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I'm a big Akebono fun too. I had them on my SL before with new rotors. Now I changed front pads on GL to Akebonos. Nothing was wrong with rotors so I left them alone for now. I didn't see no difference in braking, but have not really measure my stopping distances before and after. But the best thing - no more weekly wheel washes for me!
I'll be swapping pads and rotors in about a month if they can make it that long. The dealer mentioned I needed a replacement about a month ago but my Indy didn't agree - says I still have several thousand miles left. We just took a 2000mi road trip to Disney for Christmas and had to navigate the mountains in TN so I probably fast tracked the pad wear.
Two questions:
1. Does the wear sensor send a message that displays on the dash?
2. Is Akebono still the best after market pad/rotor kit? Where should I get them from?
3. Are there other brands I should consider?
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
Originally Posted by DrMel
I'll be swapping pads and rotors in about a month if they can make it that long. The dealer mentioned I needed a replacement about a month ago but my Indy didn't agree - says I still have several thousand miles left. We just took a 2000mi road trip to Disney for Christmas and had to navigate the mountains in TN so I probably fast tracked the pad wear.
Two questions:
1. Does the wear sensor send a message that displays on the dash?
2. Is Akebono still the best after market pad/rotor kit? Where should I get them from?
3. Are there other brands I should consider?
-Mel
1. Yes. But you should replace them before they get that far.
2. I think so. I have the ebc sport rotors paired with akebono pads and they look gorgeous. The dimpled rotors look amazing peeking out from behind the rims. Looks really nice being black anodized too.
I'll be swapping pads and rotors in about a month if they can make it that long. The dealer mentioned I needed a replacement about a month ago but my Indy didn't agree - says I still have several thousand miles left. We just took a 2000mi road trip to Disney for Christmas and had to navigate the mountains in TN so I probably fast tracked the pad wear.
Two questions:
1. Does the wear sensor send a message that displays on the dash?
2. Is Akebono still the best after market pad/rotor kit? Where should I get them from?
3. Are there other brands I should consider?
-Mel
Sensor gets tripped when pad thickness is at 3mm from 10 when new. Still plenty of time to order parts on line and schedule a time for replacement with an Indy. Granted not every corner has sensors but. These dealer SAs up sell tactics are terrible.
I'll be swapping pads and rotors in about a month if they can make it that long. The dealer mentioned I needed a replacement about a month ago but my Indy didn't agree - says I still have several thousand miles left.
You have much more than that. F*** the dealerships for using fear to sell. That's the worst part. They go around causing unnecessary fear. Grr.
There are three stage to pad wear: Sensor tripped, Audible warning, Screeching metal. The sensor isn't even on all four corners, let alone on all eight pads.
If you're planning to replace the rotors, what difference does it make if you go to "full metal brake pads" stage? Not much, except the truck might pull to one side when braking if it's a front pad and you really let it go. Eventually you'll mow down schoolchildren crossing the street, so don't misunderstand me: You can relax; it's not like your GL is going to turn into a death machine one fine morning, but do get them replaced.
If it were my truck, I'd find out which end needs the pads and do that. Keep in mind the tradeoffs between the headache of taking it in for service versus the cost of extra service.
Also, most of the time, the mechanics will insist on replacing the rotors. Most of the time, too, this is unnecessary. However, if you aren't buying gourmet rotors, it's really not that much cost.
Originally Posted by DrMel
1. Does the wear sensor send a message that displays on the dash?
Yes, but the wear sensor is basically useless. It's only one of the four pads on the front and rear. 25% odds it's on the most worn pad.
Originally Posted by DrMel
2. Is Akebono still the best after market pad/rotor kit? Where should I get them from?
Don't worry about getting the "best".
Originally Posted by DrMel
3. Are there other brands I should consider?
I installed EBC front pads and rotors. I got the gourmet stuff because I like scaring my kids with hard braking. I'm stunned by how long the front pads are lasting; I'm guessing I'll get 200k miles out of them.
They are slotted and dimpled rotors, which look badass, but I wouldn't recommend them unless you're seriously concerned about heat.
You're much better off simply getting decent ceramic pads and learning good braking technique: Brake hard when you need to slow down and then get your foot off the pedal. The reasons why are complicated, but the hot-cold cycling is better than steady pressure, which in its worst case leads to complete pad failure.
Originally Posted by DrMel
Two questions:
^Four.
Last edited by eric_in_sd; 01-02-2019 at 09:24 AM.
