gsean430

I see this subject has been covered greatly as i searched.. i just had my rear right airmatic give up and now im stuck between getting it fixed or just doing a full coilover swap. Now my question is, is the airmatic what makes these cars ride so well? This is my first mercedes and it really feels like im riding on a cloud everytime i take the car out. Some people say the airmatic is a nightmare.. so i would want to get rid of it for that reason, but i also wouldnt want to lose the ride quality that i already have. So i understand that we have a compressor, air lines and some sensors other then the air spring that can go bad as well.. how expensive are these sensors and are they hard to get to? Anyone on here with arnotts that have had them last years with lots of miles? I have been having horrible luck with my car since i bought it 2 months ago, and i just want to be able to keep/drive my car longer then 2 days. Basically i just want to know what is better in the long run.

I dont mind being down for repairs but i dont like not being able to drive my car for a week while i wait for parts. If i were to replace all the suspension with arnotts could a sensor or air-line leak leave the car basically undrivable like it is now? I would hate to spend 2000$ to replace all the air springs and still have possibility of getting stranded. Is the ride quality even in the air suspension? Thanks all replies and experience's will be greatly appreciated

Frank Barrett

Go with two rear Arnotts. In my experience, they ship quickly and work well, even with stock front units.

Redwood415

Air ride does in fact make for a smooth ride as compared to coils, this is especially true for the many cars (mine included) with larger wheels and lower profile tires. Keep it Original..

hachiroku

i enjoy air ride.

Bahnstormer

+ 1 for the air ride. Feels like you're floating on clouds.

tw2

I have had coilovers before in other cars but I will do whatever is necessary to keep the airmatic going. I use the raise button every time I do maintenance or enter a crappy carpark. Very comfortable ride. Get the arnotts.

Edit: you probably found in your search, the arnotts remove the rear air tanks which is one less part to fail (leak). I believe the sensors are cheap, the compressor can burn out but usually when there is a failing air spring for a long time. It's always possible to get stranded by one thing or another.

DVC

Another vote for staying Airmatic - especially if you like the ride quality and adjustability.

I really enjoy the Arnotts in conjunction with the LoMo M1. Can lower the car via the steering wheel buttons, turn on/off speed sensitive ride height, and even raise the car higher than the stock raised mode, for servicing.

forcefed4door

Get the arnotts from buyautoparts.com. cheapest price out there

hachiroku

yah...as much as my Audi with KW V3's rides better and handles better for the most part, but the convenience of air ride outweighs the cons for me. for long highway driving the air ride out performs the coilovers, but for city driving and taking turns obviously adjustable dampening coilovers can shine.

Dublinoh

I agree, keep it original unless you have very specific needs that the coils might address.

MACEDON

I like the active control in sport mode and raising. Putting the car in sport 2 and going around corners/on ramps at high speeds feels like I'm in a race car.

If you can afford it stay with the airmatic.

hachiroku

race car...haha far from it. the dampening although may have been good in 2007 is pretty horrible for today's standards.

i wished there was a company able to custom valve our airmatic shocks. i contacted Arnott, and they said no to custom work. I even asked if i could batch order rebuilds with different valving and they told me no. dumb if you ask me.

MACEDON

Well, when I have it in comfort and then tap that button down on the highway the car hunkers down like a little turtle getting ready for battle, so to me it's a highway racecar. You can fell the suspension doing work keeping the car stable over bumps and when I turn, that by itself is enough for me to want to keep this magic going.

This car just wouldn't feel the same without the active suspension. I don't want to leave it up to fluid dampers to decide mechanically, I like what the computer brings to the table.

Blade Canyon

That makes me the lone voice for coilovers. I got Strutmasters. Mechanics at indy shops and even the Mercedes dealer told me they were surprised to discover the new suspension when they got to work. I noticed no difference in the ride, and I don't have to worry about waking up to a slammed car because of one leak in the myriad of parts that can fail in a ten year old air setup.

The main disadvantage is no ride-leveling, which was a big deal when I had the car fully packed driving cross country and back. The back end was pretty low, but there were no problems.

hachiroku

i'd only convert if my car came with ABC suspension. but thats just me.

tw2

+1 for getting rid of that expensive disaster waiting to happen.

eightyseven

I'd consider KW V2 or V3.

I have adjusted the rebound on my KW V2 to allow for a very, very good ride (a little more compliant than Sport setting with the airmatic)

The car is admittedly very low, but it rides amazingly. The car's handling is transformed, this cannot be more emphasized by me.

The weight loss, adjust-ability, KW warranty and not having to worry about being stranded are just pluses.

The negatives are the entry price (I paid $3500 installed) and no longer having the ability to go a soft or high ride when absolutely necessary.

My Airmatic **** itself at 29,990 miles. BOTH front struts. That was a surprise in itself.

Jimrowe0

iTrader: (-1)

Airnott rides a little smoother, but coils handle better. Coils you don't have to worry about more bags going out. I have coils and wouldn't go back

austingtir

Just need to talk to the right person. Maybe a bilstein specialist or someone similar that runs a business rebuilding shock absorbers might be willing to look into it.

gsean430

Thanks for the replies everyone! 🙂 I think im going to just go with the arnotts for right now. Can anyone send me a link to witch ones will work for my car? I saw parts geek had some for cheap but say there for a e55 wagon??

hachiroku

i tried...nobody messes with "OEM" style shocks. honestly would pay TOP dollar for this as our shocks effectively have 4 valved settings. if i recall...

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ode-bad-2.html

bizzy247

Apparently Bilstein offers replacements for a cool $2700:


Rears (need two, unsure if side specific):
http://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/2...ng/76-10058_3B


Front-left:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bsn-44-143657


Front-right:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bsn-44-143664


Maybe they would custom valve a set?

hachiroku

theirs are OEM replacements...i asked if they would do custom builds or valving if a specific quantity was ordered. they said "we do not do this type of work"

bizzy247

I just noticed you mentioned this later in the thread.

StarvingArtist

What is it you are trying to achieve with custom valving? I get the impression you have enough knowledge to just about do it yourself. Maybe with a few more tools?
Personally I'd like softer in comfort and firmer in sport 2. Don't really need an in between setting.