I have found this site very useful in making a recent upgrade decision, especially with all the user pics. I thought I'd post pics of my 97 E420 as I swap out wheels and lower it to help anyone else deciding whether or not to mod their W210. Got the wheels done. Lowering pics to follow shortly.
-16" stock wheels replaced with ASA ST3, 18x8, 18x9 (tire rack)
-Tires are 235/40 and 265/35 Bridgestone RE750s (tire rack)
-Koni adjustable sport shocks and H&R lowering springs (to be installed this week)
-Stock pads
how heavy are those new wheels & tires? does it feel like the car is more sluggish & slower off teh line with teh new rims?
The 18x8s rims are 26 lbs each. I don't see any real difference in acceleration off the line; but it corners great now with the new springs, shocks and wider tire footprint. Here is a picture of the finished product...
The 18x8s rims are 26 lbs each. I don't see any real difference in acceleration off the line; but it corners great now with the new springs, shocks and wider tire footprint. Here is a picture of the finished product...
Did you change out the spring pads, or did you stay with the stock number? What number pads are on there now?
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Richard / E320
2001 M-B E320 / Glacier White / Java Leather / 18" AMG Style III & Bridgestone Potenza's
Did you change out the spring pads, or did you stay with the stock number? What number pads are on there now?
I honestly never checked to see what # the pads were. I just kept the stock. I put the wheels on first and eyeballed it-- I figured close to an inch and a half loweing with H&R springs would be just fine so I went for it. I also checked out your "lowering springs" post before deciding and sort of followed suit Thanks!
I honestly never checked to see what # the pads were. I just kept the stock. I put the wheels on first and eyeballed it-- I figured close to an inch and a half loweing with H&R springs would be just fine so I went for it. I also checked out your "lowering springs" post before deciding and sort of followed suit Thanks!
Riv420;
Your's turned out great! It probably has number two pads on there; if so, you could easily lower it slightly more if that's the look you want. Looks great as-is though, so like me, maybe you don't want to mess with it... I'm always worried about 'Murphy's Law'...
Very few--see Brabus, AMG, BBS, etc.--aftermarket parts can equal the quality of original Mercedes parts ... let alone be considered an "upgrade."
When Mercedes offers different tire/wheel sizes, the entire suspension is engineered to match.
Without similar engineering, changes by owners seldom are "upgrades."
Do you have any facts to back that up? There were numerous tire/wheel size combos offered by Mercedes on the W210 with zero changes to the suspension. 215/55/16 on 16x7.5 ET41, 235/45/17 on 17x7.5 ET 41, 235/45/17 on 17x7.5 ET 37, 235/45/17 on 17x8 ET35... The OP's wheel width and offset -- the two wheel factors that relate the most to suspension design -- are within the factory ranges!
Also, in Europe, various suspension height & dampening settings were offered depending on the trim levels (e.g. Avantgarde), without necessarily changing the tire size!
As for his selection of parts, ASA wheels are licensed by BBS.
Your's turned out great! It probably has number two pads on there; if so, you could easily lower it slightly more if that's the look you want. Looks great as-is though, so like me, maybe you don't want to mess with it... I'm always worried about 'Murphy's Law'...
What tire pressures are you running? Anyone have a 235/40 and 265/35 Bridgestone setup that can chime in? Thanks,
Chris
If the max pressures on all four are the same, use that. If not, use the lower of the two.
Manufacturers typically tell owners to underinflate their tires, to get a softer ride. It's free for them, but costs you in fuel milage, handling and tire life.
Thanks!
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