Lowering a clk

[stratos]

Hello all I have been lurking around here for a while gathering information. I wanted to lower my 2001 clk 200k W208. This site and some others have given me a lot of information.

So armed with all the info I could gather I orderd a set of Eibach lowering springs. I already have a lot of tools and I got a few more I needed too. This topic has been dealt with a lot already, I thought I could add some more of my experience. I did this job on a weekend in my driveway. The first thing this is an easy job but lying under you car on a driveway can be tedious and you have to do all four corners. If you just want to save money, do some overtime and get a garage to do it.

This aside it really is pretty easy.
This topic has been covered a lot on this forum but there were some unansewered questions which almost put me off attempting it.

The basic plan is to use trolley jacks to support the suspension forks and detach them where they join the body and lower them on a jack to release the springs. I just want to add some detail which may seem obvious to some people, I am not a mechanic and if anyone feels I am giving bad advice please say so.

Okay the first thing getting access to the car, The rear jacking point I used was the rear diff with axel stands under the rear jacking point rubbers just under where the stock jack goes. The front jacking point was a cross member just behind the plastic under tray be carefull the 02 sensor is very close, with axel stands on the front jacking point rubbers. I did the job using two axel stands and a long reach low trolley jack.

With the rear of the car in the air I did those springs first. With the road wheel off it's pretty easy to undo the the roll bar drop link(Plastic) and shock absorber two bolts. Use a trolley jack to support the outer edge of the suspension arm as you undo these bolts use the jack to raise the unloaded arm until the bolts come out.

the next bit is to use the little floor jack to support the inner part of the suspension arm. undo the nut where it joins the body use the floor jack to raise the the arm untill the bolt centres in the hole ie unloaded, then I used a long drill bit to punch the bolt out.

I wondered how much power was still in the spring at this stage, it turns out quite a bit, so lower the jack slowly until the bottom of the spring clears the arm and is fully unloaded. Then it's just a matter of prying out the spring pad and installing the new spring. Use the trolley jacks to raise the arm and guide the spring into both lower and upper mounts, make sure the lower spring mount sits properly as the top mount is free to rotate and will sort itself out.

Getting the inner arm mount to line up with the bolt holes is a little tricky and it will want to move inboard, I used a small trolley at the outer end to jack it up at a right angle to the car body and its natural movement pulled the arm out with another small jack inboard raising the arm. it takes a bit of jockying. With the bolt in the hole I had to use a hammer to drive it home.

Drop off the inner jack tighten the nut up and use the outer jack to raise the arm so you can reattach the drop link and shock mount. Make sure everything is tight and do the other side.

Anyone getting tired yet.
Jack up the front as earlier mentioned. everything here looks bigger and scarier, I almost put the wheel back on. However the front is actually easier than the back. The suspension fork has two mountings a T55 torx bolt and a 22 mm nut attaches them. the front shock attaches as the rear and you will need to undo two 13mm nuts to release the anti roll bar. Use a trolley jack to raise the outer arm to unload these items.

The inner arm attachment look scary, just undo the 22 mm nut then us a trolley jack to support the arm inboard(front mount), just jack it enough untill the bolt centres in the hole then the bolt will just pull out. The rear end of the mount is not under as much pressure as the front so with a bit of jockying it should just pull out after an intial punch. The torx bolt does not need to be held as it is keyed and will not rotate as you loosen the nut.

Then it's pretty much as the back reattach it all. The front spring looks huge and scary but in actual fact when you disconnected the shock and rollbar and let it hang down it has actually pretty much unloaded. repeat for the other side.

Put the car on its wheels job done. I replaced my number 2 pads on the rear with no 1 pads. kept the no 5 pads on the front but the car was uneven ( as it had been before I started) the passenger front was too high so i replaced the 5 pad wit a one.

Okay I hoped this hasn't bored everyone to death.
This lowered My clk by about 20mm all round it looks excellent I think much more purposefull. The ride is excellent a little bit harder but so much more composed.

Just to add you really need 2 small floor (trolley) jacks to this job easily, and a 22mm deep reach socket to undo the 4 front arm nuts.

I can post pictures if people want but i think there already is a diy here somewhere. I have added a picture of the huge gap that got me started on this project. I hope this helps in some small way.

Sorry long winded post, but if I could add thank you to all those who posted here and elsewhere about spring pads ( and code numbers) and lowering the clk and for giving me the nerve to have a go.

 

[Billy610]

I done the same job on my slk 6 weeks ago, except it was H&R springs. Unlike yours my front end was a pig to do (2 hours a side) , but the rear was a piece of cake (20 mins a side). If I was going to do the job again I think I'd wait until I'd sourced a set of MB spring compressors. Apparently you can do all four corners in an hour with it!

