Group Buy for K-MAC bushings (front and/or rear)
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 472
Likes: 5
From: Gainesville, FL: In a garage or in a bar, or a garage with a bar in it.
2005 E55, 2011 Honda Push Mower (21 inch deck bishes)
That's a stand-up move K-Mac. Heiss definitely deserves it. I'm lowered via STAR all the way around but have noticed that my front tires are just perfect on wear, but my rears..hoo boy. Inside of my 4k miles Nitto Invos are almost gone <grrr>. I'll be ordering the rear kit when I order my new rear tires. Is it pricey? Yes. Are tires pricey? Yes. I'd rather at least wear my tires evenly though.
Thanks for what seems to be the fix to a very common problem on these modded beasts.
Thanks for what seems to be the fix to a very common problem on these modded beasts.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,429
Likes: 61
From: Cypress, TX
'06 E55, '15 Jeep SRT8, '94 Mustang GT
Also HeissRod and his efforts to put the Group buy together. We can at least offer you the group buy deal on the Front Camber and Caster kit and the rear Camber and Toe adjuster kits. So that you can finally have precise ongoing adjustment facility front and rear on your W211 to resolve that premature wear.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 490
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From: OC/SD, CA
EG8 | E46 | W211
I like the improved handling on turn-in from the negative camber in front, but a trackcar the E55 is not, lolz (at least for my use, i.e., family hauler and commuter).
I may consider the front eccentric bushings. Does anybody have actual images of the front bushings?
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 590
Likes: 2
From: Washington
10 E63, Sold -07 E63
Mine will be here end of the week, anyone else get the full kit? Anyone dial in alignments with airmatic and dynamic? I was thinking anything under -1 to start so when the dynamic suspension lowers itself another 15mm, the camber should not exceed factory values. Ill have mine installed next week and lower mine down to 24.5 or about half a finger gap.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,649
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'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
I put KMacs front and rear on my original lowered e55 about a year ago and yes they immediately got me within spec. The problem I had was not with the thread pitch on the bolts (not yet anyways). The problem I had was that the bushing caps don't stay centered on the ends and in a very short period of time the bushings could no longer hold the bolt in the center.
Take that for what it's worth or blame it on my installer who's résumé will trump most but I wasn't satisfied in the long run. I'll definitely not be lowering E2 as much as her older sister.
Take that for what it's worth or blame it on my installer who's résumé will trump most but I wasn't satisfied in the long run. I'll definitely not be lowering E2 as much as her older sister.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 590
Likes: 2
From: Washington
10 E63, Sold -07 E63
I will into this with the shop I go to and see how the new design
holds up.
holds up.
I put KMacs front and rear on my original lowered e55 about a year ago and yes they immediately got me within spec. The problem I had was not with the thread pitch on the bolts (not yet anyways). The problem I had was that the bushing caps don't stay centered on the ends and in a very short period of time the bushings could no longer hold the bolt in the center.
Take that for what it's worth or blame it on my installer who's résumé will trump most but I wasn't satisfied in the long run. I'll definitely not be lowering E2 as much as her older sister.
Take that for what it's worth or blame it on my installer who's résumé will trump most but I wasn't satisfied in the long run. I'll definitely not be lowering E2 as much as her older sister.
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Joined: Mar 2011
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From: The Granite State
.
Mine will be here end of the week, anyone else get the full kit? Anyone dial in alignments with airmatic and dynamic? I was thinking anything under -1 to start so when the dynamic suspension lowers itself another 15mm, the camber should not exceed factory values. Ill have mine installed next week and lower mine down to 24.5 or about half a finger gap.
There have been a number of small tweaks to the kits over the last several months to make them easier to install/align and to increase strength...
Personally, I think the best idea is to use STAR/DAS to completely disable the dynamic lowering feature. Most of us have lowered our cars from stock already, so the concept of lowering the car from its "factory 4x4 stance" at higher speeds is somewhat redundant.
The last time I had my car aligned, I asked the tech to capture the alignment measurements with my lowering module on, and also with it disabled. The difference in height between those two settings was less than 1", but there was a pretty dramatic swing in toe settings. Given how critical toe is for handling and tire wear, it just doesn't make sense to me to add variables (like dynamic lowering) that will screw with all my carefully established alignment settings.
