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Used there stock rotors and Posi-Quiet Semi Metallic pads all around. Very little brake dust and comparable stopping power. On my newer '10, I left the rotors and put on the brake pads and it feels about the same with stopping power compared to my '07 when I swapped everything out.
Thank you Wlee69.
Have you tried Posi Quiet Ceramic pads. I have searched and read several threads, but all mention about ceramic pads. I don't know what the different between Ceramic pads and Semi metallic pads.
Thank you Wlee69.
Have you tried Posi Quiet Ceramic pads. I have searched and read several threads, but all mention about ceramic pads. I don't know what the different between Ceramic pads and Semi metallic pads.
Replaced the front pads on my 2007 GL450 4000 miles ago with "Akenono Euro 1123" pads. The wheels are now virtually dust-free. The braking is quiet and with no vibration. No complaints.
Though I have not tried the Posi-Quiet ceramics, in general, ceramic pads provide less "bite" than metallic pads (ie - longer stopping distance, press harder on the pedal etc). To me the semi-metallic was the compromise between getting the same stopping power and getting less dust as the same time.
I also have the akenono euro brake pads for my front 07 GL450 with brand new brembo front rotors. Replaced my rear brake pads only with semi metallic quiet pads.
I've driven around 200 miles since that brake job change and I don't know if it's just me but I feel like I have to press the pedal longer and harder in order for the car to stop better/more adequately.
My old rotors and pads were all metallic/semi metallic and even though they were wearing down, I had confidence and very good braking feel and stopping distance. Now? I'm not too sure.
Advice? I thought these "akenono euro pads" and brembo rotors would help for my front...
GL 320cdi, Chevrolet Avalanchero, GLE 350 (on order)
Originally Posted by 93 Octane ABC
I also have the akenono euro brake pads for my front 07 GL450 with brand new brembo front rotors. Replaced my rear brake pads only with semi metallic quiet pads.
I've driven around 200 miles since that brake job change and I don't know if it's just me but I feel like I have to press the pedal longer and harder in order for the car to stop better/more adequately.
My old rotors and pads were all metallic/semi metallic and even though they were wearing down, I had confidence and very good braking feel and stopping distance. Now? I'm not too sure.
Advice? I thought these "akenono euro pads" and brembo rotors would help for my front...
You are going to have to get them hot first. Same thing happened to my pal when he put x drilled rotors and hard pads on his BMW. Went right through the first stop sign he came to. If you are not on the track, that sort of setup is probably more dangerous than stock, unless you are very hard on your brakes, and can keep them hot.
You are going to have to get them hot first. Same thing happened to my pal when he put x drilled rotors and hard pads on his BMW. Went right through the first stop sign he came to. If you are not on the track, that sort of setup is probably more dangerous than stock, unless you are very hard on your brakes, and can keep them hot.
Sounds about right. Well that sucks then. I wasn't exactly going to track my full size SUV... haha.
I just hope that over the next couple of hundred of miles, my brakes will adapt more and more and I'll brake better.
The Akebonos get a lot better after a few days of use. The first couple of stops require quite a bit more pedal effort. They don't ever get as grabby as the OEM pads, but it is a 10% difference rather than the 50% difference it feels like at first.
I'm very happy with mine. The amount of dust on the wheels is decreased by a HUGE amount. I drove from San Luis Obispo to Monterey on Highway 1, which would have left my wheels black by the end of the trip with the OEM pads, and there was no visible dust with the Akebonos. The slight decrease in grab is well worth the enormous difference in dust for me. I'm never going back to the OEM pads.
55,000 miles ago, I put EBC Redstuff and EBC's slotted and dimpled rotors on the front. The pads have been pretty good - much less brake dust - and are at about 1/3 original thickness. And I have done some hard braking and spirited driving.
The rotors have only a very slight lip on them now. So there is almost no rotor wear after 55K miles.
I swapped the pads out for some cheap semi metal. Why? Well, EBC and the serious brake people all get into "pad friction material transfer". Apparently when this is done right, there is a layer of pad material covering the rotor, and not only is the rotor protected from wear, the braking action is significantly improved. I must not have done it right, maybe getting the rotors too hot, because I ended up with spots of friction material on the rotors. These are blotches about the size of a thumb print of dark gray. Unsurprisingly, the brakes shudder. I lived with it for quite a while, hoping it would get better, but it just fluctuated around kinda bad and somewhat worse.
So I'm trying semi metal pads for a little while to see if they manage to scrub the rotors clean. From how the previous rotors had worn (with OEM pads) I'm optimistic. But I read that the rotors may have cementite deposits, which pretty much means they ought to be turned into scrap metal. We'll see.
