[W126 Coupe] brake upgrades?

[Axel Wulff]

Richard,

Sorry to hear about your wreck, and especially after you had completed the 
stereo installation and all.

I noted the question on brake upgrades for the Benz, but I think the 
particular problem that you faced in your accident has less to do with the 
brakes than the circumstances you found yourself in.

In a chain event like yours, each subsequent driver has less and less time 
to react.
The first driver (the Lexus GS in your case) sees a problem ahead, reacts, 
decides, and then hits the brakes. The driver behind him has to hit the 
brakes harder because there is less space between him and the first car. The 
reaction time gets worse as you move backwards in the chain and, in bad 
situations (fog on the autobahn between Munich and Nuremberg), from the 
fifth or sixth car on, they have no time to react and slam into the vehicle 
ahead at full speed.

Your car probably did not have worse brakes than the car ahead, you just had 
less time to apply them.

Not trying to absolve you from any responsibility in your mishap :-), but 
you should not be too hard on yourself over it.



Regards,
Axel J. Wulff




>From: "Shayegan, Richard" <rishayegan at davidson.edu>
>Reply-To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
>To: "Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists" <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
>Subject: [W126 Coupe] brake upgrades?
>Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 21:28:15 -0400
>
>Just out of curiosity, not for any particular reason or anything haha,
>what brake upgrades are available for the W126? And what size wheels do
>they require? I'm hoping there is something that will fit 17 inch wheels
>(I have the 14's now, but I've been planning on upgrading). Basically,
>is there anything that can bring a W126 braking up to modern standards?
>I know my dad's 540 which actually weighs more than my 380SE would have
>stopped with about 20 feet to spare easily (I'm not just talking either,
>my brother and I have done brake comparison tests in an empty parking
>lot, my dad's car stops MUCH sooner).
>Richard
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