You have much more than that. F*** the dealerships for using fear to sell. That's the worst part. They go around causing unnecessary fear. Grr.
There are three stage to pad wear: Sensor tripped, Audible warning, Screeching metal. The sensor isn't even on all four corners, let alone on all eight pads.
If you're planning to replace the rotors, what difference does it make if you go to "full metal brake pads" stage? Not much, except the truck might pull to one side when braking if it's a front pad and you really let it go. Eventually you'll mow down schoolchildren crossing the street, so don't misunderstand me: You can relax; it's not like your GL is going to turn into a death machine one fine morning, but do get them replaced.
If it were my truck, I'd find out which end needs the pads and do that. Keep in mind the tradeoffs between the headache of taking it in for service versus the cost of extra service.
Also, most of the time, the mechanics will insist on replacing the rotors. Most of the time, too, this is unnecessary. However, if you aren't buying gourmet rotors, it's really not that much cost.
Yes, but the wear sensor is basically useless. It's only one of the four pads on the front and rear. 25% odds it's on the most worn pad.
Don't worry about getting the "best".
I installed EBC front pads and rotors. I got the gourmet stuff because I like scaring my kids with hard braking. I'm stunned by how long the front pads are lasting; I'm guessing I'll get 200k miles out of them.
They are slotted and dimpled rotors, which look badass, but I wouldn't recommend them unless you're seriously concerned about heat.
You're much better off simply getting decent ceramic pads and learning good braking technique: Brake hard when you need to slow down and then get your foot off the pedal. The reasons why are complicated, but the hot-cold cycling is better than steady pressure, which in its worst case leads to complete pad failure.
^Four.
Haha! you got me! I thought I only had two questions, then they kept rolling off my keyboard lol!
I love how the red and black of the pads and caliper matches the black GL. I can't wait until this winter slop goes away so that I can shine everything up.
Here are a few pics. Excuse the grimy wheels. Between the previous pads dusting like crazy, and this never-ending winter precip, I haven't had a chance to give her a proper bath lately. Front - Before Front - After Front - After Close-up Rear - After
So we're a solid month into using these new pads/rotors (about 1000 miles). Last week, they started squealing like crazy!!! My wife is pissed and is considering banning me from working on her truck LOL!
Before I rip them apart and "sparingly" apply more squeal paste as prescribed by everyone, everywhere, is there a chance that the Brembo pads just aren't cut out for daily driving? I read on another forum that Brembo's are better for tracks, not daily commute.
If I've gotta break these down again, I'd rather replace with a different brand pad if that's the better solution.
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
Originally Posted by DrMel
So we're a solid month into using these new pads/rotors (about 1000 miles). Last week, they started squealing like crazy!!! My wife is pissed and is considering banning me from working on her truck LOL!
Before I rip them apart and "sparingly" apply more squeal paste as prescribed by everyone, everywhere, is there a chance that the Brembo pads just aren't cut out for daily driving? I read on another forum that Brembo's are better for tracks, not daily commute.
If I've gotta break these down again, I'd rather replace with a different brand pad if that's the better solution.
Thoughts??
Could also be uiur powers toop rotors. I'm not a fan of them. I put the on my w163. Tons of squealng .
Aaarfh. Stupid keyboard.
It could also be your power stop rotors. I had them on my w163 before I removed them because they squealed too much.
On the gl i run ebc rotors with akebono pads. Its not always the pads that cause squealing. If the rotors are badly milled or surfaced they can also squeal like a pig.
To minimise costs and stick with the aesthetic look you tried to achieve try out r1 concepts carbon geomet rotors. Youll find them affordable compared to ebc rotors.
Look up what Brembo says about bedding-in. The pad makers seem to shy away from telling people about this because it's hard for people to follow correctly or something. Anyway, brake hard from 60-5 and accelerate back up to 60. Repeat 4x as quickly as you can (safely). You should end up with a thin dark gray layer on the rotors.
If you don't regularly make a habit of doing hard braking, you should repeat the bed-in process every so often, like 10k miles or whenever the dark layer seems like it's fading.
The heating transfers a layer of pad material to the rotors, and then your pads are interacting with pad material instead of bare metal. The pads wear the rotor metal away much more quickly; if properly bedded in, the brakes work better and the pads and rotors last longer. Brake companies make less money, too, which I guess is another reason they don't publicize it.