Other than that, I have mixed opinions about the Redstuff. They really don't have the responsive "bite" that I like in a pad, and they have a very long fade profile: As they get hot they steadily get harder and harder to push. I'd prefer they remained constant over a much larger temperature range. But the brake dust is great - much less noticeable than the OEM pads.
Last edited by eric_in_sd; Jun 26, 2015 at 03:23 PM.
I decided I couldn't live with the insane amount of black dust on my front wheels anymore. I've owned many performance cars with great brakes that never required me to live with such filth. I swapped my OEM pads for ceramic Brembo replacement pads. So far the brakes are silent and dust is totally banished. I used to have to wipe down my wheels after every trip to keep them clean, since swapping the pads I haven't had to clean the wheels between car washes at all. Brake pedal feel is maybe a little firmer, but that's probably due to my old pads being thin in comparison. The only concern I have is wearing out my rotors prematurely, but only time will tell on that.
These pics are my front wheel untouched after 400 miles of city driving. Normally if I let them go without cleaning that long they would be almost completely black.
Akebono here, don't listen to all that crap about stay with stock pads and live with the dust. I have the Akebono on both my GL and the wife's E350, no difference in brake feel and no dust what a wonderful combination.
In addition to reduced dust, the difference in rotor wear is incredible. When I put the EBC pads in, the rotors had been in use for about 40K miles and had pretty deep wear. I didn't measure the rotor thickness, but the lip at the outside edge was something like 1/16 - 1/8 inch. In comparison, there is only a tiny lip on the new rotor after 55K miles. This may have to do with having bedded in the new rotors.
My attempt to polish the rotors with semi metal pads seems to be working. I've been careful to not let the pads get hot, even on a long mountain drive yesterday. The spots of friction material are gone, and the "judder" is much better. This after about 250 miles. I'll keep an eye on it and if the braking isn't smooth after about 1K miles or so, I'll have the rotors turned or get replacements.
Not to mention the MB dealer wanted to charge me ~$700 for a single axle brake job, including insisting on replacing the rotors that are still within spec lol. I'm happy with my $68 brake job.
I decided I couldn't live with the insane amount of black dust on my front wheels anymore. I've owned many performance cars with great brakes that never required me to live with such filth. I swapped my OEM pads for ceramic Brembo replacement pads. So far the brakes are silent and dust is totally banished. I used to have to wipe down my wheels after every trip to keep them clean, since swapping the pads I haven't had to clean the wheels between car washes at all. Brake pedal feel is maybe a little firmer, but that's probably due to my old pads being thin in comparison. The only concern I have is wearing out my rotors prematurely, but only time will tell on that.
These pics are my front wheel untouched after 400 miles of city driving. Normally if I let them go without cleaning that long they would be almost completely black.
Can't comment on the pads, but your front rotors wear pattern is not a very nice one.
Not to mention the MB dealer wanted to charge me ~$700 for a single axle brake job, including insisting on replacing the rotors that are still within spec lol. I'm happy with my $68 brake job.
My MB dealer quoted me $973 for front rotors and pads. My indy quoted me $448. Needless to say, the truck is being dropped off for brake inspection tomorrow with the indy. I was initially told I needed brakes and rotors, but the dealer passed the inspection, so now I'll find out tomorrow what I really need.
Here's an argument for going with premium aftermarket brakes. I sent this picture to EBC and asked them what they thought about it, and they said they'd send me new rotors.
Here's an argument for going with premium aftermarket brakes. I sent this picture to EBC and asked them what they thought about it, and they said they'd send me new rotors.
So many people nowadays spend so much time searching online for the "best deal"... which in their mind is loosely translated as "cheapest cost", regardless of quality. So someone could have searched for less expensive brakes than you and saved a few bucks. Now, let's say they run into the same problem as you (which is probably even more likely)... what do you think the chances are of them (1)
Actually getting a hold of someone at the place they bought it from... which is likely just some people sitting behind their desk in China and (2) Getting the type of customer service you did? In the end, they would have spent MORE money than you did and still would have ended up with an inferior product.
Yup. In researching it, trying to figure out why the uneven pad deposits appeared, and trying to figure out whether the rotors really were ruined, I found out that the metallurgy of rotors is incredibly complicated, and the composition of pads is even more so.
My opinion: Either go with cheap pads and rotors, and replace them regularly, or go with very good pads and rotors and take good care of them.
Taking care of them is not simple, either. You need to regularly (every 5-10k miles or so) get the pads hot, but not too hot. If the pads stay cold, they will merely wear away the rotor. If the pads get too hot, the composition of the rotors will literally change, and you will get uneven pad deposition and the discs will be "warped".
If you always leave the pads cold, they will make more noxious dust, too. Part of the reason MB OEM pads and rotors make so much dust is they are abrasive pads, oriented toward disc wear.
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