EPC help please.

[chrisk2010]

Hi all,

I need a little help to make sure I'm about to get the right parts. My car has a "Sports Package" and I'm planning on changing the droplinks, tie rods + ends, upper control arms and anti-roll bar bushes to tighten up the front end a bit. They're all pretty cheap parts so why not, plus i don't like doing an alignment more than once if i can help it.

I'm wondering what is affected by the sports package though. The drop links seem to be and after soom googling the anti-roll bar bushes may well be bonded which would mean a new anti-roll bar.

I probably know the answer and the rest is just brakes and suspension but I've have started second guessing myself now and may just need some reassurence lol.

Thanks in advance

 

[grober]

Mercedes Benz EPC Type W203 203 C-Class Information Everything Benz

 

[chrisk2010]

Thanks Grober i did have a look on there yesterday but it doesn't say what is for the sports set up and what isn't.

I also looked on here search for auto parts, spare parts aggregator, buy spare parts and aftermarket parts for a car but same thing.

GSF says the anti-roll bar bushes are "lifetime" i think they mean the life time of the bar itself and i found a thread that mentioned they were bonded. ECP states there are sports drop links with a 12mm thread or nut i can't quite remember as i have slept since then.

Would the control arms or anything else up front be affected?

I don't think it would be but i guess i'm just putting caution to the wind.

 

[Codger49]

Just post up your VIN and those members with EPC can list the part numbers for droplinks, anti roll bar etc to give you confirmation.

 

[grober]

I imagine most of the suspension will be the same ---- ordinary and sportline with sportline the ride height would be altered by shorter springs/struts which might entail shorter drop links to maintain correct resting sway bar orientation? irrc thay have different part nos
item 50 option 486 sports suspension
TORSION BAR,FRONT MERCEDES C 230 (203052)

 

[IanW]

I investigated this to upgrade my W209 CLK from normal to sports (aka option 486 in EPC). I believe that the W203 is the same in this respect.
Standard suspension uses M10 fittings, the sport version uses M12 fittings on the shock absorber, drop links and anti-roll bar; the spring calculator in EPC gives a different coil spring (according to engine+other options) and, for the rear springs, different spring spacer.
The front a/r bar bushes are indeed bonded, however Eibach and H&R offer aftermarket versions.
For the real cheapskates, having checked this weekend, I reckon the ARB bushes from a W202 can be made to fit in the W203 brackets.

Other suspension items are the same, to the best of my knowledge, as are the brakes. According to EPC, only the AMG option has the bigger brakes.
Replacing the front axle front and rear strut rods will have a suitably 'tightening' effect.

After going from the standard to the sport suspension, I found no noticeable difference in ride height.

HTH,
Ian.

 

[chrisk2010]

My apologies guys I wasn’t getting the update alerts for some reason even though I was watching the thread.

Thank you very much for all the help I came to the same conclusion that there isn’t as much affected as I thought there would be. I have the 12mm drop links in my basket and I need a spare hour to have a look at the antiroll bar bushes but they looked ok when I was under there.

I’ll replace the control arms as it’s an easy task and research shows they aren’t uprated bushes from what I can see. I’ll also do the tie rods and tie rods ends as it’s a £40 job.

I’ll do the front first as it takes most of the abuse from driving and then I’ll get under rear with a light to see how that is. I’m holding off looking under the rear on the basis of what I don’t know won’t hurt me because if I find something wrong it’ll drive me crazy and I’ll start spending.

I’m not planning on doing anything with the shocks or springs as the house is being done this year and disposable income is a little tight and I’m pretty happy with the ride as it is. The same with the brakes, for the size of the car they’re more than enough and I’ll only end up having to replace the wheels to get the clearance for larger callipers which is a can of worms I do not want to open wanting to keep the car as stock as possible. Plus if I’m driving around with AMG brakes and 19” alloys the missus WILL divorce me for not buying a new fridge, carpet and sofa and I’ll have to look at making the interior more comfortable as I’ll be living it the car.

Thank you for all the help guys