What shocks, lowered E350 Cab?

[Ben320cdi]

I have dropped my E350 cab with HR springs. Stance is great car looks cool and generally drives well. However if I hit a dip/yump in the road the car will almost take off. I'm assuming I could do with a slightly firmer shock to go with the springs. I don't want the car to knock all my fillings out just be a little more composed at speed. All advice welcomed.

 

[MancMike]

If you use shorter springs, you need firmer shocks to stop the car bottoming out with less travel. That's going to give it a firmer ride, you can't have it both ways.

If you want it to ride bumps nicely again, put it back to how it was.

 

[RickyBurrows]

I have dropped my E350 cab with HR springs. Stance is great car looks cool and generally drives well. However if I hit a dip/yump in the road the car will almost take off. I'm assuming I could do with a slightly firmer shock to go with the springs. I don't want the car to knock all my fillings out just be a little more composed at speed. All advice welcomed.

Let's see it then.

 

[Ben320cdi]

Here she is. I take on board the comment shorter springs firmer shocks. But the HR springs are marketed as being compatible with stock shocks. They are fine 90% of the time. But if driving briskly shall we say and the car encounters something like a dip in the road it does feel like you are going to take off. I suppose an almost 2 ton car will do this in most cases anyway.

 

[RickyBurrows]

Here she is. I take on board the comment shorter springs firmer shocks. But the HR springs are marketed as being compatible with stock shocks. They are fine 90% of the time. But if driving briskly shall we say and the car encounters something like a dip in the road it does feel like you are going to take off. I suppose an almost 2 ton car will do this in most cases anyway.

Nice! And yeah i think that to must be the weight, I've used springs on previous cars coilovers, springs with dampers and all have been fine only difference is stiffness, I'm convinced it's the weight and the seats that don't hug you as good as a recaro definitely change the feel more than you might think.

 

[MancMike]

But the HR springs are marketed as being compatible with stock shocks. They are fine 90% of the time.

And that's enough to cover their marketing claims legally.

It's rubbish, but fewer people will buy the springs if they think they also need to be buying other stuff too.

 

[RickyBurrows]

And that's enough to cover their marketing claims legally.

It's rubbish, but fewer people will buy the springs if they think they also need to be buying other stuff too.

When I had springs on a previous car it felt brilliant I didn't need to upgrade the dampers the handling was a lot better, I did put dampers on it in the end which also dramatically improved the handling but it wasn't necessary.

 

[Londonscottish]

Here she is. I take on board the comment shorter springs firmer shocks. But the HR springs are marketed as being compatible with stock shocks. They are fine 90% of the time. But if driving briskly shall we say and the car encounters something like a dip in the road it does feel like you are going to take off. I suppose an almost 2 ton car will do this in most cases anyway.

Looks nice but I went through all this bollx when I modded a 200SX. All I wanted was a slight drop but had no choice but to get springs with a higher rate at the same time. Binned the original dampers (which were pretty soft anyway) and put on the recommended upgrades which were better but still too soft for the springs. So at times going over a yump the upwards momentum of the body overcame the damping.

In retrospect, from a handling point of view, I'd have been better off keeping the standard springs and upgrading the dampers (as I once did on an Alfa 33 to great effect). Or shortening the existing springs and upgrading the dampers.

In your case the springs are no doubt not just shorter but a higher spring rate and therefore you'll need stiffer dampers. Adjustable Bilsteins or Koni might to the job as you can dial them up and down to get the best setting.

 

[HB]

Simple, stick a set of Bilstein B8 or Koni Sports ( Yellow ones) in it. The Koni is adjustable for ride comfort ( I dial in about 45 degrees for a compliant and controlled ride. Even if you leave them on full soft, they are about 30% harder than standard shocks) The Bilsteins are non adjustable but control the car brilliantly and they give a great ride.

That's all you have to do. Whenever you lower a car , you gotta do the shocks. Those who think otherwise do not know what they're talking about.

 

[RickyBurrows]

Simple, stick a set of Bilstein B8 or Koni Sports ( Yellow ones) in it. The Koni is adjustable for ride comfort ( I dial in about 45 degrees for a compliant and controlled ride. Even if you leave them on full soft, they are about 30% harder than standard shocks) The Bilsteins are non adjustable but control the car brilliantly and they give a great ride.

That's all you have to do. Whenever you lower a car , you gotta do the shocks. Those who think otherwise do not know what they're talking about.

You don't have to change dampers unless your racing or more serious about performance, lowering springs are more than suitable for a road car, I have them on front of mine and it don't need dampers unless I wanted to stiffen it up even more, it depends on why your lowering it is it for look or use, spring are capable without the need for dampers if it's for look. I've never heard anyone complaining about just putting springs on unless there looking for more performance and adjustability.

 

[MancMike]

But the OP's actual problem is proof of this.

As said;

Whenever you lower a car , you gotta do the shocks. Those who think otherwise do not know what they're talking about.

 

[Ben320cdi]

For what its worth my old c-class performed perfectly on HRs and standard shocks. I thinks its just the weight of the e that's making the difference. Bilstein sound the way to go. Thanks to all.

