THE RODNEY HERSON GUIDE TO MERCEDES PERFORMANCE
Welcome to the Rodney Herson guide to maxing out the precision performance of your Mercedes-Benz! As the leading independent Mercedes service and repair shop in Dallas, Texas, we know these vehicles inside and out. When you’ve worked on as many Mercedes models as we have, you develop specialized expertise that can unleash hidden horsepower, responsiveness, and control from your Mercedes like no one else.
In this guide, we’ll break down the top performance upgrades and maintenance tips to transform your Mercedes into a driving machine with unparalleled speed, handling, and driver control. Whether you’re looking to enhance a new Mercedes or breathe new life into a classic model, this guide has you covered.
The Engine: Unlock Hidden Horsepower
The precisely engineered heart of a Mercedes has incredible yet untapped potential straight from the factory. Our expert Mercedes technicians have the knowledge and skill to safely tap into that extra power and torque without compromising reliability.
Performance Software Tuning:
One of our specialty services is custom ECU tuning to maximize engine output. Using state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and tuning software, we can optimize the factory engine control unit (ECU) with a new custom a program that transforms throttle response, boost pressure, ignition timing, and more. Most Mercedes models see 30-50 extra horsepower from ECU tuning alone.
Cold Air Intakes:
Another horsepower quick win is the installation of a performance cold air intake. This mod allows cooler external air to directly enter the engine, upping throttle response. We have carbon fiber and aluminum cold air intake kits available that bump power while giving your engine bay an aggressive performance look.
Exhaust Upgrades:
To allow your engine to truly breathe and your tuned monster to roar, a cat-back or full exhaust system upgrade is a must. From mild to wild, we offer stainless steel and titanium options from leading performance brands like Akrapovic that unlock torque for outrageous acceleration. An upgraded exhaust paired with an ECU tune takes your output and acoustics to the next level.
Suspension:
Unparalleled Control Around Corners While it’s tempting to focus just on straight-line speed, Mercedes models were born to carve corners. Our suspension upgrade options transform sloppy stock handling to track-tuned precision on tight turns.
Lowering Springs & Coilovers: Dropping your Mercedes closer to the road via lowered springs or adjustable coilovers has huge handling benefits. Lower center gravity and a wider, more responsive contact patch means much sharper turn-in and
way less body roll. We recommend the KW Suspension lineup for comfort and control.
Sway Bars & Endlinks:
To further reduce body roll and limit load transfer for flatter cornering, upgraded front and rear anti-roll sway bars make a big difference. The addition of adjustable end links allows for corner-balanced fine tuning of roll resistance.
Chassis Braces: Beefing up the chassis strengthens the core of your Mercedes for improved steering feedback and response. Strut bars, subframe braces and cross braces are easy yet effective mods to tighten up the handling. Wheels, Tires and Brakes: Putting Power Down
The final pieces of the precision performance puzzle are traction and stopping power. Here’s how we upgrade those components to connect all your newfound engine power with enhanced suspension response straight to the road. Sticky Performance Tires: One of the simplest and most impactful upgrades is ditching those economy-minded all-season tires for serious performance rubber designed for traction and response. We have partnerships with the top tire brands like Michelin and can recommend the ideal fitment for your Mercedes driving style and conditions. Wider tires, when carefully paired with appropriate wheels, create a larger contact patch for increased grip and cornering limits.
Lightweight Wheels:
Heavy stock wheels dull acceleration and braking forces. Reduced unsprung weight allows for quicker changes in momentum so your performance investments directly translate to road feel.
Big Brake Kits:
Slowing a high performance vehicle with equal precision requiresupgraded brake kits designed for repeated heavy load. From mild street setups to wild track packages with 6-8 piston calipers and massive cross-drilled, vented rotors, our big brake options deliver the stopping power needed to repeatedly drop from high speeds without fade. Paired with performance brake pads, you’ll have confidence and control when braking at the limit.
Optimization Through Precision Maintenance Keeping your Mercedes running at peak efficiency takes precision maintenance from experts who know the intricate details of engine, transmission, electronics, emissions and more. Our professional service team offers meticulous attention to detail from routine to race-ready.
Fluid Changes:
Fresh fluids are the lifeblood of precision performance. From brake fluid to power steering fluid to transmission fluid and differentials, we take fluid exchange seriously. This includes engine flush services to remove deposits and debris.
Alignments:
Proper wheel alignment angles, a precise corner balance and dialed camber settings are vital to realizing the full handling potential of your upgrades. Our alignment machine with performance alignment specs gets all these details right.
Electronics:
Diagnosing check engine codes requires advanced ECU scanning tools to pinpoint problems before they lead to expensive failures. Our scan tools combined with the AUTEL vehicle communication interface leaves no electrical issues undiscovered.
Protecting your investment with precision service, repair and enhancement is what the Rodney Herson name stands for. We invite you to unlock the true potential of your Mercedes-Benz in our Dallas, Texas service center. From a simple ECU tune to a custom wide-body performance beast, our capabilities and passion are unmatched. Explore our portfolio and client reviews then give us a call at (972) 250-2058 to discuss your needs. Let’s bring precision performance to your Mercedes.
