20 horse power difference !

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
Since the brakes are relatively decent from the factory on the vs30 and ncv3, I’d say suspension upgrade before brake upgrade.
I‘ve never driven a T1N so didn’t include them.
 

gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
Since the brakes are relatively decent from the factory on the vs30 and ncv3, I’d say suspension upgrade before brake upgrade.
I‘ve never driven a T1N so didn’t include them.
With modern day computer controlled anti-lock brakes I have not seen any evidence that larger brakes on a Sprinter make any difference in stopping distances. Only benefit might be they are less likely to overheat as quickly. Suspension is the weak link in the van and holds significant opportunity for improvement.
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
With modern day computer controlled anti-lock brakes I have not seen any evidence that larger brakes on a Sprinter make any difference in stopping distances. Only benefit might be they are less likely to overheat as quickly. Suspension is the weak link in the van and holds significant opportunity for improvement.
It certainly makes sense to have larger rotors for heat dissipation and 6 piston calipers for braking energy but I haven’t seen any rave reviews on either the Agile Alcon or the CA Tuned/OWL brake upgrades.
Maybe over the summer with higher ambient temps we’ll see some info since the brake upgrades are still only about a year old.
Interestingly, I just searched the CA Tuned and OWL sites, their big brake kits are not showing anymore. Hmm ?
 
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DefyInertia

‘17 4x4 Moto Camping Van
Valid - suspension could be first if they are worn. Will acquiesce this point.
mind you, I would personally prefer good anchors to stop me from doing dumb shit, then have great suspension and not being able to stop from the dumb shit.
Coming from a Motorsports background I too am a huge fan of good brakes…and the sprinter brakes are barely adequate, if adequate at all, but I found the van to be unacceptable in high speed / high wind situations and on a 2-lane 55mph twisty backroad in stock form. With the suspension upgraded the van is not much worse than any other higher end passenger vehicle interstate speeds and I can haul down a flowy county road maintaining momentum the way I want to. I have a very light weight build and try to stay off the brakes in my mountain driving (other than basic / light trail braking), so aside from pads and maintenance, I’m begrudgingly living with the brakes.
 

TorqueMonster72

Red Forman is my hero dumbass
All without compromise to the Mb warranty I’m sure…
Yeah umm….. the type of person who noodles with the factory settings tend not to be concerned with factory warranties…. Just speaking from personal experience :smilewink:


for what its worth. The new turbo we are working with renntech on has 400ftlb of torque.
And we have suspension and 6 pot Kerma TDi brakes.

So there's. that
They….. they have… 6pot brakes?!???
WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING BEFORE!!!!
:bounce:
 

grantwilson

FreedomVanGo
Yeah umm….. the type of person who noodles with the factory settings tend not to be concerned with factory warranties…. Just speaking from personal experience :smilewink:



They….. they have… 6pot brakes?!???
WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING BEFORE!!!!
:bounce:
86ECF9EC-3E95-4B64-8E1D-E4473CE04A12.jpeg

I gotchu!
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
Yeah umm….. the type of person who noodles with the factory settings tend not to be concerned with factory warranties…. Just speaking from personal experience :smilewink:



They….. they have… 6pot brakes?!???
WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING BEFORE!!!!
:bounce:
Yeah… ummmm well that’s all good then. Here’s your participation trophy. ?

And btw Agile has had 6 pot Alcon front brakes for a while now. And 4 pot rears.
OWL and CA Tuned had brake upgrades for a while in 2021, but it appears they have pulled them off their sites when I looked last week. I can’t help but wonder why…

And did I interpret the Kermit brakes info below correctly, that they require 18”+ wheels to work?

