280se 3.5 rear end swap

[Stumps]

Originally Posted by merchauser

the rear end in my 111.026 is the factory 3;69 and 60 mph yields 3000rpms and 80 mph gives 4000 rpms......

I'm surprised that your 111 has a 3.69 ratio. My 71 350SL 3.5 is 3.46 ratio as are all 108/109 3.5 V8s of that time...or that's what I thought. So maybe a 3.46 could be a nice minor change.

[Tony H]

I'm pretty sure all 111 3.5 (026 027) cars had a 3.69 ratio. I think the 300SEL 3.5 had a 3.46.

[merchauser]

i have decided that i will be replacing the entire axle assembly with one from a 6.3. i have one available to me and this will give me the 2.82 ratio, the anti dive benefit and the vented rear brake set up.

i would welcome any and all comments from those who have done this, or have information so i can plan ahead. i will not be using the air suspension components.

[Benz Dr.]

I'm pretty sure that all 6.3 cars use LSD. I can see where only using the center section would work. The tag is just about your only clue as turning the rear wheels on a LSD will only show you what a regular axle shows you. The special oil you need can be covered by using sythetic gear lube.

The LDS works when the spider gears start to turn. This forces them apart just enough to make the clutch plates grab and only as much as the opposite wheel is spining. As soon as both wheels start to turn at the same speed the clutches release. Turning corners won't activate the LSD as the spider gears will function as a non LSD diff would.

The forward bite with LSD is impressive. You can feel the car launch out of a corner as both wheels will grab at the same time. It won't help all that much in icy or slipery conditions and in some cases it may make it worse. You can expect close to a full second less from zero to sixty.

I have a 6.3 axle around here somewhere.

[GGR]

You will need to modify your chassis to get the anchoring points for the brake torque absorbtion system as shown here: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/vintage-mercedes-benz/1490192-w111-109-108-113-mods-7.html#post4106387

and here: http://www.auto-kromm.de/pagode/album/slides/009.html