Streamliner

Sometime ago, I became obsessed with factory photos of a 2017 SL65AMG, that showed off some beautiful, polished, forged aluminum wheels, enhanced by the striking, sort of dark gold colored CCB brake calipers and the huge discs. It got so bad, that while I was waiting on a new 2019 SL450 that I had on order, I actually considered buying a 2017 SL65AMG instead. But then, I drove one and knew that the monster V12 car was not for me. So, when my little 450 came in, I took delivery, but the SL65 photos still haunted me.

Another member here, with the handle D49, posted a great story about retrofitting his SL550 with the CCB setup and in it, he talked about the wheels that were the object of my desire. The forged wheels were produced for AMG by Otto Fuchs in Germany, which is the same maker of the famous “Fuchs” alloy wheels used on Porsche 911’s in the earlier years. D49 went into great detail as to the various finishes these wheels came in and he even posted part numbers. So, finding I could obtain the polished wheels, brand new, I ordered a set, which sort of set the snowball rolling down the hill.

Having owned several MB’s, I know of the brake dust problem and did not want to subject my beautiful new wheels to such a mess, so at the suggestion of another member here, who goes by the handle RJJM, I installed street version, ceramic brake pads made by Porterfield Racing Brakes, in Costa Mesa, CA which is close to my home. Those pads are are just great and reduced the brake dust by what I estimate to be around 70%. The brakes felt no different than with the stock pads, no noise, no squeaks. BUT, they still produced some dust and these wheels just don’t look good dirty. So, after reading other posts by Wolfman & others, as to the virtually ZERO dust produced by the Carbon Ceramic Brakes, I started shopping for the CCB parts.

Again, with the wonderful list of part numbers listed by D49 and with additional assistance from Wolfman, I was able to really figure just what the deal was with the parts, which are VERY expensive. Just going to a dealer and paying list price, the parts are over $20K. But I shopped around and when I had a good idea of what a fair price would be, I contacted a shop that was recommended by a Super Moderator on this site who goes by Vic55. He suggested that I contact Benz Works in Huntington Beach, CA which is about a 30 minute drive from my home. I visited the shop and spoke with Serge, the owner. I was very impressed with the cleanliness of his shop and the fact that he has done several of these CCB upgrades before. I should note that I probably could have saved a few hundred dollars by buying the parts on my own and having another shop do the install, but having Benz Works get them and do the installation, so close to home, ended up being a no brainer.

So anyway, long story a bit shorter, I placed the order with Serge, the parts came in and I now have the AMG Carbon Ceramic Brakes on my little SL450. The car drives just beautifully, with much savings in the way of unsprung weight, due to the lighter forged wheels and the much lighter brake discs. I’ve been told that unsprung weight savings can really improve handling, but to not expect any improvement in ride quality. Well, maybe I’m just feeling the excitement of a new toy, but the ride sure seems better to me with the lighter brakes. The brakes feel no differently than the originals and work great, with no noise and perfect modulation. But, best of all, I like the way they look and will just love having no ugly dust!
Thanks again to all who assisted in this project.

Wolfman

Congratulations! Fantastic looking. Now the car looks exactly as it should

I am sure you will enjoy the brakes and lack of brake dust. I also noticed that the ride height is now exactly spot-on. Knowing that Vic recommended the shop I assume that Serge made some small adjustments to the ride height sensors. Easy and quick way to get it right on ABC suspensions.

D49

Congratulations on your new brakes, they look simply excellent! The photos of your front wheel demonstrate quite well just how enormous the front rotors are.

Can you confirm that like the R231 500/550 models, the 450 needs no modification to install the new calipers and it is a simply bolt-in install?

Also, I note you make no comment about the system performance. Have you tried bringing it to a crunching halt from speed yet? It should bring quite a smile to your face.

Streamliner

I had not noticed that until you pointed it out, but I believe you may be right. I’ll ask him about it.

Streamliner

Dear friend, as far as I know, everything was simply a “bolt on” procedure. As for a “crunching halt,” the way I drive, this will only happen in a true emergency, but thank you for the suggestion. Thank YOU again for your help in making this dream come true.

D49

Well, in that case, I simply would hope you never need to find out just how good they are! You've given yourself and your car the absolute best chance possible in an emergency. Hopefully you'll keep and enjoy it for many years to come (and if the next generation of the SL is indeed a 4 seat soft-top, I certainly will be hanging on to mine barring a wrecking "emergency").