 

[Ben320cdi]

Ok I tried a few companies I have used in the past. None list a Bilstein B8 for the W207 cabrio nor do they list a Koni sport for my car. Anyone got another suggestion?

 

[RickyBurrows]

For what its worth my old c-class performed perfectly on HRs and standard shocks. I thinks its just the weight of the e that's making the difference. Bilstein sound the way to go. Thanks to all.

Yeah my e class is fine on springs, it's no were near as stiff as previous cars I've owned with just springs but that's down to the weight of the merc, and the dampers being softer in general as there for comfort over performance, but obviously it's not going to hurt it with just springs, it's just not going have performance car handling without the dampers aswell.

 

[HB]

You don't have to change dampers unless your racing or more serious about performance, lowering springs are more than suitable for a road car, I have them on front of mine and it don't need dampers unless I wanted to stiffen it up even more, it depends on why your lowering it is it for look or use, spring are capable without the need for dampers if it's for look. I've never heard anyone complaining about just putting springs on unless there looking for more performance and adjustability.

Nonsense I'm afraid.

If you are running an S211 lowered on standard shocks, your car must be shocking to drive. The uncontrolled wheels bouncing about , your car lurching up and down on motorway undulations. How is it when you hit some bumps on a bend ? - a nightmare etc. I had Eibach springs with Bilstein B8 at the front and B6 on the rear - specific for the S211. It was marvellous.

A lowered car without changing the shocks is wrong.

 

[RickyBurrows]

Nonsense I'm afraid.

If you are running an S211 lowered on standard shocks, your car must be shocking to drive. The uncontrolled wheels bouncing about , your car lurching up and down on motorway undulations. How is it when you hit some bumps on a bend ? - a nightmare etc. I had Eibach springs with Bilstein B8 at the front and B6 on the rear - specific for the S211. It was marvellous.

A lowered car without changing the shocks is wrong.

I've owned a Honda accord type r on tein coilovers and every other possible upgrade set up for track use I know how a car should handle mate, and my 211 is no sports car and it hasn't changed much lowering it, other than improving turning in and carrying a bit more speed round corners, other than that it just looks alot better which was my whole reason for doing it, Just because you put springs on something don't mean you need to go the whole way and don't mean it's wrong to not put dampers on it, it's not a track weapon. Yeah it will be better but that's not the point your making out you NEED dampers and that is a total load of ****.

 

[HB]

I've owned a Honda accord type r on tein coilovers and every other possible upgrade set up for track use I know how a car should handle mate, and my 211 is no sports car and it hasn't changed much lowering it, other than improving turning in and carrying a bit more speed round corners, other than that it just looks alot better which was my whole reason for doing it, Just because you put springs on something don't mean you need to go the whole way and don't mean it's wrong to not put dampers on it, it's not a track weapon. Yeah it will be better but that's not the point your making out you NEED dampers and that is a total load of ****.

You NEED dampers to make the car drive with an controlled attitude. It is both uncomfortable with the pitch / yaw and vertical motion you get without correct dampers.

Let's see the state of your dampers after 5k. They will be totally sh4gged as they can't work with the lowered compression they are under. They're doing double the work.

My 211 was not a track weapon either but, that's not the point. It was safer to drive as it didn't lurch about ( which yours will do ) and it controlled its wheels much better giving a far more compliant ride and because the correct dampers are being used, my tyres didn't get worn unevenly ( as yours will with the wheels bouncing around badly)

Don't forget one key thing on the S211 - you have air shocks at the back. Did you lower it with star so the car is level ?. If not , you will damage the rear shocks which cost a fortune to replace.

 

[RickyBurrows]

You NEED dampers to make the car drive with an controlled attitude. It is both uncomfortable with the pitch / yaw and vertical motion you get without correct dampers.

Let's see the state of your dampers after 5k. They will be totally sh4gged as they can't work with the lowered compression they are under. They're doing double the work.

My 211 was not a track weapon either but, that's not the point. It was safer to drive as it didn't lurch about ( which yours will do ) and it controlled its wheels much better giving a far more compliant ride and because the correct dampers are being used, my tyres didn't get worn unevenly ( as yours will with the wheels bouncing around badly)

Don't forget one key thing on the S211 - you have air shocks at the back. Did you lower it with star so the car is level ?. If not , you will damage the rear shocks which cost a fortune to replace.

Fair point about uneccasry wear, im willing to overlook that for the look i wanted from the springs which I'm happy with but is a thing to think of, and yeah my cars been lowered on the back and put on are hunter wheel alignment after.

 

[whitenemesis]

I would never lower a car on springs only, always fit matched dampers. Better still get coil-overs where the spring/damper characteristics have been sorted by the manufacturer.
I fitted Bilstein P14s to my S203, totally transformed the car. Gone was the rebound happy MB Sports suspension, the P14s had great damping and controlled rebound. I had a ~35mm drop.

Fitted by Olly at PCS and all set-up at Wheels-in-Motion, crucial to get the ride heights even and all the geometry properly set.

Don't just bang in shorter springs and expect it to drive well

 

[MancMike]

Fair point about uneccasry wear, im willing to overlook that

But you're giving advice to the OP that it's perfectly fine and he might not be willing to overlook that...