erupert66

Doesn't seem to be a lot of different threads on the coilover conversion. The only one I really saw was the BC Racing thread that started about 18 mos ago. I have an '06 with 156K and I had a LR slow leak and now just blew out the LF bag.

Can some others weigh in on options? I am committed to going this route but I don't want to just buy from a selection of 1. I am looking for something that tends towards ride comfort vs sport handling. Thats my biggest dilemma. I put H&R's and Koni's on my T5 Volvo and the ride sucks. It was so harsh. Cornered awesome but I am looking for street ride. The guy who installed the BC setup said that ride on full soft was comprable to the Airmatic setup. I would like some other opinions / options.


My car is down and I cannot get it into my mechanic (who highly recommends ripping out the airmatic setup) untl next Friday so I want to use the time to research options and availability.


Thanks!

hayseed

iTrader: (2)

Arnott steel springs is an option or replace with arnott airmatics
https://www.arnottindustries.com/par...4_gid1163.html

erupert66

Thanks, I am familiar with Arnott. I should have mentioned that. Looking to replicate the way my car is set up now running in low mode. The Arnott setup is stock height.

AutoLuxury

I still rock the BC racing. I don't understand what people are saying about rear adjustability. I can adjust the rears and they sit damn near perfect hers a pic I took today

OCKlasse

I have brand new spring rear lower control arms you'd need

RedBullJnky

Agreed!

I have the BC Racing coil overs and they are awesome!

Brian03E55

Thought you told me they were sold in a pm??

Brian03E55

Where did you get them from?

OCKlasse

These are W211 control arms, not my W215 ones I was selling.

e500slr

Don't get the Arnott steel ones, they're not coilovers and not adjustable. They're turd! Get D2 coilovers or even better, KW or Bilstein ones. Otherwise if you like the adjustability of Airmatic then get the Arnott struts with lifetime guarantee.

new55

^^^^
i am curious why you say the Arnott steel ones are crap - yes they are not a coil over but neither is the airmatic setup today

AndreNY

got my BC's installed last weekend they ride Fantastic

erupert66

Thanks Guys. Going to go with the BC Setup. Talked to their guys yesterday on the phone. 2 sets in stock.

Question - in the DIY thread, it indicated that all you need to do is pull fuse F37(??) to disable warnings about suspension. Why does Arnott sell a box then? Can you guys who have done it validate this part of the process?

2nd Question - did you rip our your compressors and tanks?

3rd Question - the DIY shows that you don't have to drop the whole rear subframe to do this conversion like Arnott suggests for replacing the rear air springs. I assume it's because you have to pull the lower control arms anyway to change them. Can someone weigh in on this from either theirs or their shops perspective?

Thanks!

erupert66

BTW - this is the pic of how it sat on the lowered aromatic.

e500slr

The Airmatic is adjustable, has nose lift and is adaptive. The steel suspension is basically off an E320. It offers nothing and handles like crap and don't say the E320 is more nimble because of it. The E320 is not better handling but maybe feels lighter because it's LIGHTER, not because is has crap suspension. Coilovers or Airmatic are best due to their respective characteristics, normal suspension is a pile of turd. By all means though, put E200 suspension on your E55, enjoy the increase is resale value

bbspoolside

I converted my e55 in January with the arnott kit and I am very pleased with the results. the ride height is similar to the sports 1 ride height and ride and handling are perfect for me.

e500slr

That's nice.

Hulk

Slammed!

erupert66

Can you post a pic? The Arnott Kit is $1650 and the BC Racing is $1050 so I am not sure that I will go that way but I'd like to evaluate the option.

bbirdwell

9 years and 157,000 miles on the original suspension. That is exceptional.


Install the Arnott setup and your replacement cost amortizes to $183/year or < 1 cent/mile to date.


If you were selling your car, and if I were in the market, you having installed Arnotts would be a plus for me and I'd factor in your replacement cost in my offer to you. i.e. you'd get some of your investment back. (probably 50%).