I haven't come across the exact location where "dynamic ride height" is located in STAR/DAS but I'll bet someone like Shardul or MackHack probably knows how to find and disable it...
-G
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,649
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'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
After I lowered to a certain point (tire shoulder at fender lip) my dynamic lowering disabled itself. The speed sensitive lowering as well as sport settings lowering were no longer active as if the car recognized that it didn't want to go any lower.
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Joined: Mar 2011
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From: The Granite State
.
Some sort of real time monitoring of the car with STAR?
-G
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,649
Likes: 207
'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
It was pretty obvious so I didn't need Star. After lowering to that point the sport suspension settings quit lowering the car any further and the car wasn't raising itself back up after freeway driving.
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Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Orbiting the planet
This place is a joke.
The car will not lower itself beyond the sport 1 settings. So if you star lower it where you want it in sport 1,then align it in sport 1 youll be in good shape
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 590
Likes: 2
From: Washington
10 E63, Sold -07 E63
Thanks for the tip. How do you determine the sport 1 value? We were able to drop the car via star before at or about no gap. Which was 24 inches from TDC of fender to ground. Also am getting mixed information, that sport modes do not lower the car but only adjust rebound. I swear I see my car adjust before, but before my star lowering, we tested it in the shop and the car didn't adjust as the shop guy stated. Also some members here also stated that it does not adjust height???
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Orbiting the planet
This place is a joke.
Look at the bottom of this page for a better explanation of the lowering function:
http://bayhas.com/mercedes/w211/contents/INDEX.htm
http://bayhas.com/mercedes/w211/contents/INDEX.htm
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 852
Likes: 3
From: Sleepy Hollow, IL
65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
Look at the bottom of this page for a better explanation of the lowering function:
http://bayhas.com/mercedes/w211/contents/INDEX.htm
http://bayhas.com/mercedes/w211/contents/INDEX.htm
http://bayhas.com/mercedes/
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,835
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From: The Granite State
.
Looking at that web link it seems to finally make sense.
Dynamic Ride Height is only for when the car is in "raised mode" or "comfort"
Sport1 / Sport2 are identical in their ride height (-15mm lower than Comfort) and are completely unaffected by vehicle speed. No further changes to ride height (either up or down) will occur regardless of speed...
So basically, if you only drive in Sport1/2 and have the car aligned while in one of those two suspension modes, the alignment will stay perfect.
-G
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 590
Likes: 2
From: Washington
10 E63, Sold -07 E63
good clarification. We actually looked at that during the time I lowered my via star when I mentioned to him that the car actually lowered itself via the sport mode buttons. I don't know why we didn't come to this same conclusion at that time.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,429
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From: Cypress, TX
'06 E55, '15 Jeep SRT8, '94 Mustang GT
I can visually see Sport II drop more than Sport I or I did before the car was lowered. I haven't really paid attention since then.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,649
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'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
I'd like to see some close up pics of the bushings after 1k miles. I'd like to see if these updated versions actually keep the bolt centered and if the caps stay in place.
Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 82
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From: Tampa FL
SL65
I gotta say this is a great post lots of info, I dropped my car SL65 to a very nice show hight leaving about half inch of gap from fender lip to top of the tire.
Then i use the ride hight button the first light witch i call the middle setting it leaves me about 1.25 inch gap, This is the setting i sent it to benz with.
They racked the car and did the settings.The guy that did my car has 30+ years doing nothing but alignments for benz.They installed front repair bolts in my front as they are called and set the front end, They dropped my rear exhaust to get to the rear and set the rear , No problems since.Note the Real old looking guy in the pic..LOL
Now i could be wrong as I'm very new at this but tires seem good so far with 2000 miles.
Then i use the ride hight button the first light witch i call the middle setting it leaves me about 1.25 inch gap, This is the setting i sent it to benz with.
They racked the car and did the settings.The guy that did my car has 30+ years doing nothing but alignments for benz.They installed front repair bolts in my front as they are called and set the front end, They dropped my rear exhaust to get to the rear and set the rear , No problems since.Note the Real old looking guy in the pic..LOL
Now i could be wrong as I'm very new at this but tires seem good so far with 2000 miles.
