What do I need to know about "lowered" cars? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

shertex · #1 03-31-2012, 07:27 PM

Might look at an SDL that's been "lowered." What do I need to know? Should the ride feel any different, or does this merely affect the visual aesthetics? Can lowering a car have any adverse effects on the rest of the suspension?

Thanks.

tbomachines · #2 03-31-2012, 07:45 PM

Chances are it wasn't done right. They are probably using spring clamps or lopped off a bunch of coils. Does the car have SLS?? If it does then chances are its shot. The reason I say this is because there are very few if ANY aftermarket options for the SDL, any of them would likely have to be adapted from the SEC.

shertex · #3 03-31-2012, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

Chances are it wasn't done right. They are probably using spring clamps or lopped off a bunch of coils. Does the car have SLS?? If it does then chances are its shot. The reason I say this is because there are very few if ANY aftermarket options for the SDL, any of them would likely have to be adapted from the SEC.

Just confirmed that a coil was cut from each corner.

Skippy · #4 03-31-2012, 08:03 PM

That's usually bad, but not always. IF the alignment is in order, and IF the tires aren't rubbing anything, and IF the increased spring rate doesn't make the ride quality unacceptable, and IF the suspension isn't bottoming out, then you're probably ok.

Lowering is kind of like veg-there's nothing inherently wrong with either provided you do them right. The only problem is that 90+% of people do it wrong.

shertex · #5 03-31-2012, 09:22 PM

Is this, like, a generational thing? Does anyone over the age of 40 (or 30) want a lowered car? Suddenly I feel like wanting stock springs makes me an old fart.

bt1211 · #6 03-31-2012, 11:02 PM

Just over 50 and some of my cars are lowered.

Its just a trend. These kind of cars are just play-things to me. They are not worth much(to me anyway) so have a little fun with them. If my car was pristine with low miles I would'nt change it from stock.

My springs are cut but my butt can't tell the difference over stock. I still get compliments on how smooth the car rides.I had to put ball joints and tie-rods on it, so it was going in for an alignment anyway.

I had an opportunity to buy some lowering springs but its not really worth the cost for a street driven car with other "issues".

Mine

Squabble · #7 04-01-2012, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bt1211

Mine

boy that looks good! you should get some euro bumpers on her, balance out the look.

i got lowering springs for mine that are going on in a week. then comes an alignment and we'll see if the springs are staying or not.

just check the tire wear and ask about alignment issues. look for rubbing in the wheel well/on the fenders and marks on the tires.

i'm just over thirty and love the look of a lowered car. i love the late mercedes vehicles from the late '70's, through the '80s, and into the early '90's. but, i love the look of them tuned by AMG, Brabus, Lorinser, and Carlsson even more!

layback40 · #8 04-01-2012, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

Might look at an SDL that's been "lowered."
1/ What do I need to know?
2/ Should the ride feel any different, or does this merely affect the visual aesthetics?
3/ Can lowering a car have any adverse effects on the rest of the suspension?

Thanks.

1/ Best avoid. May look great until it has a fight with a speed hump. Since when does the average owner know the technical design details of their car. Most just cut springs & hope for the best.

2/ Yes it will affect the ride. Possibly in a negative way. Handling is also a concern. Lower does not always result in better handling.

3/ Has a major affect on the other parts of the suspension. The car is not designed to operate like this. All joints will have different loads on them. Some more, some less.

JamesDean · #9 04-01-2012, 09:31 AM

My 190E is lowered. It was like that when I bought it in 2006. It was most likely lowered long before that too. However, its a w201 and uses proper lowering springs.

I've not had any issues with suspension really. Nothing out of the ordinary. I replaced one ball joint and a pair of tie rods since I've owned it. I replaced all the rear suspension linkage, but that was because of age. None of it was in deplorable shape. I also swapped in some adjustable camber arms.

I gather that might be one of the issues in the rear, the camber might be out.

I wasn't aware of the SDL's coming with SLS, I thought that was a 560SEL/SEC only thing? I'm not super familiar with the SDLs though.

Lowering a w126 isnt anything new, just be sure to check out what others have mentioned.

My one friend told me that my lowered and stiffened up suspension-ed 190E takes bumps , pot holes, etc better than his 06 Charger.

Renntag · #10 04-01-2012, 01:00 PM

Funny, The original poster is looking for opinion based upon someone else's opinion (The previous owner lowering the car). What has followed is more opinion, no science.

TO say that everyone lowering a car did it wrong, is just opinion. To say that dude X did it correctly is opinion. All mods come with compromise. Ground clearance and tire wear are two potential concerns that are calculated risks. Much like choosing to wear fewer clothes in the summer you risk increased exposure to the sun. The benefit is a cooler you, the risk is sunburn. The same goes with the car, Pros and Cons.

I personally like both lowered and stock ride mercedes. The appearance of the lowered car when done tastefully is nice. Springs are cheap, who cares? If a car has aftermarket springs or cut springs, as long as everything else is in order and well sorted, the ride will be fine and arguably, the handling improved. Everything has compromise. Notice that people dont haul hay in sports cars? Notice that closed circuit road racing isnt done with garden variety trucks? Its about compromise.

TO the OP: If you like the car and its ride quality, then go for it. If at some point you wish to return it to stock, get some used springs. Simple.

