Idea on $aving $ lowering your 202

[ThreePointsix]

I spent around $900 bucks to drop my car below. I had to pay twice labor to reinstall my pads to get my car where I wanted it. Labor was $250x2 + $280(H&R springs) + $120(alignment w/camber bolts)

I got to thinking, H&R springs didnt make my car 'awesome' or 'bad azz'. They arent much different from stock springs (just a little stiffer b/c I cut my H&R 1/2 coil). So if I could do it all over again, I would have trimmed the stock springs 1/2 to 3/4 coil off the back, & 1 - 1 1/4 coil off the fronts & played w/ some #1 pads. I am confident that the ride height would come out the same & price would be less since I wouldn't have paid for the springs.

There is a term in modding called 'glamour purchase' - something you bought that you really didnt need for your ride. It's a mental satisfaction that you get & some people spend the better part of their day debating over the Eibach/H&R comparison. Either one of those companies probably pays around $30 to make a set of tose things all painted and boxed up? You know what? It really doesnt matter! W202's dont have knife edge steering & by the time you install fat sway bars & better shocks, the springs are the LEAST of the 3 components that will end up affecting body roll & ride quality IMO. In this forum I always hear people complaining about how thier Eibachs are too soft & my H&R's are too stiff - whatever?

You could talk compression dampening, rates, all that stuff about springs but in the end I think the springs that were in my c36 were good enough. The car would have 'stiffened up' as a result of trimming of the coil ends & I could have saved $280 for some lighted entry sills and an avantguarde insert! Yep - I have 'buyers remorse' w/my spring purchase.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid65/p2fc83bd54098f32912d493f4d332e073/fbf96066.jpg

[Henry47]

yea, u could've saved the money from the H&R's, but when time comes to sell your car, you're not going to sell it SLAMMED like a mofo. Therefore, if you WERE using cut stock springs, you would have to either find a set of C36 springs UNCUT, or you'd have to go to the dealer to buy new springs. (probably pretty expensive)

[tommyCclass]

i agree... also, a lot of people arent running AMG stock springs to begin with... so for me at least (h&r springs, 1/2 coil cut up front).. the springs do wonders for my car. ...

but freakin....i had to pay $440 to get my springs installed. ... damn, friggin, riGgin, Son of A......:mad: :dispoint: :cry:

[Dr. ///AMG]

daMn you clowns got raped on the install!! HEre in so cal, we pay $120 and that's all :)

[schaltwerk]

Wow, sounds like some SERIOUS buyers remorse. And I can understand that. But to go as far as a saying you were better off with a $100 "blow torch special" on your factory springs and calling it day is kinda sad actually. I mean how many little tools do you see driving around their Honda's BOUNCING all over the place, cigarette in hand at the stoplight, thinking they are the total sh**? That's some serious Fast and Furious conditioning for the Gen-X masses on display for you right there. You gotta love those 75 series radials and orange sesame chicken japanese decals on the windows and type R decals. DUDE, that's what purely cut springs reminds me of. Trashy little rice cars. Ghetto.


You did the right thing but getting the good stuff on your car. I would say that their is more to Eibach and H&R springs than what you said though.

[Rocky]

you guys did get raped on prices.

I bought a set of bilstein sport shocks (X4) and a set of eibach's, with labor and alignment and bolt for about 1250 CDN.

[Luwin1026]

Yeah, prices are higher than what we pay here in LA.

Springs usually run for $250
Install for springs is $100

To change out pads, they usually charge like $80 for all 4.

4-wheel computer alignment is $50.


IMO, cutting springs is one way to ruin the ride of your car - there is reason why Eibach and H&R are suppliers to top racing teams around the world, and it is a given fact that there is much R&D involved in manufacturing a correct spring application.

You got it done, you got it done right - I'd much rather be remorseful over having done it right than to regret not doing it right the first time. :D

[Luwin1026]

Originally posted by ThreePointsix


There is a term in modding called 'glamour purchase' - something you bought that you really didnt need for your ride.

. . . & I could have saved $280 for some lighted entry sills and an avantguarde insert! Yep - I have 'buyers remorse' w/my spring purchase.



I would tend to think that lighted entry sills and an avantgarde insert would be more of a "glamour purchase" than a set of functional springs and shocks. ;)

[J Irwan]

Originally posted by Luwin1026



IMO, cutting springs is one way to ruin the ride of your car - there is reason why Eibach and H&R are suppliers to top racing teams around the world, and it is a given fact that there is much R&D involved in manufacturing a correct spring application.

................:D


:werd:


I wouldn't ever cut the stock spring for replacing the aftermarket lowering spring...(ie. H&R, Eibach, etc)...
That's just messed up..

Like Luwin said, these companies are specialized into making lowering spring, and they went into a lot of R&D to determine the correct spring rate and the "drop".

On site note, I am not sure how much coil you will have to cut your stock spring to achieve the same "drop" you have now..
My wild guess it would be approx 3 coils, and that I can guarantee will make the ride "bounchy" as hell..




Regardz,

J Irwan

[Ashman]

I test drove a w124 on cut springs, and it rode just fine.

I guess it all depends on how you get them cut or how much, but I prefer the stiffer springs to the softwer ride of the OEM springs.

Alon

[speedybenz]

IF you cut a spring that has a straight spring rate vs. a progressive spring rate you will most likely be ok.

When you cut say 10 percent off a straight rate spring you have effectively raised the spring rate 10 percent.

So a 500lb/in spring that is 10 inches long and is cut 1 inch, you will now have a spring with a spring rte of about 550lb/in.

