Brake upgrade 200E (w124) to 500E/SL600 brakes
 

So 500e guys (and shanta),

I got the SL600 brakes on the rear of my car now with new dust shields, which required putting in new bearings (info for gsxr), etc.

note: SL600 rear dust shields are the same as 500E, 400E, and some w210 car because they came with a w210 part number.

I got early model 300SL/SL500/500E front brakes on my car which cleared my dust shields because I already modified them for 560SL brakes.

I plan on putting on new dust shields, does anyone know if there is a difference between SL600 dust shields and SL500 and 500E front dust shields?

I am on a lead for SL600 front brakes for my car too, so what I am wondering is if there is anything else I should do while I have the braking system torn apart.

Which of these that I have read about would do the best? Should I just do them both at the same time?

New 500E/SL600 master cylinder
New 500E/SL600 brake booster

In the future I plan to go with the Brembo Gran Turismo Brake set up for an SL600 and put it on my 200E, so I want to make sure just like "dan the amg man" did by starting everything off correctly.

Does anyone know if the 500E/E500 brake lines from the master cylinder to the flexible lines have a bigger ID (inside diameter) than the regular 300E ones?

I think thats all I can think of for now; help me out.

Thanks,

The front dust shields are the same on the 500E and both the 500/600SL (R129)

Thanks for checking on that.

Anyone know about the hubs? I talked to stoptech but they said the kit will only work on the 1994 E500 (the kit italian benz has) ...I think it will fit because SL600 brakes will fit over my car.

Hey omegabenz, if you don't mind me asking... How much did you spend on the 500E/600SL calipers and where did you get them? I am considering that conversion instead.
Thanks!
Adam

FYI on anyone else that would like to do a brake upgrade -

Bergwerks is currently offering an SL type upgrade for around $900 (calipers, rotors and whatever other hardware you need).

Re: Bergwerks kit
 

Is that $900 out the door for front AND rear, or front only? What sizes specifically do they install? There are various types available...

The hubs on your 200 will have to be re&re'd with hubs from an SL. the 500E uses R129 hubs. 400E brakes would be a direct bolt on as they were mounted onto W124 hubs.

500E Brembo calipers VS 500E cast iron calipers all of the 300mm rotor era? I dont care about noise, I care about stoping.

Some inputs?

if you're all about stopping power, go with the 600SL calipers. same swept area but larger rotor (320mm if i'm not mistaken) uses the same spindle as the 500E.

as far as the 500E/SL rotors are concerned, the brembos have reportedly caused more frequent occurences of rotor warping under heavy use.

the only things i can think of that might affect braking ability is that the brembos, being made of aluminum, could exhibit slightly more flex than the cast iron ATE calipers - supposedly this is one of the reasons why the brembos contribute to rotor warpage. HOWEVER, the brembos are considerably lighter than the ATEs. this reduces the unsprung weight of the car and therefore the mass that needs to be stopped. that being said, the 500E weighs 3800lbs, so i hardly think the difference is noteworthy.

if you're tracking your car, you may want to go with the heavier ATEs. for the extra couple of pounds you know that the calipers won't flex on you. if you're just drivig on the street, go with what's available/cheapest.

Yes, do the brake booster and master-cylinder upgrade, otherwise you won't be getting enough presure. Makes a WORLD of difference.

All the steel brake-lines are the same diameter inside & out.

While the 600SL front caliper have a larger rotor for reduced FADE, it doesn't stop any sooner than the stock 500E calipers. They all use the same pad, so same swept-area as stated previously.

If you want to stop FASTER & SHORTER, you need to either get stickier tires, or wider and stickier tires.

PS: it's all about the tires, that's why in any Auto-X, or auto competition, they ask if you're racing/competiton tires vs. street tires. It does make that much of a difference.

:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E

True, true Neil!

225/40/ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport Front
245/40/ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport Rear
18x8 ET31 AMG all the way around

Id like to do the master cylinder booster upgrade pretty soon, but it will be difficult getting the lines to fit correctly in my circumstances.

Austin- 225/40R18's only have a 8.9-inch wide section-tread. If you want it to stop as well as 500E with 245's on it, you'll need to get the front tire closer to 9.5-10 inches wide.

BTW: I run 245/50R16's which are 9.7-inches wide on a 8-inch wide wheel.

:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E

I think he needs to stick with 225 tires due to the 'wrong' offset. For an 18x8.0 wheel, ET38 will pull it inside another 7mm (1/4 inch) for fender clearance. Any more than ET38 and it will probably rub the strut tube. And anything wider than 225 will probably rub badly on the fender lip unless you install 500E fenders, skirts, and bumper. I'd almost say swap the wheels with something that lets you maximize tire size (i.e., 8.0 ET38 or ET40), but I suspect he wants to keep those AMG wheels. ;) I also wouldn't run staggered tire size on the same size wheels, I'd put 235/40/18 front & rear - plus that way you can rotate them. Now if you stuff 8.5's in the rear, that's a different story! :p Having 18's lets you squeak in a few more mm of offset (ET40, 41, maybe?) where a 17x8.0 wheel is maxed out at ET38... the inward angle of the strut tube is what lets the larger diameter wheel tolerate a smidge more offset. Hope I'm making sense here. :eek:

On a side note, a 245 is about the widest tire I'd want to run on a 8.0 wheel, anything more and it will "swim" around and make the handling sloppy, plus it will look 'wrong. But in a straight line (braking/accel) there might be gains. Optimum is 245 on 8.5, 235 for an 8.0, 225 for 7.5, 205/215 on 7.0... YMMV, etc, etc...

I dont have a 500E, so I cant fit really big tires all the way around. I fit as big as I could. I already have rubbing problems. My car sits very low compaired to most.

I would like wider wheels, but I had those, and so I used them. 245 on the 8s look really good.