I don’t know whether you would consider this an upgrade or a downgrade, but swapping the CLK55’s front rotating assemblies for a set of CLK320 brakes and wheels will definitely make the car quicker at the dragstrip.
I’ve been running the heavy 18″ Mercedes-Benz E55 wheels on all four corners of the CLK55, which look great, but they aren’t be best for drag racing. Each corner weighs-in at over 50 lb, leaving a lot of room for improvement. The factory CLK320 wheels are the hot ticket for drag radials on the rear, but they also make a good low-budget “front runner”. They only weigh about 13 lb each (because they’re forged), and at 7″ wide you can fit a fairly narrow tire on them. I bought a pair of inexpensive V rated 205-60/16 tires that can be used as daily drivers, while still saving a good amount of weight for the track.
The problem is you can’t just slap a set of the 16″ wheels on the front of a CLK55 because the front brakes are too big, so I “downgraded” the brakes to the CLK320/430 units. I got a pair of calipers from the junk yard and a new set of pads and slotted & drilled rotors. While I was in there I removed the sensors and backing plate to shed another pound or two. The result is a nice, clean setup without any extra crap getting in the way. I also removed the front sway bar for another 20 lb savings. I was a little concerned about driving on the street without it, but I drove the car to work all week (~40 miles round-trip) and it feels pretty normal. In fact, it’s quieter now that there are four fewer bushings to squeak!
Weight Savings
| Rotating Weight (lb) | Before | After | Total Savings |
| Wheels/Tires (each) | 54.2 | 34.2 | 40 lb. |
| Rotors (pair) | 38.6 | 33.2 | 5.4 lb. |
| Non Rotating Weight (lb) | |||
| Calipers (pair) | 38.6 | 12.2 | 26.4 lb. |
| Sway Bar | 20 | 0 | 20 lb. |
| Grand Total: | 91.8 lb. |
Costs
I actually bought all the stuff to do the front and rear brakes and wheels, but I broke out only the front axle for this article.
| Item | Cost |
| Calipers – Used | $41.96 |
| Pads & Hardware | $65.25 |
| Rotors – Slotted & Drilled | $126.00 |
| Wheels | $300.00 |
| Tires | $172.18 |
| Mount & Balance, valve stems (Local Firestone) | $63.76 |
| Lug Bolts (black) | $15.99 |
| Total Cost: | $785.14 |
