CynCarvin32

I know this is long but please take a second and read it through. I hope to get some advise fromy those who have "been there done that!"

I had my local dealership do the “SteveNL” style lowering to my 2004 E55 but I am having some issues with the changes and need some forum advise and help.

The lowering went fine but I was not there to observe the 3 hr. process so when I got the car back it was very low indeed. I liked how ithe car looked but It was a bit low. The real catch was that the car was in comfort mode and once put into “sports 2” where I normally drive, It was just plain down in the weeds (way to low). I should have taken before and after measurements to see how drastic the drop was but I thought it would be a subtle change and not worth worrying to much. I was wrong.

There are no codes saying “Vehicle to low” and the settings were set via StarDiagnostic ride height calibrations so it is clearly not low enough to cause the car to feel there is an error.

At the time of the lowering I also had the front camber bolts inserted and my camber was set to over two degrees negative. For me this was ideal and I was very excited. I took the car out that first night for a drive in the local mountains to see how it felt and it was a totally different car. The massive understeer of before was greatly reduced and there was more front grip in tight corners than in the rear so the car wanted to nicely rotate when pressed to the limit. At high speeds, there was no issue with a “loose” rear-end and the car felt perfectly planted. So I love how a lowered car drives but there IS a catch!

The car now is way to low and it bounces over bumps and has greatly reduced drivability in a city Los Angeles. I can safely say that large speed humps (like those on residential streets to keep traffic from blasting though) are only traversable at very slow speeds and if not you will slam the car right into the bump stops and likely destroy the shocks. I have been very careful and have not had a bottoming issue but it’s not a good feeling to be behind the wheel of the car in city driving.

Furthermore, the car is a bit bouncy when driven hard (up front) and does not have the needed travel to absorb bumps mid corner (up front). Lowering the car seems to have caused the issue because it lowers the car without effectively increasing spring rates to compensate for the reduction in suspension travel. Where as the stock car could absorb bumps the lowered car seems to just bounce along a bit like a lowered civic (hyperbole).

So now for my questions for those with lowered cars. How low are your cars. And by this I want to ask for actual measurements. If anyone with a “SteveNL” lowering or any lowering module could go measure from the fender lip to the center of the wheel (where the center of the Mercedes star is located) I would greatly appreciate it (this method reduced issues with wheels by going from fender to the center of the hub).

Also could you guys post picture of your cars so I can see how much “to low” my car is set? I plan to go back to the shop Monday to get the car raised up a bit or maybe put all the way back to stock. These pics and measurements would be very helpful.

Finally those with lowered cars with the SteveNL method please describe your driving experiences. I am a picky guy so I hope someone like me has done this lowering and can give me some advice. Anyone track their lowered car or go for very aggressive canyon drives? If anyone lives in so-cal and has a lowered car, could you tell me what happens if you go over the humps in the road located where the 405 crosses over Wilshire Blvd at say 80mph? I don’t even want to go try it in my car being that a stock car get close to bottoming out on that bump.

Thanks for the help. It will all be a huge help. I clearly had the car lowered too much I think.

JamE55

Maybe it's just me but looking at the pics it looks just fine. I mean not too low. Normally when it's too low the tires would be "in" the wheel wells. Are you not able to adjust it back up a little?

BenzoBoi

I was lookin at the pics too and they doesn't look too low at all...maybe it's just me...

OzE55

Looks good to me, too.
Are your tire pressures OK?
I have used the washer method and my front ride height (measured as you describe, in sport - I have an '03) is 65+/-5mm. I dont have any issues except for large parking lot speed bumps where I use the "height raising" button.

BlackBear

I'm in Bel Air, my car is lowered with links. We should compare them side by side. PM me your phone #.

dkallencat1

I think the ride height looks good, what dealership in L.A. did you take your car to? What did you pay? My local dealership in Riverside said no to me.

jamusa

I think it look great...but it could be a tad higher.
I install 19" wheels,and they fit just right.

newton22

I think that's perfect. Love the shaved badges too.

nlpamg

off topic, but what dealership did it for you in LA? BH? Thanks!

D2-AUTOSPORT

I will admit, I didnt read the entire post, but the car does look very nice (IMO)

dragonAMG

I agree, doesn't look too low at all... looks just perfect.

BTW -- when did you pickup a 2004 E55? Congrats!!! I'm doing the same thing. How much did you pay?

Rock

I have not modified my ride height but maybe a stock measurement will help. My ride height from the fender lip to the center of the wheel (star) measures 13 3/4" front and rear. What was the actual amount that your car was supposed to be dropped? Also, do they lower the same amount in both the front and rear?

Kev04C320

I think the drop is nice, not too low.

CynCarvin32

Hey dragon,

ya I know the car "looks" good but im just not that pleased with the ride and or drivability of the car on daily basis. On a smooth mountain road its night and day better but driving aroud my house ( canyon roads with massive changes in elevation and some really poor surfaces) the car bounces and could bottom if I really was trying to do something funny.

I have had the car for many moons....since I think Jan 2004 and have put 24k miles on it since then (17k of them were in the first 9 months then I put the car cover on her and let her sit).

Good luck with your car!!! Have you found one? Want to buy mine >

CynCarvin32

You can adjust the front and the bast independently. There is a sensor on each front wheel and then one sensor for the rear axel. I want to lower the back a teeny bit more maybe and raise the front.

