My e320 DIY Brake Job - Trials and Tribulations
09-04-2012, 07:05 PM
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E320 Estate
My e320 DIY Brake Job - Trials and Tribulations
So, there are a number of good posts about doing your brakes yourself and I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. But, after spending 4 hours on one side and only 30 minutes on the other (after I figured things out), I thought I would post a few thoughts and things I felt helped me.
First, it is my understanding that you can't use jack stands (properly) without some type of conversion kit. There is even a kit to adapt a jack to fit into the jack point up front. So, I just chocked the back wheels and jacked it up. There is really no need to get under the car for this, so I felt pretty safe.
Second, disconnect the SBC, if you are so equipped. They say you can just lock the doors or go through a complex sequence of events to do this w/o STAR, but it takes all of 15 seconds to pop out the SBC plug.
Third, my 2004 e320 had different sized hex bolts than some other threads mentioned. I ended up using a 13mm on the caliper and an 18mm on the caliper mounting bracket.
In some of the links I'm posting, hex bits are mentioned. These are not the same as hex sockets. You don't need any hex bits (on the 04 e320 anyway). You are good with a decent ratchet and the right sized sockets.
A lot of my time was spent going back and forth to the store to get things I thought I needed (or really did need in a few cases). If you have everything ready and on hand, you could do this whole thing (clean up included) in under two hours.
These are the threads I found most helpful (in no particular order, save for the last one that has a video of removing a stuck rotor. It was an amazing revelation. Watch it and there is nothing else you need to try to remove rotors):
http://www.davebarnhart.com/mbe350/?p=168
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...placement.html
http://www.justanswer.com/mercedes/1...or-4matic.html
http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/eu...brake_disc.pdf
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...2006-e350.html
http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/issu...ontentid=38625
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/sh...ad.php?t=91790
That first video is really great. Watch it before you start.
First, it is my understanding that you can't use jack stands (properly) without some type of conversion kit. There is even a kit to adapt a jack to fit into the jack point up front. So, I just chocked the back wheels and jacked it up. There is really no need to get under the car for this, so I felt pretty safe.
Second, disconnect the SBC, if you are so equipped. They say you can just lock the doors or go through a complex sequence of events to do this w/o STAR, but it takes all of 15 seconds to pop out the SBC plug.
Third, my 2004 e320 had different sized hex bolts than some other threads mentioned. I ended up using a 13mm on the caliper and an 18mm on the caliper mounting bracket.
In some of the links I'm posting, hex bits are mentioned. These are not the same as hex sockets. You don't need any hex bits (on the 04 e320 anyway). You are good with a decent ratchet and the right sized sockets.
A lot of my time was spent going back and forth to the store to get things I thought I needed (or really did need in a few cases). If you have everything ready and on hand, you could do this whole thing (clean up included) in under two hours.
These are the threads I found most helpful (in no particular order, save for the last one that has a video of removing a stuck rotor. It was an amazing revelation. Watch it and there is nothing else you need to try to remove rotors):
http://www.davebarnhart.com/mbe350/?p=168
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...placement.html
http://www.justanswer.com/mercedes/1...or-4matic.html
http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/eu...brake_disc.pdf
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...2006-e350.html
http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/issu...ontentid=38625
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/sh...ad.php?t=91790
That first video is really great. Watch it before you start.
