A45 crashy low speed ride fix
Discussion
I have a 2026 W177 Mercedes A45 which I love - apart from its crashy ride over uneven surfaces, mainly at low and very moderate speeds, even with the dampers set to Comfort
Does anyone know if there are any good solutions for this? I'm not worried about the warranty, and don't mind spending a decent amount of money to address it as the car's so good in all other regards
In an ideal world I'd like to keep adaptive dampers, so I can stiffen them up when driving more enthusiastically. And also ideally whatever's done won't trigger any codes that need programming out every time there's a software update on the car. Plus it'd be great if it was all reversible further down the line
I don't think anything exists that can help, but just putting this out there in case there is. Thanks everyone
Does anyone know if there are any good solutions for this? I'm not worried about the warranty, and don't mind spending a decent amount of money to address it as the car's so good in all other regards
In an ideal world I'd like to keep adaptive dampers, so I can stiffen them up when driving more enthusiastically. And also ideally whatever's done won't trigger any codes that need programming out every time there's a software update on the car. Plus it'd be great if it was all reversible further down the line
I don't think anything exists that can help, but just putting this out there in case there is. Thanks everyone
I'm no vehicle dynamics expert, but you could try fitting some smaller diameter wheels (as long as they still fit over the brakes) which will give you a bit more tyre sidewall to absorb bumps. This probably won't make a massive difference, as I suspect you'll only be going from 19" to 18".
If you also went for some proper lightweight wheels, then that should be beneficial for the ride quality too.
If you are buying new tyres for your new wheels, then the brand selected can have a bit of an effect - perhaps look at the reviews on the likes of https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/ for tests mentioning ride quality. My gut feel / experience is that the likes of Goodyear and Continental tend to be a bit softer than Bridgestone, but it will depend on the specific model of tyre. Tyres also differ in weight and some tests include this information, so you could take that into account too.
If you also went for some proper lightweight wheels, then that should be beneficial for the ride quality too.
If you are buying new tyres for your new wheels, then the brand selected can have a bit of an effect - perhaps look at the reviews on the likes of https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/ for tests mentioning ride quality. My gut feel / experience is that the likes of Goodyear and Continental tend to be a bit softer than Bridgestone, but it will depend on the specific model of tyre. Tyres also differ in weight and some tests include this information, so you could take that into account too.
trevalvole said:
I'm no vehicle dynamics expert, but you could try fitting some smaller diameter wheels (as long as they still fit over the brakes) which will give you a bit more tyre sidewall to absorb bumps. This probably won't make a massive difference, as I suspect you'll only be going from 19" to 18".
If you also went for some proper lightweight wheels, then that should be beneficial for the ride quality too.
If you are buying new tyres for your new wheels, then the brand selected can have a bit of an effect - perhaps look at the reviews on the likes of https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/ for tests mentioning ride quality. My gut feel / experience is that the likes of Goodyear and Continental tend to be a bit softer than Bridgestone, but it will depend on the specific model of tyre. Tyres also differ in weight and some tests include this information, so you could take that into account too.
Thanks for your perspective. Am not ready to downsize wheels, but lighter wheels could be something to consider. It's on Continentals at the momentIf you also went for some proper lightweight wheels, then that should be beneficial for the ride quality too.
If you are buying new tyres for your new wheels, then the brand selected can have a bit of an effect - perhaps look at the reviews on the likes of https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/ for tests mentioning ride quality. My gut feel / experience is that the likes of Goodyear and Continental tend to be a bit softer than Bridgestone, but it will depend on the specific model of tyre. Tyres also differ in weight and some tests include this information, so you could take that into account too.
At the moment I'm thinking of some KW Street Comfort Levelings as they seem to be well regarded by those who seem to have the same priorities as I do
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