Suspension upgrades???

[blackbenzz]

I would like to do some handling upgrades. My car understeers and I would like to eliminate that. Are there any suspension mods besides just shocks/springs we can do? Any sway bars or anything? I also boiled the ATE super blue fluid on the track trying to slow down from 140+mph for a sharp turn (may have melted a seal in the abs module as well). I guess I need to make a custom brake duct unless there is one already available. I am pretty happy with the straight line performance and I was doing very well at the MBCA event at Summit Point but I want to get rid of the understeer as much as possible. Thanks for any suggestions

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[MarcusF]

When does it understeer? During corner entry? Corner exit? High speed turns only? All the time (cause if it understeers at low speeds, it definitely understeers at high speeds, which is all the time)? Also, do you have adjustable shocks, if so, based on the first questions, I can suggest how to adjust them.

[rsr911]

An agressive track alignment will help. See if your local shop can dial in about 2.5 degrees of negative camber up front and go for 1.5 degrees rear that will help your over all cornering. Make sure your toe is as close to or at 0 degrees. Other wise you will scrub your tires and wear them out in NO TIME!!!
The agressive camber is hard enough on your tires.

Stiffer rear sway bars will help get your car to rotate better into the corners.
Also you need to play with tire pressures.

For track I run 42lbs cold front and rear. Then play with it hot add a little more to the rear and reduce the front. I am talking 2 lbs each way.

The harder the rears are the faster they will start to slide giving you
oversteer and reducing understeer. Same principle with stiffer sway bars alows the front to roll and transfer weight for better grip.

You can play with this for ever. I ahd to adjust my WRX track car every time I went to the track. Temps and track condition changes even hour to hour might require adjusting.

[rsr911]

In addition a strut tower brace up front might help to reduce shock tower flex and sharpen your steering.

A side note. Understeer is not a totally bad thing. Most cars are set up with it from the factory. It is much safer and slower than having a car set up to oversteer. It lets you know you are getting close to a crash with out snapping your head off when it lets go and throws you into the armco guardrail or a tree.

[jrcart]

All of the above information is great info. One observation I made looking at the picture of the car in you signature, I asume that is the car you are talking about, the front end seems to be quite a bit lower than the rear end. Fronts should almost always be lower, but yours looks considerably lower just by looking at the photo. I may be wrong, I am not expert in this area, however if you have the front to low, or a$$ too high, that would push your weight bias forward and may result in a push or understeer. How old are your front springs? What kind are they? What weight? Are you running coil-overs? If so try playing with the ride height a little bit

Look at the stance of the cars in the 3 post previous to mine, they are much more level. Like I said, just an observation, for what it's worth.

[blackbenzz]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will try to implement them next time out.

jrcart- I have the KW v.2's and the rear is set as far down as it will go This is how the car sits now (missing black mesh in the bumper in the pic). Its pretty even

[Mister Brenton]

I can get you any OEM part you need, if you have the part numbers or VIN+good description. Some of the high-end replacement parts and accessories can be had for serious discounts over what the dealer wants.

Don't believe me? Ask MachC5 on his wheels.

The sticky is in Classifieds. Heck, I'll make a thread here as well.

[Chappy]

Originally Posted by blackbenzz

I would like to do some handling upgrades. My car understeers and I would like to eliminate that. Are there any suspension mods besides just shocks/springs we can do? Any sway bars or anything? I also boiled the ATE super blue fluid on the track trying to slow down from 140+mph for a sharp turn (may have melted a seal in the abs module as well). I guess I need to make a custom brake duct unless there is one already available.

I am pretty happy with the straight line performance and I was doing very well at the MBCA event at Summit Point but I want to get rid of the understeer as much as possible.

Thanks for any suggestions

mbenzman and I were kicking around the idea of playing with front and rear swaybar setups, but we haven't tried anything yet.

Any pics/vids of the MBCA event?

[rsr911]

Another thought is to have your car corner balanced. Set the car on 4 scales and adjust the suspension to balance the car front to rear - side to side.

Will also tell you what your weight bias is.

[blackbenzz]

Originally Posted by Chappy

mbenzman and I were kicking around the idea of playing with front and rear swaybar setups, but we haven't tried anything yet.

Any pics/vids of the MBCA event?

Let me know if you come up with something.