BillyD

I'd be interested in knowing what the brake conversion cost. Thanks.

BillyD

The next generation SL will be a 2+2 soft top. MY20 will most likely be the last year of the R231. Some European dealers are already unable to place R231 SL63 orders.

Utopia Texas

This is the exact reason I traded in my 2017 for a 2019 figuring MB wasn’t going to ramp up production the last year. Anyone who wants the last of the 231 line had better get after it now when what is available still has the options one wants.....

Streamliner

As per my agreement with the shop, I cannot reveal exactly what I paid. I will say that it was between $15K & $20K, parts & Labor.

threeMBs

Since money is not an issue (it is clear now it never was), I would still have gone for a wonderful SL550's engine or possibly even all the way to SL63(where factory installed CCB is "only" a $9K option).

Streamliner

And that is certainly something YOU should do, if you so choose. I, on the other hand, have had an SL550 and MUCH prefer the 450. I can honestly tell you that if the 450 and 550 were the exact same price, I would choose the V6. I just got back from a morning drive, where I let the car unwind a bit and it is SO quick and SO much faster than I will ever want or need. And as I have mentioned before, I MUCH prefer the lightness of the handling over the heavier V8. I would not want an SL63 at any price, as the AMG cars have stiffer suspensions, which provide a much less comfortable ride, IMO. So, for about what I would have spent on the 550 over the 450, I now have close to exactly what I wanted and could not be happier. I know my car is not for everyone, but it is near perfect for ME! Your mileage may vary.

BillyD

Understood. Thanks.

BillyD

You're right.
I just checked the MB Germany price list which was updated on July 1st.
The SL63 has been removed from both the price list and build function.

TennesseeZ4

Great look Streamliner! Love the calipers showing through those wheels. Enjoy the smiles and the miles, many of both! Thanks for sharing this car / wheel / tire story!

steve sl550

Hi Streamliner,

How are the brakes working out, we all want to know.......

ALSO for Streamlines, maybe Wolfman, Utopia Tx and others...... have a question Re what you are going to do Re Extended warranty:
Assuming you are going to keep the car so you will be getting an extended warranty ?.............

Me too so I have a question:
I'm confused and my dealer can't give me a firm positive answer as to if the MB warranty does or does not cover all components of the ABC system.....seems there is an exclusion for "struts" ???

What is your understanding as to what is and what is not covered as relates to the ABC system.

Look forward to yours or anyone's information on this.

Thanks

Streamliner

The brakes are great and I just love them. Zero squeaking, zero dust and the feel is perfect. More than likely, I will go without an extended warranty, as I just don’t drive the car that much and when I do, it is under perfect conditions. I had my 2004 SL500 for 12 years, with 22,000 miles and had almost zero problems with it. I believe these R231 cars should be as dependable, if not reasonably more so. So, I’ll just have all the servicing done, the ABC system maintained and hope for the best. That said, if the car was my daily driver, racking up serious miles, I would definitely keep it covered under warranty as long as possible.

Utopia Texas

I believe the struts are considered a wearable part just like brake pads, rotors, windshield wipers etc.
Quote from Wikipedia on the ABC system....
”A suspension strut, consisting of a steel coil spring and a shock absorber are connected in parallel, as well as a hydraulically controlled adjusting cylinder, are located between the vehicle body and wheel. These components adjust the cylinder in the direction of the suspension strut, and change the suspension length. This creates a force which acts on the suspension and dampening of the vehicle in the frequency range up to five hertz.”

P.S.- My 2019 SL is by far my favorite car, I will be keeping it indefinitely, and opted for the extended warranty. Unlike my other cars I can actually work on with standard tools the SL is above my pay grade for home repairs so I will be depending on a MB dealership or my local independent from now on. My oldest car is 100 years old this year but obviously is lacking in electronics and computers so I can repair it as long as necessary. The SL no.......

Wolfman

It would be a surprise to me if not all ABC components are covered under warranty. While struts could be considered a wearable, they will easily outlast the factory warranty. When I say surprised, that means do not believe anything the dealer says unless they can show you the info in writing. The amount of wrong information coming from dealers and even the service department is astounding and they often mixup the different warranties (factory, extended, CPO and CPO extended).

Wolfman

So happy for you and your setup. Beautiful and practical. A rare combo