The problem lies when you cut say 2 coils off your spring and end up with a really stiff spring that overpowers the shock damping. This would cause your car to bounce around.


Or you could of had me build you a set of Adjustable Spring Perches for less $ and then you can adjust your ride ht to whatever level you want. And run what ever spring rate you want.

Jeff

[HdS500]

LOL here's the ghetto way: put sand bags in the trunk

[Rocky]

Originally posted by HdS500
LOL here's the ghetto way: put sand bags in the trunk

Hahah no need...seems like European cars have a knack to sag in the rear. Just give it time hahaha.

[ThreePointsix]

The only reason there is mega negativity towards trimming stockers is b/c nobady has done it before on their W202! I have had trimmed springs on other cars, & yhea they bounce more. My H&Rs bounce 'a little more' but not to my liking. I wish it was stiffer. Koni orange shocks should solve that. If I drove an E or S class I would want a smooth ride to match the smooth demeanor of the car. My car is not any more slammed than the factory ride height of any BMW 330ci out there! My car will be sold lowered they way it is. It is low for a typical C-class but not ghetto or 2fast 2furious??? I just think it is possible to be happy w/trimmed AMG springs & good shocks & save some dough in the process?? I'm not gonna complain about a couple hundred bucks, but I just didnt feel a night & day difference with my springs - thats all

[So.Cal_Benzo]

Originally posted by Dr. ///AMG
daMn you clowns got raped on the install!! HEre in so cal, we pay $120 and that's all :)
You got ripped off by 20bucks foo! It's $100!:D

[Dr. ///AMG]

Originally posted by So.Cal_Benzo
You got ripped off by 20bucks foo! It's $100!:D

awww :( lol


So cutting the springs is the "Cowboy Special." :P

In my case, I it's day and night. I'll see how it does in my sister's car.

[Henry47]

in the bay before I was on bnzsport, I paid $200 for spring install. They didn't even use a spring compressor, but took off the control arm and whatnot. I chilled there w/ some friends n watched them work on my car for 6 hours.

[714guy]

Originally posted by Henry47
in the bay before I was on bnzsport, I paid $200 for spring install. They didn't even use a spring compressor, but took off the control arm and whatnot. I chilled there w/ some friends n watched them work on my car for 6 hours.

Yep thats what i did, i learned from that and now doing it myself. but i only paid 100 bucks.

[Dan The AMG Man]

To harp on this point again.. AMG/MB I think we, or maybe just I, have found that the mounting point for the spring holders will determine the height of the car and not the spring pad etc.. what I mean is what we all see.. A 96 C 36 with HR and a #2 pad front can be three different heights on three exact cars... that is why it seems that someone will ask "hey what are you running" and do it that way and find out that either your car is too low or too high and basing it on someone elses car is a good starting point but if the mounts are different then it is olny a guess on what will really work.. my car has HR and 2 in front and 3 in back.. I need to lower my front 1.5" ( can't be done with pads) and raise the back 1" ( cant be done without stacking pads, like lots of pads). 1/4" equals one "dot" To me it is the strangest setup in the world when you want something lower than stock and we all know that stock sucks.. anyone care to debate this or throw something into the mix..

[amg142]

Originally posted by ThreePointsix
The only reason there is mega negativity towards trimming stockers is b/c nobady has done it before on their W202! My friend has tried it on his C280...can you say harsh ride......and yeah he ended up installing aftermarket springs. btw I've gone through H&R, Carlsson(eibach), and Eibach springs. there is little difference in each, however, How can you say stock cut springs are the same?? Maybe cutting 1/2 a coil doesn't make a difference, but if you want that kind of drop you need to cut at least 2 1/2 and that effects the ride ...haven't you had cars in the past with cut springs in the past? I have too but I learned from my experiance?? Sorry but I'd rather pay a few hundred bucks on springs that have been tested and made for the max performance of my particular model car, thus re-assurance(sp?) that I can take high speed turns. My car squats and hugs the road, something my stock springs never did..

my .02

p.s I also paid $100 per install

[TSR Racing]

Paid zero for install when I used to work at benz. Had a certified tech do my shocks and springs in an hour and 20 mintues for free. Those guys are so fast, did my springs in 20 mintues!! People get ripped all the time, the only difference between those people and the people who pay better prices are the effort put in during research and how many places you go to. For some people, time is money (or wasting it is not an option, etc....) or they just don't care how much they pay and have the first shop they go to order the stuff and install instead of going on the internet or comparing prices and having a small independant shop do it (it's hard to mess the install up, have done it). Lesson, make friends with your local mercedes tech :D Having raced my C, I would recommend H&R's/Bilstein sports and #2 pads all the way around (EDIT: Realized I was sounding like some all knowing a**hole, oh well :) ) . Even a S4 converted RS4 owner who drove my car was impressed. But I did it more for better cornering, not the look. Just my 2 cents, hate seeing people waste money, thats all.
lates
TSR

[speedybenz]

Let me make something clear about my earlier post about cutting springs.

If your springs are the AMG springs which already have a spring rate similar to a Eibach or H&R spring then cutting that spring is going to work out fine and give you a lower ride ht. and a stiffer spring.

But, taking the stock springs which are too soft too start with and then cut them to get a lower ride ht. is not going to wrok well as the spring rate will still be too soft and with the lower ride ht. this will most likely lead to bottoming and poor ride quality and handling.

Jeff

[Frenchy]

I paid 35 $ in Belgium for the install of my springs and pads.

But when I did it the second time, I did it Myself....about 2 hours for one side, because I didn't have the right tools, and made one myself, to compress the spring. Nevertheless i'd had to release the lower arm to get the spring off for the front...;)