Did E55K Brake job today, not as easy as I thought!!
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 668
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From: Racine, WI
2003 E55 AMG
Did E55K Brake job today, not as easy as I thought!!
Well I did the front and rear brake pads on my 03 E55 today. Replaced them with Akebono Ceramics. Let me say thanks to all those who posted DIY's about this topic. Disconnected the SBC and didn't lose any fingers,
. Only problem I had was the lower pair of front pads on both sides were EXTREMELY TIGHT!!! Actually had to grind down the metal on the pads a little, maybe .005", to get them to fit. Not sure why the fit was so tight. Even the OEM pads that were in there were very difficult to get out. The anti-squeal plates on the back of the Akebono pads actually started to slide off when I was trying to tap them in. Weird because the top pair on both sides fit just perfectly, and the rears were just as easy. Has anybody had any similar issue? Other than that it would have been a very easy job. Tested em out and they stop great though. Had a slight squeal under very hard braking when I was breaking them in, but it has gone away now. They do smell funny though 
!! Also had 2 malfunctions referring to brakes when I first plugged the SBC back in, one went away after restart. The other one took about 1 hour of the car sitting to clear. Overall, I'm very happy with the Akebonos and I saved a few bucks doing myself. Didn't do the rotors but they were smooth and still had recommended thickness left, couldn't justify spending that much on new rotors when mine were fine.
. Only problem I had was the lower pair of front pads on both sides were EXTREMELY TIGHT!!! Actually had to grind down the metal on the pads a little, maybe .005", to get them to fit. Not sure why the fit was so tight. Even the OEM pads that were in there were very difficult to get out. The anti-squeal plates on the back of the Akebono pads actually started to slide off when I was trying to tap them in. Weird because the top pair on both sides fit just perfectly, and the rears were just as easy. Has anybody had any similar issue? Other than that it would have been a very easy job. Tested em out and they stop great though. Had a slight squeal under very hard braking when I was breaking them in, but it has gone away now. They do smell funny though !! Also had 2 malfunctions referring to brakes when I first plugged the SBC back in, one went away after restart. The other one took about 1 hour of the car sitting to clear. Overall, I'm very happy with the Akebonos and I saved a few bucks doing myself. Didn't do the rotors but they were smooth and still had recommended thickness left, couldn't justify spending that much on new rotors when mine were fine.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,173
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From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
When I installed akebono's I noticed the back plate of the pad was pre-installed incorrectly and I literally needed to tap it with a hammer to bent it slightly and make the pad fit flush. Not all the pads needed me to do this but a few of them did. It wasn't exactly what I expected from a pad that is supposed to be top notch.
