A simple braking test shows why you might want to think twice about buying aftermarket parts for your Mercedes-Benz.
You can find anything online. Want that LEGO set your dad refused to buy for you at Montgomery Ward back in the late ’90s? Just go on eBay. It’s there. Have to have a cologne that Polo stopped producing decades ago? Someone in the digital marketplace has a bottle of it for you. It’s the same way with car parts, from exterior trim to radio knobs to brakes.
To a certain extent, there’s a great deal of flexibility in pricing. Some online stores charge a high price seven days a week. Others always have cheap prices. For cosmetic parts, such as trim, you might be able to get away with paying a little less. When it comes to hardware that can make the difference between life and death, it’s probably a good idea that you adhere to the logic of “You get what you pay for.” Go with a trusted product, even if it means a few less dollars in your account.
The above Mercedes-Benz video can serve as a great motivator. It shows the difference in performance between its brakes and those manufactured by an unnamed aftermarket company. Engineers evaluate the two types of brakes on a test rig at speeds up to 99 mph. Temperatures climb as high as 1,544 degrees Fahrenheit. Both discs glow under load, but the non-OEM discs throw off sparks. Their corresponding pads develop smooth spots, whereas the M-B pads keep their uniform texture.
The differences are even more pronounced on the test strip. A Mercedes with factory parts stops from 62 mph just within its braking zone. A CLA with aftermarket hardware flies right through the cones at the end of the line.
That’s not to say that there aren’t any good aftermarket suppliers out there. It just means that it’s wise to go with a name you can trust for important parts. The last time we checked (online, of course), brakes are in that category.
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Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
