Wow, this is a pretty old thread. I'm glad you were able to locate this. As you can see from my signature, I've sold my SLK and purchased an Audi.

Anyway, I am very happy with the H&R Springs. With the OEM 17" wheels (17's were standard on the '00 models), the car rides very well, almost stock like except there is less body roll and better stability at highway speeds (80 to 110 mph). There is also less brake dive and squat.

With the 19" wheels, the car has an even better road feel and much better track when cornering. It's fun clipping the apex and powering out of the turn. The ride is still good and passes the wife test.

With regards to looks, it's all about the pads. I recall having a 5 bump pad in front and a #1 pad in the rear for OEM; this may vary with your car. I currently have #1 pads all around and the the ride is a tad lower than 26 and 1/2" (or about a loose two finger gap in front and a very tight two finger gap in the rear).

I would recommend getting Bilstein shocks with your springs if you have lots of miles on your car. I will eventually get the shocks later down the road. My car currently has less than 10K miles and the shocks are still good.

I hope this helps.

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'00 E430 White / Gray w/ Xenons
Brabus 19'' Monoblock V, 2 piece
H&R Sport Springs

'03 Porsche Carrera Coupe, Silver / Blk, 6-speed
Xenon, Sport Suspension, Bose, GT-3 Side Skirts . . .