Zero. I have gone through, seen, and ridden in PS equipped cars probably more than anybody on this forum due to the nature of my work. I also used them on the heaviest S63's and my personal GTS which routinely saw triple digit speeds down to 60 braking.

They're chinese made but so is Textar, ATE, Pagid (despite making the best race pads on the market domestically) even Brembo for some applications which are the OEM brands for german cars. If that doesn't sound palettable, there are the Brembo ceramic pads, but I think those are chinese too.

I do not recommend the 'upgrade" rotors though, they slots are load and make a whirring noise on hard stops.

 

When in doubt, stick with OEM pads and rotors. A bit pricey and dusty, but they're better than any aftermarket brakes made in China. You can shop online and find them much cheaper than retail, which is what the dealer and most indy's will sell them for. It's worthwhile searching for an indy that will install the OEM parts that you buy at a discount online.

I mentioned this in another thread, but if brake dust from the OEM pads is an issue for you, than you can purchase AutoGlym Wheel Protector to spray your rims when they're clean and dry. It will keep your wheels brake dust and grime-free for at least a couple of months after each application. It even appears to stand up to weekly car washes if you wash your car by hand without harsh chemicals. It's made in Great Britain, but there are distributors in the US. An 11 oz can is about $15 and should last for around 4 applications....so up to a year.

 

There are plenty of ceramic pads out there that were not made in China.

Switching to ceramic pads was the single best improvement I made to the car, it really increased my enjoyment of it when it would stay cleaner for longer. The brake dust of the OEM pads just made it where one day of driving looked like a week of driving. My W223 doesn't make brake dust really on the OEM pads, I imagine its because of the regenerative braking.

 

Our S Class cars have Finley tuned suspensions and many are swapping out the lightweight OEM rotors for much heavier aftermarket rotors that add too much unsprung weight - not good!

 

Again that is a two piece rotor, look at the rear picture, you'll see where the pieces are joined.

 

The OEM rotors are not lightweight rotors. In any event though I would use the OEM rotor and just go to an aftermarket ceramic pad

 

I contacted FCP Euro and I stand corrected, it is in fact a 2 piece rotor. At least the cost makes more sense now

 

I ordered the Powerstop rotors with Z23 pads. Planning on replacing next week.

I had great results with these on my last car. If they're a bit heavier it doesn't matter to me as this isn't a race car.

 

While weight in these cars is abundant, unsprung is a bit more critical as it not only affects dynamics but also ride quality.

 

Understood. I'll be sure to report any differences after installing the new rotors.

 

How much heavier is a one peice rotor than the OEM 2 peice?

 

I feel like I’m the resident idiot here, but what does unsprung mean in this context?

Also, for a car that’s highway miles and driven by my wife (drives like a granny), does anyone see a reason I shouldn’t go with the Bosch QuietCast all around? Is that a downgrade over Mercedes labeled?

 

Those are a definite downgrade over OEM. What I've personally found is the dustier the pad, the quicker and better the bite in all driving conditions. Wet and snowy roads is where you see the biggest difference as OEM pads really excel here. German cars generally have the dustiest OEM pads, but they are usually the best stopping cars. The OEM pads are not noisy at all, so there isn't a need to purchase an inferior brake pad that brands itself as being quiet. I used to have a Chrysler 300C SRT-8 with Brembo brakes. Those pads were dust AF, but that big car would stop on a dime in all weather conditions.

 

The question is whether its a big enough downgrade for you to notice. I went from the OEM pads to ceramic pads and I noticed no discernable difference in braking power under any circumstances, dry, wet, snow, nothing. I would replace the OEM pads with aftermarket ceramic pads without hesitation.

 

I tried after-market Power Stop Z73 ceramic pads on my previous E60 M5 and S600. After driving in the rain and cold, I immediately noticed longer stopping distances and swapped back to the original pads on both of those cars. With the S600, the stopping distances under the same brake pressure compared to the stock pads was significantly longer. In warm, dry conditions the difference was negligible from stock. I decided the BMW and MB engineers knew what they were doing, even though the pads were dusty AF, especially on the M5. And now that I'm using brake dust repellant, I have the best of all worlds.

 

Thanks for that. I am not going to mess with chance. OEM it is.

 

I can't speak to those specific pads but the ones I had I didn't find any of that at all.

 

Unsprung, as I understand it, is all the weight of the car that is carried above the shock absorbers. So that weight compresses the “springs” by and large, while unsprung weight underneath the springs tends to stretch the springs when cornering, going over hills, and other maneuvering. Unsprung weight when maneuvering tends to make the car less stable.

 

Excellent explanation… thanks!!! Even I understand that now after reading it slowly a couple of times. 👍

 

FCP Euro, Genuine pads and rotors, the exact same ones that you’ll get from the dealer. You can’t beat that with the lifetime warranty. In all the years I’ve owned my cars, I’ve utilized a few sets already. They’re heavy so returns will cost $100+, but that’s just a fraction of a new set. Well worth it.
I wouldn’t go with the recommendations from the salesmen in the above posts. Just stick to what Mercedes put on the car, you can’t go wrong with that. Hate brake dust? Wash your wheels and properly coat it with a ceramic coating. After that, it’s just spraying the wheels with water will wash the dust off easily.

 

Yeah I’m in complete agreement here. I will always utilize @BenzNinja excellent work doing other things for me, but I’m not messing with the brakes.

QUESTION: 2018 S450 4Matic. FCP tells me I need to order only one brake wear sensor when I order front and rear rotors and brakes. That can’t be right, can it?

 

LOL, salesmen? I’m just an S Class owner like you that has first hand experience with ceramic pads. But, what do I know? I only had the car with both sets of pads.

Washing your wheels works if you want to wash them every day. Like I said being able to enjoy the car without it needing to be washed after a day of driving was the best improvement I made to the car. Ceramic coating the wheels will not make them release brake dust with just a water spray. If you want to stick with the OEM pads that’s your prerogative I’m just saying braking power is just fine with the ceramic pads.

 

Sorry, I shouldn’t haven’t said I was in COMPLETE agreement. Didn’t think anyone was selling aftermarket on here, although I guess that could happen. 👍

 

Wasn’t responding to you at all, no worries

 

The OEM rotors weigh a lot less than Powerstop and a few others.