Don't come to a complete stop, or you will get a bunch of pad material transferred where the pads come to rest on the rotors.
Oh, and never post pictures of dirty wheels again. It's unforgivable.
Could also be uiur powers toop rotors. I'm not a fan of them. I put the on my w163. Tons of squealng .
Aaarfh. Stupid keyboard.
It could also be your power stop rotors. I had them on my w163 before I removed them because they squealed too much.
On the gl i run ebc rotors with akebono pads. Its not always the pads that cause squealing. If the rotors are badly milled or surfaced they can also squeal like a pig.
To minimise costs and stick with the aesthetic look you tried to achieve try out r1 concepts carbon geomet rotors. Youll find them affordable compared to ebc rotors.
I was hoping not hear anything negative about the rotors lol since they are the most expensive piece of the puzzle. But, you make a good point.
Look up what Brembo says about bedding-in. The pad makers seem to shy away from telling people about this because it's hard for people to follow correctly or something. Anyway, brake hard from 60-5 and accelerate back up to 60. Repeat 4x as quickly as you can (safely). You should end up with a thin dark gray layer on the rotors.
If you don't regularly make a habit of doing hard braking, you should repeat the bed-in process every so often, like 10k miles or whenever the dark layer seems like it's fading.
The heating transfers a layer of pad material to the rotors, and then your pads are interacting with pad material instead of bare metal. The pads wear the rotor metal away much more quickly; if properly bedded in, the brakes work better and the pads and rotors last longer. Brake companies make less money, too, which I guess is another reason they don't publicize it.
Don't come to a complete stop, or you will get a bunch of pad material transferred where the pads come to rest on the rotors.
Oh, and never post pictures of dirty wheels again. It's unforgivable.
I think that's the problem - we don't make it a habit of hard braking. Just easy-going driving around the city. I did the bed-in process after install but I guess it makes sense that they are now cleared of the dark layer they once had. I'll try to re-bed and see what happens.
Possibly the weather and salt accelerated the removal. 1,000 miles is short to lose the layer. Possibly you didn't do it sufficiently.
I don't buy that rotors are responsible for squealing. This is cast iron we're talking about. It doesn't make sense there is something wrong with the iron.
Redo the bed-in, do it harder (but don't overheat the rotors or you may end up with "warped" rotors, as they end up with spots of silicon carbide penetration; it's weird).
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
Bad rotors can definitely cause issues. Beyond my powers top issues I've had pribelms with bad casting on a 11 jetta, bad rotors on a 10 chryster T&C.
I had powers top rotors on my w163 ml55 paired with akebono pads and the rotors caused so much swquaalimg. So frustrating.
The gl meanwhile has always gotten top tier products. First I did ebc yellowsstuff pads with ebc sport rotors. The yellowsstuff was a mistake. Too loud ntoo much squealing too much wrong of everything that I didn't want.
Ebc ended up rma ing the order and sent me new rotors for front and rear an d pads too. I ended up pairing the rotors with akebono pads and love the combo since.
Sometimes it's pads issues. Sometimes it's rotor issues. But with powers top it definitely is the rotors.
.depending on who you bought them from try to rma or return the rotors.
Bad rotors can also ruin the pads so make sure they're not glazed.
R1 concepts has front and rear rotors for 377 right nor with 10% off with their coupon.
Just chaulk it up to a learning curve. Don't worry too much about your wife being upset. We've been there with making mistakes. Now you know.
Another thought... did you make sure to grease all the proper parts of the caliper (including the back side of the pads)? If you used a regular type of grease, it may have disipated by now, as well. But definitely try that (re)break-in procedure, first. It's easier... and more fun!
Bad rotors can definitely cause issues. Beyond my powers top issues I've had pribelms with bad casting on a 11 jetta, bad rotors on a 10 chryster T&C.
I had powers top rotors on my w163 ml55 paired with akebono pads and the rotors caused so much swquaalimg. So frustrating.
Um, dude, no offense, but maybe there's a common denominator here.
Seriously, these results simply don't make sense. I've never had squealing issues like that, and I've used all kinds of junk. Well, scratch that, in my 1971 Volvo 145, brakes squealed like a ****. But that's it.
Originally Posted by kombifan
R1 concepts has front and rear rotors for 377 right nor with 10% off with their coupon.
Just chaulk it up to a learning curve. Don't worry too much about your wife being upset. We've been there with making mistakes. Now you know.
