Has anyone lowered a Cab?

[JaceyBoy]

Just interested to see if anyone has done this with eibach springs etc?, might make the ride a little more responsive?

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

Just interested to see if anyone has done this with eibach springs etc?, might make the ride a little more responsive?

I'm sure this can be done, but I'm not sure that it is a good idea.

I trained as a structural engineer, and I am aware that cabriolets tend to have much lower body stiffness - especially torsional stiffness - than a similar saloon or coupe with a roof. A cabriolet depends on the softness of the road springs to avoid imposing too much torsional loading (twisting forces) on the weaker body structure.

If you change the springs for stiffer ones, they will load up more quickly than soft springs and therefore transfer greater torsional loading into the body structure, which can never be a good thing. How bad it is in terms of decreased fatigue life of the body structure I cannot say, because I am not an expert in car design. But I hope this explains the need for soft springs, and that if you fit harder ones, something else will eventually have to give.

You should take advice from people who know, possibly the manufacturers of suspension kits who ought to know, but there is also Mercedes themselves.

 

[Howard]

You'll need to change the shocks too , otherwise the lowering springs will be effectively compressing the existing shocks all the time with the weight of the car partially sitting on them ....

If you don't , it will be like driving a magic carpet after a few hundred miles as the shocks all wear out at warp speed ....

A few people on here have lowered their w208's , but as Tony says , the cab requirements may be different ?

Good luck

H

 

[grober]

You could try raiding the parts bin for the CLK430 or the AMG CLK55? However as Tony E300D pointed out the torsional stiffness of the cabriolet could be a problem. Knowing the thoroughness of MB engineering the higher performance models may have additional chassis re-enforcement added above even the standard cabriolet body spec ? Best to leave as is. The car looks pretty cool as original.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello,

My previous car was a BM convertible with the M-suspension and I also fitted 19" wheels, OK the ride was harder but it drove very well and my wife didn't complian even when expecting.

I have also had a MX5 years ago which was Very low and handled like a Go cart, that had adjustable suspension and uprated anti roll bars front and rear.

For me its looks over comfort

Both superb in the French alps roof down

 

[JaceyBoy]

Ive seen one, guess this is what it looks like when done

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/239903.htm

 

[grober]

Ive seen one, guess this is what it looks like when done

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/239903.htm

Phone the guy and ask how he did it. If he's an enthusiast he won't mind.

 

[JaceyBoy]

Yeah I have emailed him....

 

[MBManInKen]

guess this is what it looks like when done

Not a pretty sight .

 

[robert.saunders]

I have hired a cab tho!

Boom boom

 

[bolide]

deleted

 

[Howard]

It might look cool , but in terms of practicality its probably too low ....

You'll go through endless exhausts , sump guards etc and be forever touching on speed bumps .... with any passengers , it will be worse.

Unless your drive to work involves travelling over some salt flats each day , you'll probably regret putting it that low ....

When i got my car , it had been dropped by the previous owner by approx 50mm , it was too low , so i had it raised up a bit and now it has a 35mm drop which has made all the difference.

You could try swapping out the suspension ( if it is an Elegance , or Classic for Avantgarde suspension which IIRC is 20mm lower ) ...

Good luck

H