dsb

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Dan or maybe Easty?

I just noticed some squealing from my brakes two days ago. Well, today it sounds more like grinding. I only have 13k on my car but I do track it so I guess my brakes need replacing. However, when I look at my pads, it seems like there is plenty of material left.

Am I looking at it wrong?!
Does the grinding sound absolutely confirm the brakes are worn?
Could it be that the inside brake pads are worn well before the outside pads?

Now, assuming it needs to be replaced...
Is this an easy task?
If so, any pictures or instructions?
How much is just the pads? Front and rear? Or just front?
If I decide to have them done at the dealership, how much more will they charge for labor?

TIA,

Dan

PS, I need this done ASAP. I go to Thunderhill Raceway on Oct 22nd!

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Tslick

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I don't know what model the 55 AMG is, but if it's a R171.456 this TSB applies. http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Mercedes-...0-51E/511.html

etyu

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If I'm not mistaken:

171.454 is the SLK 280;
171.456 is the 350; and
171.473 is the 55 AMG.

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DansSlk

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It does sound like the pads but then you should have had a warning from the computer about them really mate and i have not known it to fail very often so that would lead to believe something else is going on here.

Do all of them make this noise or just one or two of them?

I would give the dealer a shout on this one you never know it could be something similar to what the TSB mentions, the pads should wear quite evenly across the contact surface really so if they look OK and you have not got any warnings i would say there are doing alright.

If they do need to be replaced its not a hard job mate no i think the hardest bit is getting the torque right.

easty did post somewhere the price of the 030 pads that unfortunately for him now appear to be identical to the standards i think he also said how much the normal ones where.

Not sure about the rates in the UK it is about £100 an hour not sure what it is in the US sorry mate but i would expect something similar.

Hope this helps

Dan

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easty

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Hi Mate. Mine have always made noises, especially after I started tracking the car. I just think this is normal, when I used to buy race pads for my sportsbike they always made noise when they were cold. It's just the composite materials used. Maybe they don't make any noise if you never really cook them.

I'd take them out and check them, mine had about 2/3mm left, but when I inspected them they were breaking up and roughly 10% of the material had cracked. the reason I really wanted better pads.. as oem stopping power is good enough.

Regarding changing them, it's bloody easy. They cost me $240 for the pads and I asked for the 030 pads as they are identical in form, yet not sure if the compound is different? yet to track on them.

To change them you don't need to take off the calipers, just slide out the pads.

turn wheel so outside of caliper points away from car
Loosen nuts a little
Jack wheel
remove wheel
there's a bolt/nut, two snap tolerance retainers and a retainer plate.

I think the nut is a 14mm(could be wrong)

just tap retainer pins with a small hammer and they will pop out, as you do this there is a plate that keeps pressure on the pads, use a screw drive to lever this pad away from the pins, otherwise they pretend to be hard to slide out.

once both pins and bolt is removed, the retain plate will just fall off. dont worry about it's orientation, it has an arrow.

now use a fat screw driver to push the pads back. don't stop when they are loose, keep going until they are fully back. do this now, if you try to do the 3 cylinders individually later it's a bit of a game. then just slide out the pads slide in the new ones and reverse. make sure the anti-screech pad doesn't fall off the back of the new pads.

the retainer pins agian just need a little tap with a hammer to snap back in.

the pedal should require 1 1/2 pumps and then go hard.

I'd say it'll take you less than 1 hour, 30min first wheel, 20 min second.

it's nice to do the job yourself just to see how mighty those calipers are.


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mac90

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If this is any help I used the below listed web site to change the brake pads on my 2001 slk 320. I was very informative.

www.slk32.com/pages/brakes/brakes.html