C36 Front Brakes Installed

Nov 12, 2009 | 03:00 PM

mbsickness

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From: San Francisco, CA

1996 C36

C36 Front Brakes Installed

Just finished a brake upgrade on a 94 C280. 96/97 C36 front calipers with OEM rotors and Mintex pads. What a difference these calipers made, getting on the brakes now feels like dropping an anchor. Best of all the pedal feel is much improved. Since my setup is from a 96 and later car I also had to change the hubs...just a few milimeters is the difference between the parts fitting and not. Through the whole process I have learned more than I would like to admit on the C36 brakes. In the end it all worked out, although I was fotunate to have a C36 that I could use to test fit and verify parts.

Stock Setup

Hub height difference

Rotor size difference

C36 Setup

Stock 15' rims will not work here

Nov 12, 2009 | 05:14 PM

BenzMaster19

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C36 AMG

Great job! looks awesome!! just paint the calipers and your good to go!

Nov 12, 2009 | 05:53 PM

mbsickness

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From: San Francisco, CA

1996 C36

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenzMaster19

Great job! looks awesome!! just paint the calipers and your good to go!

Thanks. Funny you should mension painting the calipers as I have a caliper paint kit in the garage (red) but didn't know if painting them red would make it cheezy looking. If it weren't for the engraved numbers I would have had them powdercoated silver. For now I'm going to try and clean them up some more and run with just the color of the metal.

Nov 12, 2009 | 06:20 PM

AMGC

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From: MA

Mosselman 190E 16V+ C63S+ Abarth 595

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbsickness

I filled in the numbers on the C36 calipers on my 16V and sanded them flush.

Nov 12, 2009 | 06:28 PM

mbsickness

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From: San Francisco, CA

1996 C36

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMGC

I filled in the numbers on the C36 calipers on my 16V and sanded them flush.

Did you use body filler? I was considering just grinding the surface flat but my laziness won out. Such a shame as the 95 C36 calipers I have seen don't have the numbers but the AMG logo.

Nov 12, 2009 | 06:59 PM

BenzMaster19

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C36 AMG

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbsickness

Did you use body filler? I was considering just grinding the surface flat but my laziness won out. Such a shame as the 95 C36 calipers I have seen don't have the numbers but the AMG logo.

Thats because those are AMG calipers only,, The '96/'97's are brakes off of the SL600, Hence the Benz star on them... But its very hard/expensive to find those AMG brakes anyways.

Nov 12, 2009 | 07:39 PM

mbsickness

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Joined: Mar 2004

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From: San Francisco, CA

1996 C36

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenzMaster19

Thats because those are AMG calipers only,, The '96/'97's are brakes off of the SL600, Hence the Benz star on them... But its very hard/expensive to find those AMG brakes anyways.

Yes they are AMG modified calipers which start out as SL600 units. The technical book for the 95 C36 published by MBUSA lists the calipers as modified SL600 calipers. They list the modifications as clearancing the caliper for the larger rotor and modifying the brake line connection. I would gather that the logo would be added at that time. The piston diameters are identical to the 96/97 units.......at least if what they publish is correct. Of course without having a 95 caliper in my hand I wouldn't put money on it as there seems to be quite a bit of varience between examples. I found a set of 95 C36 brakes on eBay just last week with a buy it now of $499 just for the fronts.