ND103

Hi all,

I know that the topic of suspension upgrades has been beaten to death for the W210. But after searching the archives, I still cannot find a definite answer.

I have a completely stock '01 E430. I also have a set of '02 E55 springs. I intend to buy a set of Bilsteins (either HD or SP) to go with the E55 springs, then having everything installed with #2 or #3 pads (or a mix depending on final visual height - I know about the fender differences causing the front to look higher at times).

I have been told that the Bilstein HD is a direct replacement for the stock E55 as well as the E430. I have also found out that there is no difference in valving, only a difference in piston length to accomodate shorter springs (in the SP).

I do want a slightly lower stance, but not something that looks overly obvious (ie, no slammed look for me).

So given the above, and the fact that I'm lookin for about an inch drop or so, should I go for the HD's or the SP's??

Thanks in advance,
Antony

Whitey

I would go with the Bilstein Sports. Assuming it is true that the HDs are the direct replacement for the E55 setup, I would still go with the one with the longer piston travel i.e. Sport. That way, you could still have the option of going lower in future if you want to without the need to change the shocks and suffer any major sacrifices, if any in damping capabilities (and I don't think there is any between the two).

sbarsap

From my research, I found that the HD's are the direct replacement for the E55 Shocks. I was going to go with the Bilstein HD/E55 Spring combo but decided to go with the Bilstein SP/Eibach combo since I heard it would be less harsher of a ride than the HD/E55.

I haven't yet received the parts for my upgrade but will let you know how it turns out, please do the same. BTW I have an Stock 01 E430 myself with the sport pkg with the 17" wheels. The suspension would be my first mod and am looking forward to it.

Can you please post the part numbers for your E55 Springs for future reference. I have had conflicting #'s when I was searching for the springs.


Good Luck.

ND103

Thanks for the replies. I'm leaning towards the SP since I won't have to worry about going too low with the spring pads and causing detrimental effects to the suspension system.

Not to add confusion to sbarsap, but I did the exact opposite. I was going to go with the Eibach, but then heard that the E55 springs were slightly less harsh! I guess it's all a matter of interpretting what others have done. But since I already have the E55 springs, that's the way I'm going.

As for part numbers, I unfortunately don't have them, and unless they're printed on the springs, I couldn't offer much help. I bought them from a fellow MBWorld lister (Cap3), who decided to install some stiffer springs onto his '02 E55.

I probably won't have this project under way until sometime in March due to other more "pressing" projects around the house (and am installing some performance goodies onto my 944 Turbo).

I will post before and after pix once things are under way.

Good luck.

Antony

Whitey

Just for clarity, pads have no relationship to the piston travel needed, it is the length of spring that is relevant here. Good luck on your decision.

My Eibachs feel just fine to me, but then, I've never tried the E55's.

PUREMS

Use the sport shocks for lowering springs. At full droop with the HD's, you run the risk of the spring being loose between the upper and lower perches. The valving between the two is the same.

The Bilsteins are a firm shock, not particularly well suited for rougher city roads. If you're looking for something a bit more comfortable, consider KONI shocks. Their design is much better suited to make rough roads more bearable.

jimmydagreek

Sorry Whitey but I think the info. is a little backwards. If the E55 springs are the same length as the stock E430 springs, then you need the shocks with the longer range of piston travel comparable to the stock shocks. The HD's are the ones that you would use because the sports are shorter with a shorter range of piston travel to be used with shorter springs. Follow me?

Whitey

Jimbo I meant the SP piston is designed to travel further not the physical length. I seem to recall the tubes of the HD and Sport aren't too different in length - logically, if it were shorter it wouldn't even fit (I'm not sure so please don't flame me).

jimmydagreek

That's what I mean by longer or shorter, the piston length, no worries brotha I would never flame you, hehe. Yes, the SP is desgined to travel further with shorter springs but from what I know, the piston is shorter on the SP than the HD so that it doesn't "bottom out" or reach the full capacity of the tube such as, when you install shorter springs with OEM shocks or HD shocks. Does this make sense because I'm feeling a bit confused myself now, lol...

Whitey

I can tell dude! If it were shorter then logically the chances of bottoming out (internally) is more...hope that makes sense However, I've had the Eibachs with the stock shocks for the longest time without experiencing bottoming out, so I guess the SP's were designed for even shorter springs.

ND103

Ok, now I'm confused. Are the stock US E55 springs the same length as stock US E430 springs??

I was under the impression that the E55 springs, while being stiffer (i.e., harder to compress) are a little shorter than the E430 springs. It was my understanding that the springs are the main reason that the E55 is lower than the E430 (granted spring pad differences may play a factor too). I cannot confirm this since the E55's are in a box, and the E430's are on my car right now.

Whitey

IMO, it doesn't really matter but I would assume they are shorter. Jimmy's just trying to make everyone else as confused as he is However, do let us know when you find out.

jimmydagreek

Bwaaaaaaaaaaahahaha, lol...

jimmydagreek

You know what, pop a post with this question in the E55 forum and maybe one of the guys in there will know. Better yet, maybe Mark or Kwik will see this thread and respond...

KWiK

I don't mind tossing in my $0.02, but it sure would help if ND103 said what kind of ride he would like.

jimmydagreek

Hey KWiK. The question is above, are stock W210 springs the same lenth as E55 springs???

ND103

Hi Kwik, to answer your question, this thread started because I'm going install stock US 2002 E55 springs onto my 2001 E430. I was trying to find out which shocks to use. The discussion then shifted over to comparison of the lengths of the springs.

However, now that I think about it, if both the E55 and the E430 springs are of identical length when not installed in a car, it would then be reasonable that the E430 would sit lower than an E55 (all other things being equal) because the E55 springs are supposedly stiffer (more difficult to compress). Therefore, I would suspect that the E55 springs are at least slightly shorter.

Granted there are slight differences in the weights of the car depending on options, spring pad thickness, etc.

jimmydagreek

If KWiK agrees with the above, the shocks you would probably be using would be the Bilstein HD's. Let's see what he says...

KWiK

I don't think you will get the drop you want with the E55 springs. There just isn't enough difference between the two cars/springs.

As for shocks, I thought the Bilstein sports were too harsh for everyday driving. So I guess between the SP & HD, I would say get the HD. Now if it was my car, I would probably be putting on some Koni shocks. They allow you "tune" your ride to your tastse somewhat and are not as harsh as the SP. Of course if this were my car, I would also be using Vogtland springs

jimmydagreek

Yeah, the SP's were a bit aggressive but not that bad. I actually loved the ride my E420 had with the Bilstein Sports/H&R Sports that I had. Now, if you have to choose between the HD's and the SP's, it will depend on the springs you use. If you choose stock or E55 springs, you must go with the HD's because they are the same size as the factory ones. Now, if you are going to choose shorter springs such as the H&R's, Vogtland, Eibach, etc, you must choose the SP's because they are designed to be used with shorter springs.