W211 E55 coilover conversion journey
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
W211 E55 coilover conversion journey
This will be over the next month or two. Plugging away a bit here and there. Starting phases today, removed air compressor and started on the electrical connectors and links.
The connector's to the shock and to the linkage are off. Where do they connect, run and what have you guys done with them?
Do I pull both connectors from the top shock tower remove the wiring or just leave?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 288
From: New Zealand
Sorry I can't help but I thought I would mention there is a YouTube video of a guy doing the install and ripping out the airmatic in his carpark. Might pay to have a look if you haven't seen it already. I think he ended up just taping the electrical connectors out of the way.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 288
From: New Zealand
I think he removed all the air lines but not the wires. I don't think you will save much weight on the wiring and a lot of it will be very hard to access. The hardlines pump and air springs are where the bulk of the weight will be.
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 288
From: New Zealand
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 276
Likes: 30
From: United Kingdom
CLK56TT (WIP), S65, RR 5.0 S/C
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
Started this up, things have been slow with renovations of entire home.
Procedure for removal of fronts:
- pull wheel off
- remove wheel well liner and bolts, requires some force getting that out
- remove connectors top shock, level sensor and shock itself
- cut air lines if you're done forever with airmatic
- tape up all connectors to indicate they are related to airmatic
- remove lower control arm bolt 21mm
- remove 3 upper ballpoint bolts T45
- remove 3 shock tower bolts 13mm
- remove shock
- remove level sensor
fronts are really little trouble
Procedure for removal of fronts:
- pull wheel off
- remove wheel well liner and bolts, requires some force getting that out
- remove connectors top shock, level sensor and shock itself
- cut air lines if you're done forever with airmatic
- tape up all connectors to indicate they are related to airmatic
- remove lower control arm bolt 21mm
- remove 3 upper ballpoint bolts T45
- remove 3 shock tower bolts 13mm
- remove shock
- remove level sensor
fronts are really little trouble
Last edited by Hotsauce55; Apr 9, 2018 at 12:19 PM.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
I'm into the rear now. Removing the airmatic LCA. 2 questions:
1. Do I need to remove the brake caliper and if so how do I make sure it doesn't eat my fingers?
2. To remove the bolt connecting the LCA to the spindle it appears to be a 21mm on the back side and some other massive 6 point male socket. Anyone know the size?
1. Do I need to remove the brake caliper and if so how do I make sure it doesn't eat my fingers?
2. To remove the bolt connecting the LCA to the spindle it appears to be a 21mm on the back side and some other massive 6 point male socket. Anyone know the size?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,969
Likes: 1,317
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
All of your questions answered in this thread:
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...sion-help.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...sion-help.html
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
Coilovers were well packaged and received reasonably quickly from order payment date via a US warehouse.
Customer service sucks with BC which is apparently no surprise. Twice I had asked a rep to get back to me to discuss custom rates but never heard back so went with standard rates.
Customer service sucks with BC which is apparently no surprise. Twice I had asked a rep to get back to me to discuss custom rates but never heard back so went with standard rates.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,969
Likes: 1,317
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Install everything. It helps if others can give you starting measurements; i.e. number of turns or inches/mm from the bottom of the threaded sleeve to the bottom of the spring perch.
You want a half-tank of fuel and the equivalent driver's weight in the driver's seat (170 pounds of cement in plastic bags in my case). Then corner weight to get the diagonals as close as possible. Remember, when you raise the spring perch, you put more pressure (weight) on that wheel, lower the perch, you put less pressure (weight) on that wheel. Again, you want the diagonals to be as close as possible. If you have the LF to RR combined weight of 2,100 pounds, and the RF to LR is 2,125 pounds, you're good. I always aimed for +/- 10 pounds difference on the old turbo Miata but it only weighed 2190 pounds empty (with >260 rwhp). On the Mercedes, I would allow a bit more leeway. Perform an internet search on corner weighting and read to your heart's content. Rather than purchasing the scales (expensive), it would be worthwhile for you to just take it to a shop that can perform corner weighting one time and leave it at that. Be advised if you decide to change ride height later, I would again recommend corner weight verification.