“Fits: 18in+ wheel for NCV3 Platform 2007-2021 We sent this brake kit to black rhino wheels for test fitment and all of the Sprinter 18in wheels from them will clear the brake kit. “
 
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TorqueMonster72

Red Forman is my hero dumbass
And btw Agile has had 6 pot Alcon front brakes for a while now. And 4 pot rears.
OWL and CA Tuned had brake upgrades for a while in 2021, but it appears they have pulled them off their sites when I looked last week. I can’t help but wonder why…
Just looked and they have the kit in stock - man.... $4k5 for brakes is tempting.....
 

grantwilson

FreedomVanGo
Yeah… ummmm well that’s all good then. Here’s your participation trophy. ?

And btw Agile has had 6 pot Alcon front brakes for a while now. And 4 pot rears.
OWL and CA Tuned had brake upgrades for a while in 2021, but it appears they have pulled them off their sites when I looked last week. I can’t help but wonder why…

And did I interpret the Kermit brakes info below correctly, that they require 18”+ wheels to work?

“Fits: 18in+ wheel for NCV3 Platform 2007-2021 We sent this brake kit to black rhino wheels for test fitment and all of the Sprinter 18in wheels from them will clear the brake kit. “
Owl and CaTuned took them down, as did I, with some issues of sourcing parts from apracing.
We had them on this sprinter before we moved to 6 pots.

Correct. needs an 18" wheel to clear with the much larger rotor than others are using.
We have custom 18x9+0 wheels that fit anyway
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
With 18’s you give up some rubber between the rim and the rock. Not ideal off road, unless you’ve done some serious mods to the body for clearance for taller sidewall 18’s.
Storyteller classic and stealth owners often sell the STO 18’s and go to 17’s, like the beast mode has.
 

grantwilson

FreedomVanGo
With 18’s you give up some rubber between the rim and the rock. Not ideal off road, unless you’ve done some serious mods to the body for clearance for taller sidewall 18’s.
Storyteller classic and stealth owners often sell the STO 18’s and go to 17’s, like the beast mode has.
truth told.

It wouldn't matter at all for 98% of owners.
 

DefyInertia

‘17 4x4 Moto Camping Van
truth told.

It wouldn't matter at all for 98% of owners.
one inch difference for me as I’m running 16 inch rims with 33” 285s. My 8.5” of sidewall would drop to 7.5”

I’m all about sidewall but 18s would probably be fine. I don’t need crazy flex even with a van that I routinely have on three wheels.

open to more informed opinions.
 

grantwilson

FreedomVanGo
one inch difference for me as I’m running 16 inch rims with 33” 285s. My 8.5” of sidewall would drop to 7.5”

I’m all about sidewall but 18s would probably be fine. I don’t need crazy flex even with a van that I routinely have on three wheels.

open to more informed opinions.
It really only impacts when you air way down and have rocky stuff.
i, in general prefer a 16" wheel for offroad performance, but 5% of the van life is offroad
So I don't particularly care to sacrifice on road handling with more sidewall in a van with a lot of inertia. Handling instantly improved going to an 18 with the same 275 as a 16 with less sidewall to have to move to its stable point in a turn and then turn the vehicle.
 

Daniella

New member
Same here, the "tuning" and "drivability" of the 5 speed trans especially in the mountains or stop and go driving, well, frankly sucks. Always short shifts in first gear (moderate to light gas pedal) and bogs down going into second gear. Similar in other up-shifts, but less noticeable.
5 speed auto trans is so 80’s. Don’t know why these lovely vans don’t come with 8 or 10 speed auto, or for that matter, a 7 speed manual, and with a 4 Hi/Lo and locking diffs option. Also, my other German 3.0 l V-6 TD cars and trucks have 240bhp and 430 lb-ft of torque, and they get seriously driven, so wtf, MB?
 

SD26

2012 NCV3 3500
5 speed auto trans is so 80’s.
Yeah, that would have been nice. It was a three speed. Four speed right at the end. :)

As for power...

While F250's and F350's were braking engines, the E350's survived pretty well with less power.

I think my son's 2Gen Dodge Cummins makes about the same amount of torque as my NCV3, and it only has a four speed auto.

Context of where we've been is nice. :)
 

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