If you were selling your car, and if I were in the market, you having installed the coilovers would be a minus for me and I'd lower my cash offer to you by $1500 because I have to pull the coilovers off and install an Arnott system. i.e. you would lose the sale or all of your investment on the suspension. I am not going to pay anything for a setup I don't want.


Never forget, an object is not worth what an owner thinks it is worth. It is worth exactly what a buyer is willing to pay for it.


Your circus, your monkeys. Hope you continue to enjoy your car whichever choice you make.

e500slr

Well said, the Arnott air struts are the best option for resale and keeping the premium feature. Only do coilovers if you're gonna do that proper alignment and set the car up for track driving or aggressive driving. Forget the steel suspension, you'll LOSE ALOT in resale and have a crap suspension that is too high for an AMG. People lower below the DC 2 setting, you're gonna be at DC 1 all the time. If you're into 4wding then I guess it makes sense .

BC928

These conversations are so hilarious sometimes. People talking as if they actually know more than every else in the room.

Always this talk about slamming a car. Who the **** cares? It looks stupid. In general. Accepted experience, It handles worse unless you change all the suspension geometry, and it 9 times out of 10 makes the car ride like an apple cart. When I see someone on a slammed car I instantly think they know **** about anything mechanical. It's usually true as well.

A steel suspension is not destroying the e55. It does not reduce resale (whatever may be left after our complete free fall into the low teens and high 4 figures) when done right. What is this thing about ride height and alignments? Anyone worth their **** will do a close to stock ride height (when Germans to "sport" ride height changes it is no more than 20-30mm down in production) and then pay someone to do a proper alignment.

Why will that alignment work? Because that intelligent dude will not have slammed the freaking car into ghetto Honda territory.

Jesus H. Christ. I cannot wait until these cars change hands enough that this can be a technical forum instead of a "look at my slammed sled" forum. There are technical people here, but few and far between is an understatement.

Flame on. It's just funny. A properly set up steel suspension will run circles around what is on the car stock in any category including ride comfort. If you need to jack the front of your car. up to get over speed bumps, then the car is too freaking low.

erupert66

Maybe we can back on track for the original intent of the thread. LOL

Everyone has their opinions and their own cars to mess with. Personally, to each his own. I am just looking to get my car to same height that it is now. It's running in "low mode" on the airmatic setup which get's my fender lip right around the top of the tire with 19's.


I guess I could look at this two ways. First - I think the car was a bargain at $13k. The PO knew the airmatic was going and at $13K for an '06 in otherwise mechanically and visually excellent condition, how can you go wrong? I always pay cash for my cars anyway and this was the most I've shelled out in the last 10 years. If I look at it that way, $2K for the Arnott parts plus labor hasn't driven the car out of my value range.


Or, I could get rid of airmatic and the down the road failures of the Arnott parts ( lifetime warranty isn't lifetime labor. my local shop has told me they have swapped failed Arnott parts on several occasions ) and get a decent coilover setup and set the car up to ride nicely with a reasonable drop and full soft on the BC Coilovers. I talked to the sales team there about the design, spring rates, etc and I am well aware of suspension geometry and compromises as I raced Porsches for 9 years competively and it seems like on full soft or just a tick off of that with 1.5-2" drop from stock I should still have a nice riding car. I don't need to go to the track and if I do, I'll run someone elses dedicated track car as these cars are way too heavy.


So, the spread is a grand between keeping the air setup and coils and as far as resale, I don't think I have too much concern over that because I am generally a 3-5 year car guy and we are starting to enter the territory where the price decline will be at a decreasing rate anyway. I think it really is preference vs $$ decision in the end.




So, back to the last requirement - to pull this off i need rear lower control arms. Trying to figure out from the guys who have done the conversion - where did you source them and what model run can I use? (E320 and E500 or just E320?)


Thanks

OCKlasse

PMed you back...sorry about the confusion. I have to stop using the mobile app

BC928

The lower control arms are just from the E320/E350 or steel suspension E500. They are not super hard to get or expensive. They also need to be installed with a plastic cover to be OEM. I have a thread where I talk about all the parts needed (which have not been installed yet - other cars in front).