Spring pad thickness makes a BIG difference in ride height. I recently changed my pads in the front of my 190e to the thinnest available, 8MM. The front looks much lower than it did before and the ride quality was unaffected.

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1985 190e 2.3 5spd
98 E320 rims + TV & VCR
1991 Mazda Miata
1991 Yamaha FZR1000
1994 MB S420 (sold)
1994 BMW 318ica (sold)