So if I may answer the thread title:
"What do I need to know about "lowered" cars?"
Answer: They are lower.

Hip001 · #11 04-01-2012, 10:21 PM

I think it stems from my passion for racing, but I've always liked a low car. 47yr old here.
With that being said, if lowering a car/truck, there is a "CORRECT WAY" and the "WRONG WAY". The correct way has suspension parts that are designed to work together in the lower stance. The WRONG way is cutting coils or heating coils. Bottom line is you MUST understand that cutting corners will absolutely affect the effectiveness of your suspension and ride quality. You may loose handling, load carrying, or the ability to keep your alignment within specs causing tire wear. I may be alone with this statement but in some cases i think the look is worth some sacrifice. It all depends on what your goals are, ,usage of the car(daily driver -vs- show car)pain tolerance, and budget!

PLUS: you will never please everybody! The Mercedes purist will say you are ruining the car! And some others will say you've improved the car! All in all it is a individuals choice what he/she drives and what they do with it. But you can bet on the dealer and some buyers subtracting from the value due to it being lowered. I've driven and owned 5 different lowered cars/trucks but kept the factory parts and lifted back to factory height to sell.

Side note: I did some research a while back and there is a air-ride suspension available for the w123

that is completely adjustable from stock height to frame dragging low with a flip of a switch! That is what I'd like to try if I decide to lower a Benz.

Renntag · #12 04-01-2012, 11:17 PM

Again, just to be certain before people establish "right" and "Wrong" with out any science.
It is possible to cut coils to fine tune a suspension. It isnt common practice in street cars, but when you dont have an arsenal of springs to swap out, often in race cars we will remove sections of coils to achieve the right corner balance or ride height.

tbomachines · #13 04-01-2012, 11:28 PM

I didn't mean to start a right v. wrong spring war

Personally when I see a car is lowered I would prefer to see a coilover set or an aftermarket package because it has been engineered to SOME standard, purposes run the gamut. Anything that is "homemade" is a red flag to me just because of safety concerns. YMMV. If you want to do it right I'm sure you could calculate the spring rate vs coils/length chopped off to determine the stress on the suspension components. IMHO that's just too much work. Plus our springs are something like 3' in length, they are somewhat uncharacteristic if you're used to dealing with "stance" cars (Civics...). That's just my opinion. If you like it then go for it...I like lowered cars visually, I just am very skeptical of the safety and ride differences.

Renntag · #14 04-01-2012, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

I didn't mean to start a right v. wrong spring war

I dont think you did specifically. Who said anything about war?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

Personally when I see a car is lowered I would prefer to see a coilover set or an aftermarket package because it has been engineered to SOME standard, purposes run the gamut. Anything that is "homemade" is a red flag to me just because of safety concerns.

Installing a "Coil over" in a car not intended to be suspended in this way (common on the street) is not always safe. I have seen cars engineered with an inboard spring get converted to coilovers and the top mount push through and into the hood. Mind you this wasnt under normal conditions but rather at the race track. Bottom line though is that this was an "Engineered" upgrade that failed.

Dont be quick to knock what we have been doing in this country since the 50s. Before there were "kits", people actually made stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

... That's just my opinion. If you like it then go for it...I like lowered cars visually, I just am very skeptical of the safety and ride differences.

Cutting a coil or 2 from the stock springs in an older benz isnt going to compromise safety. As you mention they are already LONG springs, so they arent going to FALL out if cut.

To each his own. I just wanted to comment on the safety of cutting coils when done correctly.

Have fun.

tbomachines · #15 04-02-2012, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renntag

I dont think you did specifically. Who said anything about war?

Installing a "Coil over" in a car not intended to be suspended in this way (common on the street) is not always safe. I have seen cars engineered with an inboard spring get converted to coilovers and the top mount push through and into the hood. Mind you this wasnt under normal conditions but rather at the race track. Bottom line though is that this was an "Engineered" upgrade that failed.

Dont be quick to knock what we have been doing in this country since the 50s. Before there were "kits", people actually made stuff.

Cutting a coil or 2 from the stock springs in an older benz isnt going to compromise safety. As you mention they are already LONG springs, so they arent going to FALL out if cut.

To each his own. I just wanted to comment on the safety of cutting coils when done correctly.

Have fun.

I agree with just about all of that. For me, I'd have to do the math before considering it (spring rates, damper rates, etc) to see how it would affect it, but then again I'm a bit of a nerd and enjoy that stuff. I live by "whatever floats your boat", I think the OP was asking the potential risks involved and certainly if not done well, lowering can present risks. It can also present handing and ride modifications that may be in his favor or certainly not so, the only way is to get as much info as possible and go from there. So in conclusion I'd advise OP:

- If you are really concerned beforehand see how many coils or what length has been chopped off the springs. This should give you their characteristics via readily available formulas
- see if the gas shocks have been replaced, and their damper characteristics. which will further inform the spring rates and suspension characteristics
- More importantly, check it out in person. If you like it then great! Simply make sure there are no serious stress or rust points on the spring perches from the modification, and check out the suspension components if they exhibit signs of excess wear. If you don't like the way it sits or rides, let it go. There are a lot of cars out there that are stock and good purchases.
- If this bothers you in any way, walk, or factor in stock springs + install time/labor in the cost.