FWIW, Flyin' Miata (FM) out of Colorado has some great stuff for corner weighting but it is aimed at lower weight vehicles (like 2400 pound Miatas with 530 horsepower Corvette engines installed). Our 4,200 pound E55's are above the recommended load-bearing capacity of FM's offerings. :-(
You want a half-tank of fuel and the equivalent driver's weight in the driver's seat (170 pounds of cement in plastic bags in my case). Then corner weight to get the diagonals as close as possible. Remember, when you raise the spring perch, you put more pressure (weight) on that wheel, lower the perch, you put less pressure (weight) on that wheel. Again, you want the diagonals to be as close as possible. If you have the LF to RR combined weight of 2,100 pounds, and the RF to LR is 2,125 pounds, you're good. I always aimed for +/- 10 pounds difference on the old turbo Miata but it only weighed 2190 pounds empty (with >260 rwhp). On the Mercedes, I would allow a bit more leeway. Perform an internet search on corner weighting and read to your heart's content. Rather than purchasing the scales (expensive), it would be worthwhile for you to just take it to a shop that can perform corner weighting one time and leave it at that. Be advised if you decide to change ride height later, I would again recommend corner weight verification.
FWIW, Flyin' Miata (FM) out of Colorado has some great stuff for corner weighting but it is aimed at lower weight vehicles (like 2400 pound Miatas with 530 horsepower Corvette engines installed). Our 4,200 pound E55's are above the recommended load-bearing capacity of FM's offerings. :-(
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 899
Likes: 140
2005 E55
Just in case you didn't get it answered, if you just unplug the large plug on the SBC module you are good to pull the callipers off. Easy to access and not tricky to unclip or anything. I would opt for a 1/2" drive hex head socket instead of an allen key. All of the bolts on mine were super hard to break. Maybe you will have better luck than me but I don't think I would have been able to break that one suspension bolt with an allen.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
Thanks guys, I will dig into this more nearing the end of the week. For the fronts I have exactly 5 inches between the bottom and top collars.
in terms of setting height you unlock the bottom collar and adjust. Unlocking the top collars plays with preload, coreect?
also looks like removing the inner most rear lca bolt ie. 12 pt triple square that the exhaust has to come down unless I get the short version of the bit?
in terms of setting height you unlock the bottom collar and adjust. Unlocking the top collars plays with preload, coreect?
also looks like removing the inner most rear lca bolt ie. 12 pt triple square that the exhaust has to come down unless I get the short version of the bit?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,969
Likes: 1,317
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Everything I used (Ground Control) used a fixed upper and adjustable lower. So...I would hypothesize use lower spring perch to set height and, if adjustable upper perch(?), use that to adjust preload. Again, I repeat, again, use corner weighting. Read. Read. Read. Study. Learn.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 899
Likes: 140
2005 E55
Thanks guys, I will dig into this more nearing the end of the week. For the fronts I have exactly 5 inches between the bottom and top collars.
in terms of setting height you unlock the bottom collar and adjust. Unlocking the top collars plays with preload, coreect?
also looks like removing the inner most rear lca bolt ie. 12 pt triple square that the exhaust has to come down unless I get the short version of the bit?
in terms of setting height you unlock the bottom collar and adjust. Unlocking the top collars plays with preload, coreect?
also looks like removing the inner most rear lca bolt ie. 12 pt triple square that the exhaust has to come down unless I get the short version of the bit?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,969
Likes: 1,317
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Looking at photos from the time I worked on the rear suspension it appears I did have to lower the exhaust. I just unbolted the brackets under the rear bumper, the brackets just in front of the rear axles. and removed the center tie bar between the exhaust pipes and let the exhaust just hang.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
LOL! My apologies. I was close to finishing off a bottle of very good red wine about that time and got a little verbose.
Looking at photos from the time I worked on the rear suspension it appears I did have to lower the exhaust. I just unbolted the brackets under the rear bumper, the brackets just in front of the rear axles. and removed the center tie bar between the exhaust pipes and let the exhaust just hang.
Looking at photos from the time I worked on the rear suspension it appears I did have to lower the exhaust. I just unbolted the brackets under the rear bumper, the brackets just in front of the rear axles. and removed the center tie bar between the exhaust pipes and let the exhaust just hang.
I might look at the shorter triple square bits to avoid the incremental labour of the exhaust
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 609
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
2005 E55
Man this job is grinding down my love for the car lol
need an e18 female torx now to remove the calliper and swing up so I can access the 12mm hex and get the impact on it. Not budging otherwise
then get the inner most rear lca bolt out 12mm 12 pt and I can’t get bolt out because of exhaust. So gotta drop that now too.
need an e18 female torx now to remove the calliper and swing up so I can access the 12mm hex and get the impact on it. Not budging otherwise
then get the inner most rear lca bolt out 12mm 12 pt and I can’t get bolt out because of exhaust. So gotta drop that now too.
