kustom2k1

If your in Florida and would like this kit installed by a Mercedes shop. Complete, with no codes, PM me for pricing.

V12TTenthusiast

The V8 kit will fit fine, but the V12 kit has some issue with the front sway bar and power steering pump.

BlownV8

Updates? You are selling your ABC components so I'm guessing you got it to work?

V12TTenthusiast

Eh kinda. Rear fits no problem, front struts fit no problem, and pump I have a few options. Its just the front sway bar. I called RMT about there sway bar, they actually use an SL65 Black Series bar and Mercedes figured out to run the bar where the downpipes are instead through the front where the oil pan is. That sway bar is 750-1000 and the bar is a little bit longer due to how wide the car is. Rmt says it can work but you need to use E class control arms and mount the bar on the outside of the struts not inside. Problem is Sean says this will throw off the spring and valve rates and the botton piece of the kit would need to be remade into U shape joints instead ball joints.

One is to make a sway bar going under the oil pan but my shop thinks the space is too tight and theres no rotation for the bar, and the second option is mimic the SL65 BS bar but just make it shorter so it can mount on the inner side of the struts and keep the kit the same.

I personally think the 2nd option sounds better since MB is already using this on there 300k BS car and I'm sure they did the proper testing for it.

gwelliott

I'm a bit shocked that there is not more righteous indignation in your voice. All we have been hearing from the VVX crowd is how it is a direct drop in and how it has already been test fit on a V12, blah, blah blah.


As you know I have the RMT set-up and what I think Jeff says is very true, but I am not 100% satisfied with the set-up I have either. Nice for Sunday afternoon cruising, but I don't feel confident enough in the suspension to really push hard at higher speeds.


Be careful with the road clearance if you run it under the downpipe. That remains my biggest fear even though I have the shocks adjusted as high as they will go.

Ed954

Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, but keep us posted on the sway bar situation. Thanks for the update!

V12TTenthusiast

I am a little annoyed, but I still have to wait for my torque converter to come back from Protorque and most likely gonna build the transmission. Trust me I would prob be alot more annoyed if the everything is back put together and I'm still missing a functioning front sway bar.

I'm kinda worried about a sway bar going under the oil pan since ground clearance would be worse, but if the design was to mimic the Black Series and had a bend around the down pipes instead of through it. I think clearance wont be an issue. That or see if I have to mod my custom made catless downpipes, and see if I can loop it over the bar, problem is my downpipes are 3 inch and might be really tight.

kustom2k1

Hey V12

So VVK just sent you the V8 sway bar?

V12TTenthusiast

Yep they said the V8 bar should fit but it doesnt and needs another sway bar made.

BlownV8

Are they going to reimburse you or make another one that will fit and send to you?

V12TTenthusiast

There going to make another one

wlelandj

Fingers crossed for you. Parts look great at least. Seems like a mix of MMT sways and VVK coilovers is the way to go, otherwise.

V12TTenthusiast

So few updates, the 2nd sway bar is still no go, I think my best bet is have one made locally. The power steering pump needs a new pulley and bracket and from what I been told it's gonna cost more doing all the R & D then even a BS pump so my best bet was buying a rebuilt tandum pump from advance autoparts for 300 bucks that came with a lifetime limited warranty which I'm gonna loop the lines and return the standard power steering pump.

Everything is going back together now. I got my torque converter from Protorque in, my rebuild Southern Hot Rod Transmission and my replacement ABC pump. All I'm waiting on are my parts from AutohausAZ like transmission mounts and hose rubber flex mounts for the driveshaft since I have to assemble the car back together I might as well replace them but they wont be here till Thursday. Hopefully now that I have an ABC pump I can at least put that in and now code out the ABC since all my struts, hoses, valve blocks are sold with the exception of one valve block and the electrical components so there is no going back to ABC now really.

Ed954

I can maybe bring my car, so they can take the correct measurements for the sway bars. What did they tell you? Are they going to make the new ones?