While I agree with you about not worrying about the wife's feelings (Happy life, happy wife, not the other way around!) you really shouldn't be so hasty to spend someone else's money. Let the dude rule out cheaper fixes first. First, do no harm (to the patient's wallet).
Last edited by eric_in_sd; 03-25-2019 at 06:41 PM.
Another thought... did you make sure to grease all the proper parts of the caliper (including the back side of the pads)? If you used a regular type of grease, it may have disipated by now, as well. But definitely try that (re)break-in procedure, first. It's easier... and more fun!
Yeah, it's kind of a hurdle to get yourself to disassemble the caliper and grease the sliders. I'm not convinced it makes that much difference, but then again I don't live in salt country. I would think the most that sticky sliders would do is make the pads drag.
Yeah, it's kind of a hurdle to get yourself to disassemble the caliper and grease the sliders. I'm not convinced it makes that much difference, but then again I don't live in salt country. I would think the most that sticky sliders would do is make the pads drag.
I've only ever done this 'squeal repair' once, but I had brakes squealing on my '97 BMW shortly after replacing pads (didn't do it right away). I took them back off did a better job of greasing the contact point of the pad to caliper and the backside of the pad where it contacts the piston. That was the ONLY thing I did and the squeal immediately went away. I did use a hi-temp silicone grease both times, but apparently didn't do a thorough job the first time.
I've read that ALL brakes squeal. But normally it's at a sound level that we can't hear. Something about the pads 'rattling' or 'vibrating', ever so slightly, when pressure is applied. Which kinda makes sense as often they will only squak at 'ya under certain pedal pressures.
EDIT: Just looked on my shelf. Not silicone grease - it is a ceramic grease - Permatex Ceramic Extreme.
Another thought... did you make sure to grease all the proper parts of the caliper (including the back side of the pads)? If you used a regular type of grease, it may have disipated by now, as well. But definitely try that (re)break-in procedure, first. It's easier... and more fun!
I greased every piece I could minus the rotor surface lol. Pins, outside of both pads, etc. with Permatex Synthetic Ultra Brake Parts Lubricant. I used new pins, and new clips as well. I'm headed to re break in the pads/rotors now. Thanks everyone for the feedback.
Bad rotors can definitely cause issues. Beyond my powers top issues I've had pribelms with bad casting on a 11 jetta, bad rotors on a 10 chryster T&C.
I had powers top rotors on my w163 ml55 paired with akebono pads and the rotors caused so much swquaalimg. So frustrating.
The gl meanwhile has always gotten top tier products. First I did ebc yellowsstuff pads with ebc sport rotors. The yellowsstuff was a mistake. Too loud ntoo much squealing too much wrong of everything that I didn't want.
Ebc ended up rma ing the order and sent me new rotors for front and rear an d pads too. I ended up pairing the rotors with akebono pads and love the combo since.
Sometimes it's pads issues. Sometimes it's rotor issues. But with powers top it definitely is the rotors.
.depending on who you bought them from try to rma or return the rotors.
Bad rotors can also ruin the pads so make sure they're not glazed.
R1 concepts has front and rear rotors for 377 right nor with 10% off with their coupon.
Just chaulk it up to a learning curve. Don't worry too much about your wife being upset. We've been there with making mistakes. Now you know.
I'll keep this brand in mind next time. The Power Stop we're only $40 cheaper so I assume they're somewhat similar quality (minus the squeaks you were able to over come).
I greased every piece I could minus the rotor surface lol. Pins, outside of both pads, etc. with Permatex Synthetic Ultra Brake Parts Lubricant. I used new pins, and new clips as well. I'm headed to re break in the pads/rotors now. Thanks everyone for the feedback.
Heh... Maybe you SHOULD grease the rotors... bet the squeaking would stop! But you wouldn't...
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
Originally Posted by eric_in_sd
Um, dude, no offense, but maybe there's a common denominator here.
Seriously, these results simply don't make sense. I've never had squealing issues like that, and I've used all kinds of junk. Well, scratch that, in my 1971 Volvo 145, brakes squealed like a ****. But that's it.
While I agree with you about not worrying about the wife's feelings (Happy life, happy wife, not the other way around!) you really shouldn't be so hasty to spend someone else's money. Let the dude rule out cheaper fixes first. First, do no harm (to the patient's wallet).
Unfortunately whenever that phrase is used, there usually is an intention of offense.
