Changing brake pads

**dsb** · 08-24-2007

I just had my car serviced and they measured the front pads at 5mm and the rears at 8mm. So, I'm now looking into replacing the pads. I'd like to get something that performs as well as stock but preferably with less dust. I know there's a lot of reputable companies that offer such brake pads. My question is what do you all recommend?

Also, is there another Mercedes Benz vehicle that shares the same brakes as the '05-'07 SLK55? I got to believe there is. It would be easier to search, say a C55, for brake pads vs the fairly new SLK55.

DansSlk · 08-24-2007

From memory the SL does

**Ynot** · 08-24-2007

I haven't change mine but slktyperice said that he uses Porterfield Brake Pads, he said it doesn't fade and has minimum brake dust. Here's what I got from formymercedes.com, they sell pads for both the SLK350 and SLK55.

Porterfield R4-S Carbon/Kevlar Street Brake pads offer these advantages:

* 90% Less Dust than OEM
* Light Pedal Effort
* Rotor Friendly
* High Friction, Hot or Cold
* Low Wear Rate
* Fastest Stopping Road Pad Available!

* Friction Coefficient:
OEM: Between .2 and .3
Porterfield: .4
* Temperature Tolearance:
OEM: 500-700 degrees F
Porterfield: 1,100 degrees F

Here's the link. http://www.formymercedes.com/porterfield.asp

slktyperice · 08-24-2007

Actually, I went the ceramic route with my first set of new pads with Akebono pads I got from Tirerack. I need to change again, and I'm definitely going Porterfield. I recommend Porterfield if you want the best for your SLK and don't want to gamble about fitment.

**dsb** · 08-24-2007

I looked into the Porterfield's a while back. Jerry (FMM) gave me some good info but there isn't a pad specifically made for the SLK55. Here's is some copied information from Jerry:

The Porterfield pads would be essentiall hand made. They do not have the "factory metal" backing plate, so they will make one from another large pad. So we can discuss how you feel about having or not having wear sensor connectivity....

Porterfield tells me the pads are cut from a 6 piston GT3 porche racing pad. So the puck is molded on, not riveted. The pads are huge....

Since there is a slot in the Porshe pads for wear sensor connection, I think your sensors will work. What I'm going to do, is send the Mercedes Benz sensors to Porterfield so they can see if wear sensors can be connected for this application. That way they'll know what diameter hole to drill into the pad material, and depth.

That is the last communication I had with him 4 months ago. I guess I should contact him again and try out the front pads. I was just hoping there would be a direct replacement (same size)

Tslick · 08-24-2007

Doesn't brake fade have to do with overheating hydraulic (brake) fluid.

Going back to the 2008 AMG brake issue, reducing the surface area of the piston(s) causes the temperature of the hydraulic fluid to increase due to increased PSI required to achieve equivalent force.

DansSlk · 08-25-2007

Thats one type yeah it and it normally produces the mushy feel on the pedal.

You then have glazing that occurs after active braking and a cooling period where the resin tends to solidify over the pad face in a slick form, the other primary type and common root cause is triggered by the pads overheating and being forced to work outside of the recommended temperature range they then start to lose performance rapidly this itself does not cause a weird feeling in the pedal so can creep up on you but because its temp related it also tends to cause the fluid to boil and give you a warning.

Tslick · 08-25-2007

Dan, brake fade vs mushy pads are separate subjects.

DansSlk · 08-25-2007

mushy pads? thats a new one mate sorry.

Just telling it like its been told me i was taught that brake fade is a term given to anything that reduces brake stopping power.

MB give the main 3 -

Fluid boiling and releasing compressible gas into the system that gives a mushy pedal.
Pad's glazing after a session of hard driving.
And the loss of performance as they overheat during hard driving.

Just how I've been taught but as always open to corrections.

**F111F** · 08-27-2007

"Porterfield R4-S Carbon/Kevlar Street Brake pads offer these advantages:

* 90% Less Dust than OEM
* Light Pedal Effort
* Rotor Friendly
* High Friction, Hot or Cold
* Low Wear Rate
* Fastest Stopping Road Pad Available!"

That is the one thing, the MB brakes leave a ton of dust to clean off all the time.

Tslick · 08-27-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by DansSlk

mushy pads? thats a new one mate sorry.....

No biggie, In my neck of the woods, mushy pads (peddle) is due to low hydraulic fluid level or glazing. Brake fade (or loss) is due to overheating hydraulic fluid (boiling).

