Two weeks ago I purchased a very well maintained Black 2000 CLK 430 ( Looked at at least 5 in my price range). Love the car! Last weekend I ordered 19" Monet Expressions (Staggered) with the black centers and polished lips (Brabus mono 6 replicas) and Nitto 555's. I will being having these installed next Friday or Saturday, hopefully with suspension work.
I have read almost every post about lowering on this and other websites. I feel after all the reviews I prefer these two options. After contacting several shops I discovered I can get a great deal on the H&R Cup Kit to the point it is a little less than the H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks.
Here is the thing though, I have owned many lowered/slammed cars and I worry about being *too low* with the cup kit. This car will be a daily driver (10 miles to work and back), and at times will have the wife and infant son in the car with me.
Do I have to worry about being too low with the cup kit? I love the look!
How low does the car sit off the ground with the cup kit (inches)?
What types of driving challenges do the cup kits have i.e. places you can't go because your too low? or, maybe it's no issue at all...
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
I have the cup kit and 19's. I like the ride but its definitely more firm than stock (I like it more than stock). If you keep your stock front bumper you shouldnt have many problems with scraping. If you get an aftermarket bumper then you definitely have to worry about steep inclines and attack them at an angle.
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
I love your ride bro! Thanks for the response.
I have been tossing back and forth over this issue for a week now. What about scraping the undercarriage over speed bumps and such. I am assuing you take it diagonally?
I have owned and slammed many vehicles including trucks and honda's. But with this car, I want to do it right.
I want a clean lowered look and that is why I like the cup kit. How low does your car sit off the ground, 5-1/2" or so? What else can you tell me?
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
I've never had a problem with the undercarriage scraping... until yesterday. I had just gotten off my cell and was putting it down (while looking ot see where to put it) and there was a big dip and some kind of protrusion in the center of the road. All i heard was krrrrkkkk and then a continuous scratching noise! I thought I had busted my tires but fortunately it was the undercarriage that got hit and was dragging on the floor. Only the clips are messed up and there is a small crack in the undercarriage. I took the other bolts off and threw it in the trunk and drove home. Man that was a long story. Anyway I take speed bumps head on and slow depending on the size of the bump. Thanks for the compliment about the car[:D] I will measure the ride height when I get my hands on a ruler and some free time.
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
I installed #2 spring pads on the F & R, H&R springs with OEM shocks...car had relatively low mileage and I'm on 18" wheels. I do hit the air dam sometimes when getting in/out of some gas stations...depending on the incline....I also scrape the air dam on those dam parking stops. I would NEVER go any lower than what I'm at right now.
Behind each wheel from the skirt to the ground, the front is 4", the rear, 5".
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
Hey, and welcome! If you don't really care about going too low, go all out with the cup kit especially if you can get it cheaper than the H&R and koni setup. Expect like a 2.5 - 3+ inch drop with the cup kit, its a pretty substantial drop. I have a carlsson RS bodykit on my car and the front bumper would be way too low with the cup kit, thats why I opted for the eibach/bilstien setup. Also I live in Boston and the road conditions here are horrendous, and I still scrape my bumper! If you are going to keep the stock AMG bumper definetly go with the cup kit, but watch out for that negative camber. My drop isn't that big and I can still notice negative camber when I look at my rear tires.
here's a pic of my ride. I also have 19" black brabus VI replicas
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
Thank you so much for your input clk55fan and sicrx65!
I do plan on sticking with the stock bumper at this time.
clk55fan - Thanks for going out and measuring. 4" front 5" rear is pretty low.. I see why you would scrape on a 6" high parking stop! I see you got the H&R's with #2 pads up front. How much did the pads drop it alone? Did you go from like a #4 up front to a #2? It sounds like you are pretty damn low!
sicrx65 -
3" drop all around would deffentely be too low considering right now I am 6" all the way around from ground to skirt. From what I understand the cup kit on the 430 will drop it 2.2" in front 2" rear. Maybe if I get concerned I will go the other way with the pads and add a #5 up front....
Here is a question, 19" w/ 235 35 19's up front are the same height as the stock 17's? Or are they a tad bigger? or worse, shorter??
I am still leaning towards the cups because they are cheaper and work together well from what I hear.
sicrx65 - Looks like I might be getting the same type of wheels, Looks fricken hot man!
RE: H&R Cup Kit or H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks?
I have a good three inches of clearence on my front bumper. Just go up curbs at an angle and avoid dips in the road. I don't know what the road conditions are where you live, but i'm still surviving with my drop and new england roads. The cupkit should be fine just be more cautious when you're driving.
P.S. Easside my friend who previously owned a 430 with #1 pads all around and the cupkit had a little over a three inch drop. His shit was SLAMMED!!! If thats too low just go with a higher pad. His camber was pretty bad too.
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