speedydriver

i'm considering ceramic brakes, but I'm wondering do these brakes squeal in street use? and being that i live in seattle, would there be a reduction in braking ability in rain / heavy rain?

ajs76

I've been doing a ton of research on this here lately. I've come to some basic conclusions.

1) People like EBC Reds.
a) There are a subset of people that also say ceramics will eat your rotors
b) everyone seems to agree they bite well and stop almost

They are not ok for track use - you want the yellows if you are going to track.

There are plenty of other ceramic options too, but I kind of get the feeling that most guys choose a lower dust pad that doesn't work on the track with the expense of some braking performance.

https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...endations.html

CliffJumper

OP - are you asking about the OEM CCBs, or just ceramic pads, which ajs76 is referring to?

I almost replied re: CCBs until I saw his reply.

Amg63-

If they really eat into the rotors then i wouldnt get them. Is this for real?

ajs76

I'm stupid and didnt think CCB which are obviously amazing though expensive and probably necessary for most driving.

I did see a great quote that said:
1. Low dust
2. Low noise
3. Rotor life

Pick 2

CliffJumper

If he's talking about MB OEM CCBs, then:

Pros:

1. Amazing pedal feel
2. No fading whatsoever; fantastic performance whether hot, cold OR wet (note, cold for SF is 45-50F, not icy weather cold)
3. No brake dust
4. Look fantastic

Cons:

1. Pricey - not just parts, but even the labor required to change pads/rotors are very specific, requiring careful calibration. I know this b/c my dealer had to do this multiple times.
2. The reason why they had to do this multiple times is because my brakes made an unreasonable amount of noise. However, it's not the type of noise that you might expect. When I heard CCBs had "noise", I thought it meant high-pitched squealing when braking. That almost never happens. It maybe squeals briefly once every 6-8 weeks. What I had was some type of weird harmonic resonance sound when driving at low speeds (and not pressing the brake pedal) after the brakes had heated up. It created a low, groaning sound that was MISERABLE. I had to take it to the dealer 3 times, who had to work directly with an engineering team in Germany who did video chat troubleshooting sessions with the local mechanics and sent out specific brake pads to help resolve the problem. FINALLY, it seems to have gone after the last visit about 5 weeks ago. I still hear the groaning for a couple of seconds about twice a month, but it's acceptable to me now. 2 months ago, I was considering seeing if my car was a candidate for a Lemon Law buyback. Now that the sounds are gone, I LOVE MY BRAKES. In fact, even with the sounds, I still LOVED MY BRAKES... it was just a love/hate relationship at that point. Now only love is left

cadeca

I agree with what Cliffjumper shared and have not had any problems with mine. I always need to adjust to how strong these brakes are when I switch cars.

TRIAgain

I also agree with the pros mentioned by Cliffjumper. I also love these brakes. I have had no squealing even with temps in the low teens. I have the same experience as cadeca, these brakes bit quickly, jumping into one of my other cars is a completely definitely brake travel/ pressure experience.

Do a search on this forum or all AMG forums for CCB and you will get many threads on the topic that cover performance, life, cost and any issues.