Our GLK has about 47k Miles. I am wondering what I can expect to get from the original brake package for life.

i could easily handle the brake service, the write-up on this forim is great and I’ve done many brake jobs. I have a few questions;

1. Are the rotors considered wear items and replaced at the same time as pads?
2. What would the dealer estimate be?
3. Where is a good resource for OEM parts besides the dealer?

thanks in advance.

OJ

 

Life expectancy depends on usage. I got to about 32k miles before swapping my brakes. Based on the thickness of the front pads I might have been able to get another 4-5k miles. The back pads were in better shape and could have gone another 15k miles. The front rotors were definitely done with uneven wear grooves - they would have been too thin after turning on a brake lathe. I could have possibly reused the rear rotors, but again they had some uneven wear and would have needed turning. I was also switching over to ceramic pads and didn't want to have to be concerned about using a different braking material on used rotors.

In a few decades of driving I have never had a vehicle go though pads this fast and I am used to replacing them at 70k miles or more. I was talking to a colleague at work today and she recently had to replace the front brakes on her nearly new GLE350 at just 12k miles.

I now have a few thousand miles on my ceramic pads and new rotors and I still see the cross hatching machine marks on the rotors indicating almost zero wear. Had I used Mercedes parts I am sure there would be visible wear. Furthermore, I have not washed the GLK in almost two weeks due to the weather and my wheels are still silver. With the OEM brakes the wheels would now be black. As far as I can tell there is slightly less initial bite with the ceramics and they require slightly more pedal pressure both of which are a small price to pay If knowing I will probably never need to change the brakes on this car and my wheels will never again be black with brake dust.

1) Yes, the rotors are a wear item and should be replaced at the same time as pads. If you have not changed the brake fluid then this is a good time.
2) Around here I understand the dealer price to be about $300 a wheel or about $1200 for front and back.
3) The dealers usually have online sites that will sell at a small discount. Google discount wholesale mercedes parts.

 

Thanks for the reply and info. I think it is time I start doing the maintenance on these Benzes. I have been partial to OEM parts on my other vehicles and the rotors and pads for the GLK run around $450. I can't see paying $800 to have a dealer do something I can handle in a morning. I'll have to buy a female Torx socket set and pick up a new Alldatadiy manual for the GLK.

On a related note - I see that most places selling MB OEM parts are out of OEM rotors. Is there a story behind this?

Thanks again for the info. I love the satisfaction that comes from maintaining your own vehicle.

OJ

 

 

 

2010 glk350, first brake job around 100000 km with oem pads, at 200000 km put on akebono pads and needed to finally replace the rotors went with Brembos, mostly highway too.

 

I STILL HAVE ORIGINAL ROTORS AND MY GLK HAS OVER 176000 MILES ON IT. I REPLACED PADS AROUND 140K. SO ORIGINAL PADS LASTED 140K AND THE ROTORS ATILL GOING GOOD. IT SHOWS WORN ON THICKNESS BUT NO PROBLEMS YET.

 

Rotors should be replaced at the same time with pads.

One of my favorite vendors sells OEM brake kits here, as well as other maintenance items.

 

I just got 20000 miles in city driving front brakes, dealer said my rears were good for 20000 more. Dealer wanted 800 $ for front brakes, I bought Zimmerman rotors , mb pads and got it done for 400$.

 

Mine tripped the sensor at 76500 kms. The lip on the rotor was fairly big, so I thought it's time. I guess, expected on a 4300lbs "tank" with full-time AWD Picked up front and rear brake kits (rotors, pads, hardware, sensors) and brake fluid from IDParts. Did a few hours last night after work... Few hours today and should be done. Nothing crazy, pretty straight forward process. Expect to have either good impact or long breaker bar for those calliper carrier bolts

Dealer's estimate is about $1500CAD, all said and done ~ about 5 hours of labour + parts+ tax

Some pictures of my progress.









That's some serious wheel hub right here

 

Looking good! After proper bedding in, these brakes should serve you well. Are the textar pads ceramic?

I’ve yet to do the rears, only replaced the fronts about 25k miles ago due to some warpage and shaking on the OEM stuff the MB dealer did as part of the CPO deal.

 

I personally prefer stoptec rotor and akebonlo pads, i had them on my w204, x204 and w166, all works fantastic. Although stoptec rotors are pretty expensive

 

Agreed, they can be pricey. But Akebono ceramic pads have been great to me as well, in all previous applications. The initial bite when cold may not be quite the same as OEM stuff, but you get used to it quickly and it performs excellent the rest of the time with little to no brake dust. I hate brake dust!

My next set will be cross-drilled fronts and solid rears with Akebono pads all around and fresh DOT4 fluid. Just waiting on the brake wear sensor to light up...

 

They sure are Never had them on any of my cars so wanted to try these out. I've read very good reviews on both, Fremax and Textar product though, so we'll see.... I have ceramic akebonos on my Golf - there is practically no dust at all so front wheels are always happy

 

So far so good with this new setup. I would recommend sanding down the coating of the rotors before installing. I know manufacturers say it's ready to go blah blah but just less of that scorched, burnt mess on brand new brake pads Few min with a scotchpad disk would've saved 10 min of driving around and burning all that crap off before bedding pads in.


Old OEMs with new Front rotors

Front

Rear

Anyways, pads are bedded in, I'll check in 500 miles - should be fully set by then. So far no issues. The brake pedal is rock hard with engine off, a little squishy with engine running. Going to bleed again using "old-school" method but after doing multiple brake jobs on newer german cars (2011+) and talking to a local dealership mechanics I am not worried. All of them confirm that brake pedal WILL NOT be rock hard with engine ON. Even after actuating ABS module it would still feel a little spongy.