V12TTenthusiast

Well the problem is they dont have a V12 car in house. If you want to offer your car so they can get the right messurements then go for it. Cause back fits no problem at all and the struts in the front are fine. Just need a front sway bar. Trying to guess whats gonna fit with a car up in DC when the shop is in FL is kinda tricky to get it right. They can try again but its better I have a shop that can actually build around my setup but if Sean has your car to get the right mesurements for the bar then this should be all good to go.

Ed954

Ok, I will try to contact him next week.

V12TTenthusiast

Update. ABC is all coded out and it was stupid simple to do it nothing was in German. Drove the car no ABC lights whatsoever (big shout out to Jeff and Russ at RMT for the coding support.) When my shop drove the car Friday they said it was really bouncy with dampeners set 1/2 way. Drove it today car is so smooth it litterally feels like stock. The dampeners were set 5 clicks to max just have to tweek it maybe 1-2 more clicks. Car drove really well considering no front sway bar. As for the pump my shop actually used my old broken pump fiddled around and took out the ABC portion of the tandum part so no need to loop the line just cap it and be done with it.

I still have to dyno it but the new trans feels crips and no issues with my new tq converter.

gwelliott

Perhaps I missed something in the thread, but why not go with an RMT sway bar? We know it works and they have a couple installs under their belt at this point. If you have the CATS removed clearance should not be a problem for you like it was with me.

V12TTenthusiast

Problem is on the VVK coilovers the ball shape joints thats on a regular R230 wont fit that BS sway bar that RMT uses since the BS sway bar needs to use those U joints which is why RMT use E 55 control arms and the joint at the bottom of the coilover is different. Either a new sway bar needs to be made or the joints on the front of my sway bar and the R230 control arms need to be swapped out for the E class control arms.

But the springs and dampeners seem to hold up the SL65 weight np with no rubbing and I can still adjust the spring alot higher and have a few more clicks left before I max out my stiffness in my dampeners.

zmirza10

Alright guys, I have 05 SL65 and would love to convert. I live in Houston but don't know of any good shops. Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

gwelliott

PM Sent

V12TTenthusiast

Considering Im the only one with a VVK setup on a V12 I guess I have to chime in for install at least. The power steering pump provided in the kit does not fit the V12s and you will need to loop your tandum pump. The springs can handle the weight of a 65 but you will need you get pretty close to maxing out the dampeners if you want a soft ride other wises its pretty bouncy. The rear sway bar fits but not the front. To this day I dont have a front sway bar. I was planning to head to FL to get one made but family stuff came up. However I have driven the car to 120 and done highway turns up to 90+ mph but I havent tried any sharp turns at high speed but the kit holds up. My VVK kit too 2 months from when I paid for it till when it was shipped. Coding ABC out is stupid simple as long as you have a SDS with developer mode.

zmirza10

Thanks for the update! I guess I'll stick with ABC

DUDMD

Waiting for an update on the V12 front sway bar. I spoke with Sean last week, he's still looking for a V12 R230 in Florida so he can measure it out and build a bar. I wouldn't mind volunteering, but I'm on exact opposite corner of the US.

I'm also debating trying to find a local shop that can bend me a bar, then just build a few test dummies from hollow pipe and a bender for testing the shape/fitment.

Common guys, it's not like most of the Sl65s are not in California and Florida?

Sean@VVK

Glenn,

Sean here at VVK. I probably should have registered here a long time ago, but I will do my best to remain active and responsive on here now that I created an account!

I personally can not speak for what anyone else said, but I don't think anyone from VVK said it was a 100% go for V12 cars since our prototype car was an SL55. We did add some extra oil pan clearance with our V8 sway bars because the SL55 has a deeper pan than the S500, and even using an OEM SL350 bar on the S55, you need a spacer plate to lower the bar for clearance.

We decided to incorporate this into our design from day-1, and we were working from OEM Mercedes bars I purchased in Scotland. I did tell FlyingFinn that I hoped the extra clearance we designed into our front bar would also clear the V12 oil pan, so I do apologize if that was shared on the forum as "the kit fits V12".

Also to be clear, FlyingFinn at first approached me to build a custom suspension solution for his car, and then later decided to become a partner in VVK since he was really happy with the parts and quality we put into it.

He is still a co-owner, but has been very busy with a new startup in Finland, so it's really myself and my staff handling everything here in FL.