The rear axle has a ton more travel than the front.

THanks for the specs on your ride height. I will go measure mine today. Could you check your rear as well?

I should have checked mine before I had it lowered but again I am never as smart as I hope to be!

CynCarvin32

Thanks for all the comments!

I know the car looks great and if it were just a lowering for looks I would be very happy. I tend to be picky with how cars drive and a bouncy ride drives me nuts.

Lets see what happens when I get the front raised up a bit. I bet it will be just fine since it really is not all that low.

Looking at the pics made me realize it was not that low but I just dont like the idea of bottoming out a 1.3k shock on a regular basis. I would not want to be told to go pound sand if they broke and the dealership got moody with the warranty claim.

Time to go drive the car some more to see how it does.

Thanks again

Rock

The 13 3/4" was for both the front and the rear. They appear to be exactly the same.

medici78

I dont have measurements, but when Steve did mine, I requested that the drop be even all around, measured by actual drop, not the gap size. If you even the gap, the front will be sit lowe than the rear, which might affect your handling balance. . However, I wanted the drop to be the same amount all around. The front gap, however minimal, on my car is a little larger than the rear gap, but it suits me just fine. I didnt want a "rake" (front sitting lower than rear) just to avoid the problem you're having. Zero issues, other than running more negative camber than I would like. This can be fixed, I just havent gotten around to ordering the proper camber bolts for my application.
Good luck!!

Blake P

The car doesn't look nearly low enough to bottom out. Ride comfort is another thing, though. I guess it's a trade off...better looks and handling, or more comfortable ride? My guess is that if you leave it as is, you'll end up getting used to the slightly bumpier ride and change your driving habits accordingly. Watch out for those parking blocks though...they'll destroy your front bumper!

CynCarvin32

Thanks for the comments and yes it does ride worse than before but I really could care less. I want stiffer shock settings but no one seems to offer such an upgrade.

As for the car "not" bottoming out... Tell that to the car and the driver. For example... The on-ramp to the 405 from I think it was Jamboree in OC has a bump off to the inside of the corner and well like I said the car went BUMP and ran out of travel when having fun with my friend in his turbo bug delivery hauler. The car drives very well until the road is less than flat.

Also the car CANNOT go over the bumps where the 405 raises over Santa Monica blvd (going North) without bumping into the bump stops. At 65 you are fine, at 70 it is risky and at 75 I do not want to try 80.

I am very careful with my car and do not try to make it smash into the ground so I have learned to tell when the car is about to run out of travel and I don’t bother pressing my luck!

Finally shocks are less effective at the very top of their travel and they tend to po-go down the road. When in sport mode (lowered another 10mm) the car get the pogo effect on bumpy surfaces.

Unless I can find a way to increase the "spring rates" I will have to raise the car back up. Until then I don’t plan to drive it very much!

If I never went quickly and chose to slow down for all large bumps the car would be great but that’s far from fun when you want to have fun on your local set of twisty roads. Slowing down for a turn with an undulation is not fun when that undulation is half the fun in the first place!

For people in cities with less than ideal roads and for those who enjoy spirited driving on no race track smooth roads the car is not ideal. It is fine until you start to push the car. No its down right seriously fun until it starts to bottom out.

The lowered ride height and increased camber (-2 degrees or more) makes the car a blast until that fist bump. No I have to revise my thought process a bit. I want to chase down M5’s and with stiffer shocks this car will EASILY do that!

sdsilverm3

The car needs to go lower!

But seriously, the drop is nice. I've never been in an Airmatic lowered car so I can't say how ride quality is but I can't imagine it's worst than any other lowered car I've been in.

Would it be possible to have the comfort setting at stock height while having the sport setting at the "lowered" ride height?

dragonAMG

Haha... I guess I just assumed because of your name CynCarvin32 you had a C32. LOL

Yes, I've already found one.

CynCarvin32

Had a C32 for a year and a half and then it was bought back and the E55 was the replacement.

As for the name ... its missleading but I like that! Leaves people going "huh?" I like mb dont like to change things I guess. If it aint broke dont try to fix right?

CynCarvin32

The ride is not all that and that is likely why it bottoms out. Less travel with same spring rates means you run up on that bump stop a lot more quickly than before and progressive nature of the spring and shock (in this case air shock) can not keep up with the "body in motion."

In an ideal world I would have the comfort mode set to the Sports 2 (when stock) and then make sports 1 and 2 upgraded settings with sports 2 being a nice, low and very firm setting for when I want to boogie with a Porsche!

mbuskuhl

I spent 2.5 hours at the dealership today while they tried to lower car via DAS, I gave them the instructions posted on this forum. When they brought the car to me finally I was not very impressed, in fact I couldn't tell it had been lowered and my SA assured me it was dropped about an inch. I didn't measure beforehand, I am regretting this now!

Center of rim to bottom of wheel well...after supposed lowering...


Level surface, Sport 1 Mode, motor running:

Front - 14.25 inches
Back - 14.125 inches

Level surface, Sport 1 Mode, motor off:
Front - 14.625 inches
Rear - 14 inches

It seems the front drops and the rear raises when the vehicle is running.
I asked the dealer to lower about .75"-1" all around, same front and back drop. The measurements to me don't support a .75" -1" drop.

Any other measurements out there? I went by the dealer and measured an e55 that wasn't on perfectly flat ground and got these measurements:

Front - 14.25"
Rear - 14"