I could give you the whole list of cars that ive had that hasn't had rotor issue ls, but I'll give you a snippet and a reason why I mentioned those previously.
03 mini Cooper 's. 04 ford expedition (been to pH and back on assignmenr and went from 30k to 92k on same rotors) 16 vw gli , 97 318i, 99 xc70, 06 mjnj Cooper s, all those haven't had rotor issues.
Now the w163 I bought used in summer 17. The dealer I bought from had used the cheapest rotors and the cheapest pads they could find. Squealing and no pedal feel whatsoever and there were "new" pads; just the bottom of thr barrel pads. Changing to akebono pads and power stop rotors brought back correct braking feel, but still the squealing. Eventually changing the rotors to better quality ones fixed the squealing. Used the same akebono pads.
11 jetta. These came exfactory with defect rotors. Warping occurred within a year of new ownership. Vw replaced these no charge.
The T&C. These came from the factory with the worst, underpowered ****tiest rotors. Thesebrotors would warp if you looked at them wrong. When bought used the dealer had already replaced the rotors with oe chryster rotors. A year later I first replaced them with oe chyesler rotors again, within a year they warpeb again. Fixed with quality aftermarket rotors and got rid of the pos shortly thereafter.
Dennis is right. There always is some form of squealing or technically vibration, it's just it isn't audible to us as humans. I'm sure if you put your dog next to your rotors he might be squealing in agony.
Some clips or specific lube is supposed to dampen that affect.
I don't take kindly to being accused of spending someone else's money.
Money doesn't grow on a tree.
Its why j recommend contacting the dealer he got the rotors from and asking for a rma and return.
Some parts just don't work. That's life. And no matter how many cheap fixes yiu try to attempt it sometimes doesn't work. I'm all for cheap fixes.
That being said I'm just giving my personal experience with powestop rotors, and from that experience I'd just say go get new rotors.
It certainly isn't worth an upset partner. And certainly isn't worth living with the squealing (from the passenger seat and the pads)
That's what happened with the ebc yellows tuff pads I got. I bought them from autoanything and they advocated on my behalf with ebc to rma the rotors and pads because they were just such a headache. In my situation they even went above and beyond to make it right by sending me a full set of rotors and pads at no cost to make up for the extra inconvenience and cost of labor of having to do it all again.
Now you can try the bedding in procedure. That certainly was recommend to me by ebc to perform.
It might work. It might not.
But it wasn't fun despite what Dennis says.....with the setup I had it was downright scary. I would do the bed in procedure and smoke would come pouring from the rotors and pads, the abrupt and strong braking power was another seat of your pants experience
I certainly didn't need that much stopping power on the x164, nor could I have ever been able to live with te squealing .
From what I've read in some of the amg forums and cl, e and 's forums about r1 concepts (been researching a new car 😬. Owners love it and only have good things to say. If I'd known about it before I'd bought ebc I definitely would have gotten the rQ1 concepts rotors.
Dr Mel and I definitely have the same taste when it comes to what we want to see behind the rim.
The gl looks gorgeous with slotted and dimpled rotors (especially the ebc ones in Black) and my 55 also looks nice with the same style. It's just a little awesome poking through.
I hope your bed in procedure worked out tonight, and do keep us informed on how it's working out!
Dude, you need to relax. "No offense" is joking - of course you're gonna get offended. It's a figure of speech. Ease up. Go get some sleep, and quit taking things personally. It's just guys talking about cars. Relax.
Last edited by eric_in_sd; 03-25-2019 at 10:52 PM.
@eric_in_sd and @kombifan you both have offered more advice and help to the masses than you'll ever realize. No need to trade digital blows tonight. Agree to disagree.
I had tons of fun playing the bed-in shuffle tonight on a long country road. 8 rounds of 40 -10 mph runs and 8 of 30 - 10 mph runs followed by 30 minutes of no brake action to cool her down. Results: still squeals like Pepa Pig playing in muddy puddles.
Since they were quit as a spider in the summer when I first installed them, and several hundred miles there after, I'll have to assume the grease wore out. I get that it could be the rotors or the pads. Or an unfortunate combination of both. I've read mixed reviews about both the brembos and the power stops. I did in fact want a certain look with the rotors and red shimmed pads but maybe it isn't worth it. I'm not in favor of spending another ~$400 on rotors though, especially if I can't get reimbursed. I got the power stops and pads from Rock Auto. Anyone had luck with doing RMAs with them?
06-30-2015, 01:35 AM
