jikjak

it looks like im almost due to change out my stock brake pads and the rotors.
ill be getting a price quote on the parts sometime later today or perhaps tomorrow. i was thinking that it may be better to get something aftermarket instead. especially if it will save weight. the car is also modded so the more braking the better.

so far on my search through the forum i have seen the evosport rotor kit and there was a vrp one as well. i guess rotors for this car are pricey. i wonder if the oem ones are similar in price.

does anyone have any other recommendations on rotors and pads? something lighter and as close in price to oem as possible. (those carbon ones are out of the question!)

lane_change

Stock brembo front rotors are $115 each from when I priced them out...alot cheaper than the evosport kit, but I have not heard how much of an improvement you would get from the lighter rotors. Obviously, it would be noticable...but is it $1500 noticable? I have also not heard how the aftermarket brakes do for longevity. I will likely go with oem replacements for now. Is there any way to change them yourself, or do you have to use the STAR system as well to bleed the brakes and release the pistons?

jikjak

where did u price out those brembo rotors?
are they any lighter than oem? (or are the oem ones made by brembo?)
im still waiting on pricing on the oem ones from the dealer.
i imagine they will charge a lot though.

Racerxjling

I don't know much about the lighter weight rotors. I JUST did the front & rear brakes myself and you do not need the STAR B.S. nor do you need to open up the system to release the pistons. They retract easily w/ a large chan-el-lock plier. OEM rotors from the stealer $104 each for fronts and $89 for the rears after the 18% discount. I went w/ the akebono ceramic low dust pads (do a search here) and they were about the same $$ as OEMs. Just seated them and they feel good so far but have no long term experience w/ the setup. I had my local MB dealer match online $$...they were a little more than online but didn't want to wait a week to ship from back east. Get your best price online and call your local dealer. These things are heavy so shipping is $$ too. BTW, you will need a strong impact and/or breaker bar to remove the caliper bolts. Also, the rear caliper bolts use a FEMALE hex socket...don't recall the size. The fronts use a regular hex socket...think
21mm. Oh, the left (driver's side) rear UPPER caliper bolt is a little tricky. You have to bend the bracket (can do this by hand) that holds the brake lines in order to access the upper caliper bolt easily. The old rotors were a real bi*ch to remove...rusted on. I had to heat it w/ a butane torch as well as whack the heck out of the caliper w/ a heavy hammer. ..be sure to have one on hand. Lastly, I didn't do it but wish I had ordered them, order 4 new rotor set screws...these are the screws/bolts (one at each rotor) that hold the rotor in place. Mine were also a little rusted upon removal.

Jeff

Donovan386

How many miles should one expect *on average* to get out of a set of pads and rotors. I do mostly city driving. I realize it's all based on your driving habits, but i'm just looking for a general number or range. What did you guys get?

jikjak

i think i have close to 40,000 kms (around 25,000 miles) on my current pads and rotors and they are almost ready to be replaced.

seems like the oems ones arent too pricey at all then.
what website did you get the online pricing from?

Racerxjling

I found the site on these forums:

Rotors:

www.mercedespartssuperstore.com

Akebono ceramic pads:

www.thepartsbin.com

I also had a local shop match thepartsbin website $$ since I wanted the pads the same day. Good luck.

Jeff

Serenity Now

I just had rears done and went with the OEM rotors and OEM pads. If I could go back I would get the OEM Rotors with the akebono low dust pads. Well worth it. I just jumped the gun because my car had been in the shop too long already and they had OEM pads in stock. My fronts are coming due soon and I'm going OEM rotors and low dust pads.

alphanumeric

these akebono low dust pads sound like a great idea. Be sure to replace 4 for wheels with low dust pads. I replaced my w202 front brakes with low dust, and it looks funny because now the rears get dirty.

Every time I have changed brakes on my cars, I have replaced rotors & pads. but now I am thinking.... only the pads might need to be changed.. rotors might still be good and save you $$ until next brake change

jikjak

thanks for the links.
i think ill just stick with the oem parts as well since they cost much less. (under 500 compared to almost 2k for rotors only)

i have another question. does anyone know the part numbers for the rotors used on the performance package of the AMG55 cars? (E,CLS,SL)
im wondering if these ones would fit on our stock calipers.

Hazy1

I got well over 60k miles from the fronts on my car and the mechanic just looked at the rears and said they have a fair amount of life left. From what other's have posted on the forum, I think that I'm in the extreme minority and most get about 30k at best. I drive faster than nearly everyone on the road, but don't abuse my car, always try to anticipate stops, and gently downshift as I'm slowing down (RPM's rarely exceed 2k on downshifts). At most stop lights & stop signs, I don't apply my brakes until 10-15 MPH, if at all.