 

[fumiyasu]

I am looking to buy a w208... hopefully this friday and will most likely do some lowering on it. I couldn't find a very central website for tech guides. (as oppose to the previous cars I had, E36, E30, Alfa 156, MX5, all had plenty of DIY guides.) So your post is definitely going to be very useful. I was just wondering thou if you have the torque specs on the bolts? Also, since this one on Friday is first one I am going to view and I haven't seen any suspension diagrams of the CLK I have no idea how the CLK suspension looks like. But from your description, I am guessing it's not coil over set up? Hence I could possibly do the springs just with spring compressors and the wheels off of the car?

 

[stratos]

oops

 

[stratos]

good luck with your new purchase.
Yes the suspension is a multi link fork design with inboard spring on a suspension arm. There is an MB spring compressor tool. Access looks pretty tight for a conventional spring tool. However i have never used one.
The clk has been a good car for me mine is an 01 200k, I have 116,000 miles on the car.

The common problems I have had.
Exhaust manifold cracked at 50,000 miles 1200 Euros. Known problem affects only early cars.
Srs light on, usually seat occupancy sensor about 115 Euros diy fit.Involved job.
Diff leaking oil, gasket to be replaced.
It's a really easy car to work on for the diyer and very fuel efficient if driven carefully 34 Mpg

A more recent problem is an alloy bracket that goes around the steering column at the bulkhead broke and dropped the clutch pedal return spring and a large lump of alloy on the floor. Funny thing is the clutch action is far improved I always had a problem smoothly pulling off now no problem.

Thats about it not bad really. lovley car to drive but I did find the stock suspension too soggy( on hard cornering it used to scrape its mud flaps on the road now thats leaning ), and even turned off the traction control still works a bit. However after fitting the tighter suspension I held a tail slide out of a bend on a wet road, Impossible on the old set up (well for me)

 

[stratos]

Well it's a week later and the car settled about another centimeter or a bit less. The overall drop being just over an inch, a small drop but, as the picture shows the car looks much better. I have included a picture of an installed front spring ( note the hammer ).

The car is transformed and now really feels like a sports car. The Esp is not able to interfere as much when turned off as the suspension is too quick for it. The car is even a bit twitchy in the wet.( only a 200k )

I hadn't considered the camber issue, maybe I should have I will see how it goes. I have a few fixes in mind. I will need to get the tracking checked.

My overall opinion is the car is much better to drive. On bad surfaces you need to slow down a bit as the lack of suspension travel can be felt, on reasonable B roads and everything above, it is a vast improvement.

emm just to add, 2 benefits I have not heard mentioned before, on motorway drives the mpg is about 2 mpg better (Less drag ),and it's easier to clean the roof ( lower ).

 

[stratos]

Just thought i'd add 2 more pics. The first one is the rear suspension arm lowered showing the 2 small trolley jacks. The large jack is not supporting the car and an axle stand is visible in the pic.

The second pic is the front spring ready to go in. Once again thanks to all who pioneered this easy install, this is just my small add on.

I have been reading posts here about springs breaking. the springs I took out had the outer paint cracked and bulged, as if badly rusted, I didn't give it much thought I will have a deeper look.

 

[DJC013]

Hello, good post with helpful pictures. I want to change the shocks & springs on my 2001 SLK, believe that the suspension setup is similar, pictures are very helpful, regards Damian.

 

[stratos]

Here is a picture of the springpads found in the turrets at the top of the spring. The clk has four different types size 2 to size 5. The bumps are clearly visible on the pads telling you which one it is. The front and back are not interchangeable as they are different diameters.

A one size pad is available for both back and front of the clk, but the part is for the W10 model. I fitted number 1 W10 pads to my car. I have the code numbers if anyone wants them.

A use ful drop of about 10 mm may be acheived just by changing the pads, if you have no 5 all round. It's easy to check with the wheel off you can usually see the bumps telling you which size you have fitted.

 

[Howard]

Elegance suspension sits about 25 mm higher than the Avantgarde spec suspension ( OEM ) .

The Elegance suspension is very bouncy compared to the Avantgarde as well ..

 

[NW_Merc]

Is it necessary to change both shocks and springs to achieve this drop successfully or will just springs do this? If this has already been answered I apologise.

 

[stratos]

I always wondered what the difference was between the Elegance and Avantgarde models was, and yes I would agree the Elegance is very bouncy. I probably just should have bought an Avantgarde and saved myself all the work.

To ansewer nw_mercs question I used Eibach springs which are designed to work with the original shocks and only the springs needed changing along with the spring pads, if needed.