Marcorati

So I own a 2011 E550 4matic. I’m sure you have heard several complaints on this forum regarding warping of the front rotors. Well I finally did an upgrade for basically the same cost of replacing the oem brakes. I upgraded to the front setup from a 2013 and so far so good. I created a video for those of you thinking of doing a similar upgrade. This is using all OEM parts, and no need to change the master cylinder (you would need to do this for AMG brakes). Check it out: Mercedes E550 W212 big brake upgrade using OEM parts for cheap.

retna7

Fantastic job!

Thank you for taking the time to share!

Have you noticed improved braking?

KEY08

Interesting. So the caliper mounts are identical from the 2010 to the 2013? Bolt right up?

Quattrodude

How many miles have you put on your new brake setup? has it been enough to know it fixes the run out issue?

Great video...i already picked up a set of calipers...not that im currently having the issue - but gives me time to get the setup in the coming year or so.

Thanks again!

Mud

I'm a big fan of doing DIY posts
I like that you explained the situation and parts beforehand and then followed by clearly showing the complete installation.

Marcorati

Well yes, because before the rotors were warped and the vibrations under heavy breaking were horrible. I’m not expecting race car braking performance here, I just want brakes that don’t warp and instead wear evenly.

Marcorati

Correct, the calipers bolt right up, and so do the existing brake lines.

Marcorati

Only been about 3 weeks, so not sure yet. I figured it has to be an improvement regardless. Since I needed new pads and rotors anyway, I just added the additional cost for the calipers + brake fluid.

Marcorati

Thanks!!!

ChrisB

I also own a 2011 E550 4matic.

I not I do not like the Caiper cover poor finish.

I’m not sure if/when I will experience brake problems - at 90,000 Km (55,000 miles) everything is working fine.

I will definitely look into this upgrade when I need to do a brand job.

Is the 2013 set up just that much better? Better finish, less warping (why?) and better stopping performance? What about brake dust - still a pain?

Marcorati

I just cleaned up my calipers, no paint. Not sure if you noticed the wheels I’m running on the car, but they cover the calipers anyway, so why paint them. If you are not experiencing problems, that is a good thing. I always say if it’s not broken, don’t fix it, that’s why I only did the front brakes. I never had any issues with the rear. Regarding your last question, the larger rotors and pads provide a larger contact area, so in theory it should provide better stopping power. Also, the larger surface area allows for better heat dissipation, which will help prevent warping. If you don’t want dust, use ceramic brake pads instead of semi-metallic.

Mud

Offered as a supplement to Marcorati's excellent brake upgrade:

In case you do paint calipers, VHT or Duplicolor caliper paint holds up very well, but like all paints the key is in the prep. I've got brake parts painted for several years now that still look great.

I've also found that using proper caliper pin lube is critical to allow caliper movement regardless of car model. Petroleum based lube destroys the pin boots. I described this in here:
E350 Brakes

Marcorati

Lubing the caliper sliding pins is not applicable on these front calipers, since they are not the Floating type calipers. I think the W212 only switched to those for the last couple of years of production.

atraudes

I second VHT. It's the only clearcoat that stands up to high heat well. Every other high heat clearcoat I've tried has yellowed pretty quickly. No complaints about other high heat color paints though.

Quattrodude

This is a great thread - easy upgrade and potential fix to the vibration issue\run out (carefully not calling it warping)

I feel like I scored - I got both front calipers for a 2013 E550 AWD for a whopping $30 each shipped!!!! which is a no brainer!

Just need to clean them up and prob replace the boots\seals anyways - might do VHT paint...

But this is a fantastic option for sure!

Cheers and thanks again for this post!
JPC

Badwolf

Is this an issue on post facelift cars too? On my previous cars I went through breaks.

Have 15 e250, came with Mercedes pads, will replace them, break dust is bad, I need to wash rims every other day to keep them clean.

KEY08

The Caliper he purchased to replace the smaller one is the same as I have on my 2014 Facelifted E550 4M. I have not had any pulsing issue with the front brakes on this car, so I can assume the issue is gone for now. The gist of this thread was to get better stopping power and also to eliminate the "warping" problem on the pre facelift cars. I have the stock Akebono pads and the dusting is acceptable.

Marcorati

Thanks man! Yeah, you got a great deal on those calipers. I paid $300 for my set. Post a picture if you decide to paint them.

Quattrodude

Will do - I need to get the yellow marker paint off them from the scrapper yard LOL...

Maybe ill Zebra stripe them? HA...

The more I do this type of stuff - the more I think I need a media blasting booth...

Love this website - sooo much useful information and good people.

Cheers

Quattrodude

Oh one other note for people looking to buy these calipers -

be careful - there are many miss vendors stating they will work on 2010 to 2014 - models (550s) - which we all know is not correct - if you look at some of the pictures - you can clearly see the difference of the calipers...

Cheers - happy hunting.

happyeds

Thanks for all the work you did, this should help many an owner of E550's - However in my case (2014 E550 with factory front brakes of 360 X 36, same as your new ones) don't get frustrated if the problem will re-appear down the road. I've used Aekobono's but find they (ceramics) don't stop as good as the MB OEM's (dust just tells me I'm having a good time driving.) I change pads and rotors about every 5- 6K miles just driving around and after a few 90>50 mph stops that will finish any smooth stops I once had. The car's problem is because of it's weight, design, and materials used by Mercedes along with how we drive them. My latest fix is the warranted new MB rotors installed by MB and installing Porterfield pads and doing proper bedding in the rotors and pads. As the weather gets hot I should know how this works in a month or so. Depending on these results the next fix would be slotted or plain rotors with Porterfield pads.

Very interesting article. https://www.apcautotech.com/getmedia...c-8-2018_1.pdf

Marcorati

Thanks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will at least last me longer between rotor replacements.

Quattrodude

Hi - HappyEd - So are you semi confirming there is a run out issue too on the newer 2012+ E550 too?

Thanks.

Marcorati

So, I was checking and it looks like the 2014 uses floating calipers. So you have a completely different caliper. Your calipers have a single large piston, instead of the 4 piston Brembo calipers. Most cars today use floating caliper for reduced weight and lower cost. However, I've heard they can wear unevenly (inside pads wears faster). Not sure why Mercedes went to a floating caliper, but I believe they still use the Brembo style for the AMG cars.

happyeds

Not sure what it is but I'm a conservative driver. The vehicle has no modifications (other than the engine) with the stock AMG 8.5 X 18 wheels with MB recommended tires. However, after a few interstate high speed (100mph) slowdowns to say 55 I get the shakes and pulsating. Could be the heat in the Southeast. The pads and rotors get replaced between 5 > 7K by the dealer with new MB parts. Right after the MB dealer installed new rotors I switched over to Porterfield pads all around. Hoping the issues go away because I'm kind of parchel to having a car that can stop without shaking.