL55
After hours and hours of reseach online i couldnt find much info on making your own lowering links.
So I figured it out my self and took plenty of photos
and will share my info on the way I lowered my SL55!
This may work with sl500 or other sl cars with lowering links.
Enjoy!
Tools and parts needed. (I WENT TO ACE HARDWEAR)
8 Threaded locking nuts. http://i48.tinypic.com/oub3pv.jpg
8 Ball joint assemblys. http://i48.tinypic.com/2rnbyn8.jpg
8 Threaded nuts.
1 threaded rod. (14 inches) http://i49.tinypic.com/21c6p8i.jpg
1 Metal Saw (for cutting the rod)
1 Drill (with a few bits for metal)
4 Wrenches. (1o mm, 8mm, 3/8, 7/16)
Right rear wheel nuts need to be broken loose, then Jack up car using your Mercedes jack. (Rear right jackhole)
Now Take off right rear wheel, now you should see behind the rotor on the lower control arm the top of the link! http://i46.tinypic.com/14siavt.jpg
Go ahead and grab that 10mm and the 8mm and get the top of the link off.
Now with the top disconnected wiggle the link and pull untill the bottom pops off!
Now go over to the front right wheel and you should see the front right link right behind the tire.
With out taking off wheel you can get to the link.
Take off the link just like you took of the rear link.
Now with both links off on the right side of car, time to build your adjustable links. This is the most important and tricky part of this all.
http://i49.tinypic.com/34tea1c.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/1hebgp.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/29ynp6o.jpg
REMEMBER THIS!
THE SHORTER IN BACK THE LOWER
THE LONGER IN FRONT THE LOWER.
As youll notice the OEM front link is shorter then the rear.
So its like if you just switched em it would be lower right?
Thats correct but it will be way to low. So with that being said,
Your links should be smaller then the back links and taller then the front oem links. (In the middle is the size I make mine)
And thats with both ball sockets tightened. That should perfect for a good stanced adjustment.
After links are put together lets start with the rear.
Crawl under the rear right control arm and take off the plastic cover.
2 push clips and it snaps off. should look like this.
http://i49.tinypic.com/359gs9x.jpg
Where the cover was inside the lower control arm youll see a ball with a nut. It will look like this.
http://i46.tinypic.com/5vtbbm.jpg
Take off the ball with a 10mm and 8mm wrench.
After its removed you can see if your link will fit in the hole.
http://i45.tinypic.com/ws1vmf.jpg
If not youll need to make it a little bigger with the drill like this.
http://i47.tinypic.com/mtastd.jpg
I found it easier to connect the top of the link on first then bottom.
after installed and tightened up it should look like this.
http://i50.tinypic.com/qnsg9v.jpg
With back link done and tight put on the wheel but not fulling tight as you may need to take it off to adjust it. (most likely)
Go to the front wheel now, The ball is on a small bracket on top where top link was connected. Its held on by a nut and is a 10mm and needs to be removed! looks like this. http://i48.tinypic.com/174j7m.jpg
after removing the bracket with the ball connected youll need to drill it out from the back. so that you can fit your link into it.
once you do, it will look like this.
http://i45.tinypic.com/2jfc27k.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/i6baqq.jpg
After everything is all tight put the lowering link with bracket on car!
Tighten everything again and take jack and stands out.
Moment of truth.
Start car and go check out the stance!
remember that i told you about rear shorter the lower
front taller is lower.
http://i49.tinypic.com/2re2r82.jpg
Adjust them how you like and do the left side!
Just repeat the steps.
If youre smart you already have left links already made from building the right side
This is how I lowered my SL55 and I hope this is useful for someone thinking of building lowering links.
This costed me under 70$ And was fun to do!
My lowest ABC setting is pretty low, Mainly when im parked
2nd setting is low and driveable and 3rd is used to get in drive way or over speed bumps!
Drives perfect, Better from what i think!!
Good luck and REMEMBER to think of safety!!
This is my car before i attemped the lowering links on its lowest ABC setting. http://i45.tinypic.com/qqofnn.jpg
-Corey P.
2004 SL55
10-01-2017, 04:57 AM
#3
I'm looking at doing this to my CLS at the moment, but I need to measure the length of the links and so on first. My only concern is that with both ball joints being right-hand thread, the only adjustment is by a full turn of one of the ball joints. This means that it is adjustable in increments of 0.8mm. I've read that the multiplication factor of the sensor height to ride height is 3.2x. meaning that for fine tuning, it is only available in 2.56mm increments. Although now I write that down, I think that would probably be okay.
Ideally, I'd like to use both left-hand and right-hand threaded ball sockets with a turnbuckle in the centre which would give complete adjustability and would remove the need to disconnect the ball socket to make any adjustment. I only fear that this setup may not fit in the required length of the link arm.
Food for thought...
Ideally, I'd like to use both left-hand and right-hand threaded ball sockets with a turnbuckle in the centre which would give complete adjustability and would remove the need to disconnect the ball socket to make any adjustment. I only fear that this setup may not fit in the required length of the link arm.
Food for thought...
