AMG brake upgrade for W212 350cdi

[jmarkha1]

The brakes on the car are OK - everything within specs and as it should be.
However - I would "like" to have AMG calipers and larger discs all round - ideally silver or black.
I have searched google but cannot find any solid write-ups about how complex / expensive it will be.

The discs and calipers are reasonably easily sourced but what isnt clear is what mounting brackets I would need and whether if sourced from an e63 whether the spindle / stub axle is the same across W212 models.

Any suggestions of where to look / search to find out more - ideally a member who has done something similar - thanks...

 

[bob6600]

Friend of mine did this on the same car although I think the parts may have been from an SL? I only vaguely remember it but he definitely has AMG brakes on the car now. I'll see if I can find out more

 

[jmarkha1]

Friend of mine did this on the same car although I think the parts may have been from an SL? I only vaguely remember it but he definitely has AMG brakes on the car now. I'll see if I can find out more

that would be great bob6600 - thx

 

[bob6600]

Couple of old pics but I can make out they were 215 CL brakes

 

[DSM10000]

The brakes on the car are OK - everything within specs and as it should be.
However - I would "like" to have AMG calipers and larger discs all round - ideally silver or black.
I have searched google but cannot find any solid write-ups about how complex / expensive it will be.

The discs and calipers are reasonably easily sourced but what isnt clear is what mounting brackets I would need and whether if sourced from an e63 whether the spindle / stub axle is the same across W212 models.

Any suggestions of where to look / search to find out more - ideally a member who has done something similar - thanks...

Might be worth running it past your insurance company first.

Some may ignore it, some may increase your premium and some may decline cover for certain modifications

Out of curiosity, if your current set-up is workingas intended what advantage do you foresee with an AMG set-up?

 

[st13phil]

You will need to fit either 18” or 19” rims to clear the calipers.

My guess is that the Master Cylinder is different too.

My honest view (having owned a W212 E350CDI before my E63’s) is that if you’re running out of braking performance on the road then you’re driving the wrong car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jmarkha1]

Thanks for the pics.
If it was a simple swap of calipers and dis s then it would provide both stronger braking and also they look good - IMO
Looking at the price of used setups I think I’ll pass
Time to paint the standard calipers Black...

 

[DSM10000]

Thanks for the pics.
If it was a simple swap of calipers and dis s then it would provide both stronger braking and also they look good - IMO
Looking at the price of used setups I think I’ll pass
Time to paint the standard calipers Black...

Not sure what you mean by "stronger braking", the usual limit for braking is the grip between the tyre and the road surface. If your current set up can lock the wheels then I doubt you will be stopping any quicker with an upgrade unless you are over-heating your current system.

 

[Doodle]

As above, if you're already able to bring the ABS in, then changing the brakes won't make you stop any faster - you need more grip for that.

Bigger brakes are about increasing repeatability of performance under duress.

 

[jmarkha1]

Whilst I agree with the comments I am not looking for brembos purely for hi performance and repeatability _ I like them because they are engineered so well, they look great and when using AMG wheels they look the part - the brakes on the car are just fine but nothing more.

I fitted 4 pots to a Land Rover and the braking was “stronger” and required far less pedal

 

[Doodle]

By "stronger and required far less pedal" do you mean a firmer pedal feel and less travel?

 

[PhilLinda]

I understand what the OP is saying. The amount of leg effort required to brake the E350 from 60mph to zero is much greater than braking the C63. With the E350 you've got to push with a bit of effort on the brake pedal, with the C63 you can be fairly gentle.

 

[Doodle]

The problem with that is one risks mixing up correlation and causation. Are people looking at the physics behind the systems and doing the necessary calculations or just slapping them on and hoping for the best?

 

[jmarkha1]

The problem with that is one risks mixing up correlation and causation. Are people looking at the physics behind the systems and doing the necessary calculations or just slapping them on and hoping for the best?

Correlation and Causation Doodle
I fear I may be firmly in the latter so probably best to park the idea and save up for an e63.
I appreciate the eclass is a big old bird but it does take some push to haul her up - I drive very steadily so certainly not pushing anywhere near needing ABS.
Brembos are simply better brakes so it would have been a nice upgrade if a well trodden route.

 

[Mr Filipov]

Correlation and Causation Doodle
I fear I may be firmly in the latter so probably best to park the idea and save up for an e63.
I appreciate the eclass is a big old bird but it does take some push to haul her up - I drive very steadily so certainly not pushing anywhere near needing ABS.
Brembos are simply better brakes so it would have been a nice upgrade if a well trodden route.

I think you need to familiarise yourself with the braking system first. This is probably why there is some confusion as to why you need a bit more on the brake pedal.

The 212 has BAS, or brake assist to me and you. The ECU decides how much braking force is required when you put your foot on the brake. Depending on how sharply you jump on it, or how quickly you move from accelerator to brake will determine the amount of the assist.

This is a system which I never liked in the first place, but it is there. You can press the brake to the same point in two completely different situations with different results. I am more of a fan of directness when it comes to braking.

Upside of it being that in case of an emergency a person not always will push the brake to the max, so this is where the system shines as the reaction time from accelerator to brake will tell the car it’s an emergency and will apply the right amount of force.

In daily driving I found myself having to modulate the brakes a fair bit to get the desired effect. As woth everything you get used to it as you progress and don’t have to think about it.

 

[jmarkha1]

I think you need to familiarise yourself with the braking system first. This is probably why there is some confusion as to why you need a bit more on the brake pedal.

The 212 has BAS, or brake assist to me and you. The ECU decides how much braking force is required when you put your foot on the brake. Depending on how sharply you jump on it, or how quickly you move from accelerator to brake will determine the amount of the assist.

This is a system which I never liked in the first place, but it is there. You can press the brake to the same point in two completely different situations with different results. I am more of a fan of directness when it comes to braking.

Upside of it being that in case of an emergency a person not always will push the brake to the max, so this is where the system shines as the reaction time from accelerator to brake will tell the car it’s an emergency and will apply the right amount of force.

In daily driving I found myself having to modulate the brakes a fair bit to get the desired effect. As woth everything you get used to it as you progress and don’t have to think about it.

Very interesting- I had no idea the car had BAS system. Reassuring to know it will kick in when needed

 

[bob6600]

The reason my friend upgraded his brakes were he felt they were average at best. He had an almost brown trouser moment having to brake hard at high speed. Since the upgrade he was very happy with their performance.

 

[johnnyglk350]

The AMG calipers not only look better and perform better, but they are also quicker to service. I hate sliding calipers with a passion.

For the W212 the rear axle will bolt on the E63 brake system just fine.

Front not sure as the E63 knuckle and E350 knuckle are different part numbers. But the front brakes use the standard Brembo bracket layout, so the bracket can be easily adapted to different sized disc diameters.

 

[jmarkha1]

I found some used 2015 Brembos from a e350 - fitted with 344mm discs.
Refreshed them with some silver enamel and new discs, pads and pins.
They feel good but will need to bed in - much cleaner look than the original single piston jobs.

 

[Alex]

Standard Mercedes calipers have always been fugly. Not surprising people want to upgrade.

When Brabus/Alcon developed a 12-piston front set, it had a significant braking distance advantage over standard AMG brakes at the time. Bigger discs but same master brake cylinder.

Having experienced the 12-piston set over a year of use on two different cars first hand, I can confirm that it worked better than the standard AMG brakes.

I’d expect AMG brakes on a 350 to have the same performance as above Brabus upgrade on an AMG.

And yes, they will look much better than the ridiculous cast Micky Mouse calipers MB fits to cars of otherwise premium segment.