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  #1  
Old 08-04-2002, 01:24 PM
Robert Walton
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Question CLK 55 AMG Ride Quality

I love the CLK 55 AMG I have, but my wife doesn't like the stiff suspension and rough ride. I had a CLK 430 and the ride was borderline for her, this one is just too stiff.

Is there a way to replace the shocks or otherwise make a simple modification to soften things up a bit without voiding the warranty or creating problems? It's currently all original - I have the original MB 17" rims and Michelin Pilot Sports tires.

I'm willing to sacrifice a little handling performance to get her more comfortable with the car.

Any help appreciated,

Robert

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  #2  
Old 08-04-2002, 01:51 PM
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Well you could swap out some suspension parts but it will void your warranty. If you don't care about the warranty opt for the Kleemman setup, Ive driven an E55 hooked up with it and it is great. If you want to keep the warranty change to a less aggressive tire. You could go on tire rack and compare some of their tires. If that doesnt work for you, I would suggest getting a lighter wheel. OZ makes the best most affordable lightweight wheels. Whenever you want to take the car to MB, you could always put on the AMGs back on. I installed OZ superleggeras on my E320 and I had better handling and a more comfortable ride.
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Old 08-04-2002, 02:00 PM
roas
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Sounds like she needs a S Class.
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  #4  
Old 08-04-2002, 04:47 PM
Robert Walton
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Thanks. On the tire/wheel front, I don't think I can go smaller than 17" due to the brake size. These are pretty light 2 piece wheels, but I'll look into the Oz wheels.

On the S class suggestion, I knew that was coming. But an S55 AMG is not in my price range. I plan to pick one up in about 2-3 years on the used market when it drifts downward - a lot!

Nothing I can do just by switching shocks? I thought that would be the easiest thing to do without monkeying with the suspension . . .

Robert
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  #5  
Old 08-04-2002, 08:59 PM
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Try putting stock springs and shocks of clk320 that will make alot diff.
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  #6  
Old 08-04-2002, 09:39 PM
Robert Walton
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Good idea. I wonder if they are still MB parts, albeit for the CLK 320, will they still honor the warranty . . .
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  #7  
Old 08-05-2002, 04:14 PM
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I have the same problem with my wife and my C43 AMG (which is probably even stiffer than the CLK55) -- the perception seems to be felt more by the passenger than the driver. The Pilot Sports are harsh and do tend to tramline.

If this is primarily your car and your wife only rides in it occasionally, then let her drive (if you can bear giving it up) when you travel together -- it's not worth giving up the AMG handling when you don't have her in the car. She'll have enough fun driving to forget about the ride quality (as above, the passenger effects are where it's really felt).

If that's not the case and you're really willing to surrender, then getting less aggressive tires, shocks and springs should work, but you're giving up a lot of $$ to de-ball your car.
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  #8  
Old 08-05-2002, 05:09 PM
Robert Walton
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Before my CLK 55 I had a CLK 430, but before that a 1998 C43. In my wife's words, it "road like a truck." So I think you're right, it's both stiffer than the CLK 55 and worse for the passenger. When she's driving, she likes it better.
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  #9  
Old 08-05-2002, 05:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Robert Walton
When she's driving, she likes it better.
Hopefully that's the solution -- if you have to travel together in your car, let her drive. I wouldn't want to incur the expense and performance loss by removing an AMG suspension if you primarily drive it without her (e.g., commuting to work).
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  #10  
Old 01-20-2003, 05:00 PM
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This is an AMG model which means that it was modified for performance. Now of course that will sacrifice the ride of the car, but if you wanted a luxury cruiser you should have gone with an older CL or stuck with the CLK430.

I would suggest you just leave it alone, because any mods that you do to it to make the ride better will just cause more headache and lower the resale value.

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