I have some pics on my home ocmputer and a couple crappy vids. I posted this one in the other thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tieZ-raTN0


rsr911- I will look into that. I just realized I was only running 32PSI of pressure in my tires! I just had tires mounted and balanced 2 days prior and I forgot to check!

[sick430]

i have the eibach sway bars, i do a lot of canyon driving and it made an amazing difference.

[blackbenzz]

Originally Posted by sick430

i have the eibach sway bars, i do a lot of canyon driving and it made an amazing difference.

I heard they are the same as the stock CLK55 sway bars. Can anyone confirm?

[jrcart]

Originally Posted by blackbenzz

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will try to implement them next time out.

jrcart- I have the KW v.2's and the rear is set as far down as it will go This is how the car sits now (missing black mesh in the bumper in the pic). Its pretty even

That is a great looking car, that photo is great! It appears in that photo that the rear is sitting a little lower, however, it is is hard to tell, you may be on the gas with the back end squated down.

Really though, that is one of the nicest looking 208's I have seen.

[blackbenzz]

Originally Posted by jrcart

That is a great looking car, that photo is great! It appears in that photo that the rear is sitting a little lower, however, it is is hard to tell, you may be on the gas with the back end squated down.

Really though, that is one of the nicest looking 208's I have seen.

Thanks!!! That means alot coming form the nicest CLK63 BS I've ever seen! New rims come in next week and I will do a photoshoot and post up pics

[MarcusF]

Originally Posted by blackbenzz

. . . .. I just realized I was only running 32PSI . . .

This may help you figure out the correct tire pressure for each corner (no, they won't all be the same).

[blackbenzz]

Originally Posted by MarcusF

This may help you figure out the correct tire pressure for each corner (no, they won't all be the same).

Great info and nice writeup! Thanks

[rsr911]

Originally Posted by MarcusF

This may help you figure out the correct tire pressure for each corner (no, they won't all be the same).

WOW!!! Great info. Simple easy instructions with simple easy answers.
Awesome!

[Peterclk55]

I dialed out the understeer on my 2003 209 55 amg by fitting H&R anti-sway bars with the following rate increases 109% front and 167% rear (from the AMG) ones. This was done as well as fitting a Quaife LSD to both increase the roll stiffness at the rear to get the car to handle better with a more progressive move to oversteer at the limit and get more traction from the rear wheels at the limit. This has done the trick.

[rsr911]

Originally Posted by Peterclk55

I dialed out the understeer on my 2003 209 55 amg by fitting H&R anti-sway bars with the following rate increases 109% front and 167% rear (from the AMG) ones. This was done as well as fitting a Quaife LSD to both increase the roll stiffness at the rear to get the car to handle better with a more progressive move to oversteer at the limit and get more traction from the rear wheels at the limit. This has done the trick.

Perfect! There you go!!!

[blackbenzz]

Originally Posted by Peterclk55

I dialed out the understeer on my 2003 209 55 amg by fitting H&R anti-sway bars with the following rate increases 109% front and 167% rear (from the AMG) ones. This was done as well as fitting a Quaife LSD to both increase the roll stiffness at the rear to get the car to handle better with a more progressive move to oversteer at the limit and get more traction from the rear wheels at the limit. This has done the trick.

Thanks! I have the Kleemann LSD already but I will look into the H&R sway bars.

Edit: ok so the H&R sways are 28mm in the front and 18mm in the rear. What are the stock ones?

[AMGOODNESS]

you will definitely induce some oversteer with that sway bear set-up. i have almost the same set-up on my GTI.

[krispyw208]

I met a guy racing his CL 55 in so cal and turns out he is the racing development manager for Eibach and a stunt/track driver for EuroCar Magazine. He said that eibach manufactures all of brabus's suspension parts for the 208. I'm am going to be ordering the H&R front and rear sway bars for mine real soon.

[sick430]

wow kind of wish i got the h&r ones now. hey BB have you done anything new to your suspension? i put my stock 17s on with 245 front and 265 back and it made a difference. my friend said the bigger the difference between the front and rear the more understeer you will have!

[blackbenzz]

The swaybars are all the same thickness when comparing stock CLK55 and aftermarket sways. No point in getting new ones

What your friends said in regards to tires is absolutely true.

[sfclk]

Originally Posted by rsr911

In addition a strut tower brace up front might help to reduce shock tower flex and sharpen your steering.

was there any made for our car?