[W126 Coupe] lowering
Markus Meyer
markusfmeyer at gmail.com
Wed Apr 28 08:58:58 EDT 2010
Dick - there are many factors that go in to this, including:
1) personal preferences - what you think is firm I might not
2) tires - this can make a world of difference on the same rims, even at 18"
size. I think Mike Ramay tried Z rated and H rated 18" tires and noticed a
big difference in handling.
3) condition of all suspension parts - simply swapping out springs and
wheels on an old, tired suspension isn't the best solution - the tired
components won't like it and will "fight back".
I personally hated the stock ride and suspension, so much I almost got rid
of the car in the first year of owning it. It was 11 years old with only
58K when I bought it. The changes I did made the ride much more enjoyable
to me. But I'm also still "young", like a firm ride, and don't mind the
occasional "bumps". That may change as I age! :)
Cheers,
Markus
On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 8:07 AM, Richard & Nancy Diefenbach <
diefenbach at kingcon.com> wrote:
> Wow - I have never seen so many (and varied) responses to a simple
> question. There appear to be a lot of pro and cons on the subject. I
> really like the way my '87 560 (Euro) rides and handles and have considered
> new wheels but there are a few photos that really enhance the car.
> Personally, I'll stick with the stock suspension but enjoy reading about
> other results.
>
> Dick
> Danville. VT
>
>
>
> attila sen turk musun?
>
> On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 7:03 AM, Attila <attila13 at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>> Hello Ramon. I run 18’s all the way around. 8” in front,
>>
>> 9” rears. Koni adjustables, H&R’s. The car rides way
>>
>> better than stock. (Less harsh than the ’94 E500). Better
>>
>> center of gravity, better cornering, no adverse affect or
>>
>> wear on the tires. No rubbing, no rolling the fenders. I
>>
>> didn’t even do the 4 wheel alignment. Looks better too.
>>
>> These cars were not engineered ‘perfectly’, especially
>>
>> performance-wise, otherwise there would never have been
>>
>> an AMG, or the countless other tuning shops in Germany.
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com [mailto:
>> mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com] *On Behalf Of *Dick Spellman
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 27, 2010 10:37 PM
>>
>> *To:* Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists
>> *Subject:* Re: [W126 Coupe] lowering
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/27/2010 2:30 PM, m0nm0n at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>
>> Whats the best way to lower my 1982 380 sec? I know you buy the lowering
>> springs and new shocks but, do you still have to take the rubber shims
>> located on top of the springs out? if so How many? I'm putting 18 inch rims
>> on my vehicle.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>> Ramon
>>
>> Hi Ramon,
>>
>> You indicate you will install new shocks. This is a good decision if they
>> have been on there a long while. Even if they do not leak at present, once
>> you lower you will force the piston to a new depth. If there is a ridge or
>> dirt embedded in the piston it will eat the shock piston seal causing it to
>> leak. The Bilstein Comfort shocks give you the performance without the
>> harsh/hard ride once the H&R springs are installed.
>>
>> The MB rubber spacers or nibs (available from MB directly) need to be
>> selected to give the sec the correct 'rake' or slope from rear to front. I
>> no longer have the notes I wrote up when doing the lowering but, you will
>> need to change these up to get the right ride height and look when going to
>> 18's.
>>
>> I am running factory bolt on (no spacers for the offset or tracking)
>> Lorinser 18's all around and have the same early front fender style (not
>> flared) that you have. The clearance to the inside of the metal lips on all
>> 4 wheels is scant and the distance from the top of the Pirelli's to the
>> fender edge is maybe 1/2 inch. There is no rub and no connection between
>> tire or chassis at any time. You may need to roll the rear fender lip some
>> depending on the wheel offset and tire width you install. My tire set up on
>> the Lorinser rims is 275 35 zr 18 rear and 235 40 zr18 front. Running 18's
>> requires grater precision in the set-up. I was lucky as the alignment shop
>> at the time I did my work, let me fuss for several hours to get the 4-wheel
>> alignment within factory spec's. From what I have read on others efforts to
>> align after lowering, I got lucky. The Pirelli's have been great, no noise,
>> no vibration smooth even wear. They are about do for renewal in 5-10k
>> however.
>>
>> I love the ride by the way and see no serious side effects. The ride was
>> engineered by BergWerks (Carl and Steve) in Van Nuys, CA and then put
>> together here in Boston over a period of months/years. I tried posting this
>> earlier with an image that proved to be too big. Maybe this cropped version
>> will make it.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Dick
>>
>> The MB Coupes Website!
>> W126 SEC Mailing List
>> Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.
>>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> The MB Coupes Website!
> W126 SEC Mailing List
> Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.
>
>
> The MB Coupes Website!
> W126 SEC Mailing List
> Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/mbcoupes/attachments/20100428/09657880/attachment.html>
More information about the MBCOUPES
mailing list