DansSlk · 08-27-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tslick

No biggie, In my neck of the woods, mushy pads (peddle) is due to low hydraulic fluid level or glazing. Brake fade (or loss) is due to overheating hydraulic fluid (boiling).

Ah OK i understand what you meant now

**B4TM4N** · 10-12-2007

Do they have (is it called?) Hawks HPS or HP+??

A lotta track people use it because they're supposedly very good and reduce a lot of brake dust. They're just damm noisy...

GAM817 · 03-18-2008

DSB

5mm and 8mm doesn't sound so bad. I was told after my service 'D' that I needed to change all four pads as well as the front disc rotors. But after purchasing the OE parts and having a more mechanically inclined friend help pull my car apart, we found all four pads to be quite meaty and only slight grooving on the rotors. This is after 65,000km and a change from the stock 16s to after market 18s somewhere in between (not sure if this is relevant). We decided to leave it as is.

Since the pads appeared to be arond 40% - 50% worn compared to the new Textar pads I had, my friend figured it'd be safe for around another 20,000km.

any opinions would be much appreciated

**dsb** · 03-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAM817

DSB

5mm and 8mm doesn't sound so bad. I was told after my service 'D' that I needed to change all four pads as well as the front disc rotors. But after purchasing the OE parts and having a more mechanically inclined friend help pull my car apart, we found all four pads to be quite meaty and only slight grooving on the rotors. This is after 65,000km and a change from the stock 16s to after market 18s somewhere in between (not sure if this is relevant). We decided to leave it as is.

Since the pads appeared to be arond 40% - 50% worn compared to the new Textar pads I had, my friend figured it'd be safe for around another 20,000km.

any opinions would be much appreciated

Thanks for the input. I have since realized that the OE does, in fact, have quite a bit of life left. I've decided to hold out on replacement pads a little longer.

08-24-2007	#1 (permalink)
dsb Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NorCal Vehicle: '06 slk55 Posts: 1,176 Country: Thanks: 67 Thanked 120 Times in 42 Posts	Changing brake pads I just had my car serviced and they measured the front pads at 5mm and the rears at 8mm. So, I'm now looking into replacing the pads. I'd like to get something that performs as well as stock but preferably with less dust. I know there's a lot of reputable companies that offer such brake pads. My question is what do you all recommend? Also, is there another Mercedes Benz vehicle that shares the same brakes as the '05-'07 SLK55? I got to believe there is. It would be easier to search, say a C55, for brake pads vs the fairly new SLK55. __________________ SOLD! 06 Mercedes Benz SLK55 Caspian Blue / Black & Ash *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

08-24-2007	#2 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,756 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	From memory the SL does __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

08-24-2007	#3 (permalink)
Ynot Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Colorado Vehicle: 06' MBZ SLK Posts: 2,795 Country: Thanks: 135 Thanked 35 Times in 30 Posts	I haven't change mine but slktyperice said that he uses Porterfield Brake Pads, he said it doesn't fade and has minimum brake dust. Here's what I got from formymercedes.com, they sell pads for both the SLK350 and SLK55. Porterfield R4-S Carbon/Kevlar Street Brake pads offer these advantages: * 90% Less Dust than OEM * Light Pedal Effort * Rotor Friendly * High Friction, Hot or Cold * Low Wear Rate * Fastest Stopping Road Pad Available! * Friction Coefficient: OEM: Between .2 and .3 Porterfield: .4 * Temperature Tolearance: OEM: 500-700 degrees F Porterfield: 1,100 degrees F Here's the link. http://www.formymercedes.com/porterfield.asp __________________ 06' SLK 350, Iridium/Ash all pkgs. 6-spd, 19" DCR. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

08-24-2007	#5 (permalink)
dsb Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NorCal Vehicle: '06 slk55 Posts: 1,176 Country: Thanks: 67 Thanked 120 Times in 42 Posts	I looked into the Porterfield's a while back. Jerry (FMM) gave me some good info but there isn't a pad specifically made for the SLK55. Here's is some copied information from Jerry: The Porterfield pads would be essentiall hand made. They do not have the "factory metal" backing plate, so they will make one from another large pad. So we can discuss how you feel about having or not having wear sensor connectivity.... *Porterfield tells me the pads are cut from a 6 piston GT3 porche racing pad. So the puck is molded on, not riveted. The pads are huge....* Since there is a slot in the Porshe pads for wear sensor connection, I think your sensors will work. What I'm going to do, is send the Mercedes Benz sensors to Porterfield so they can see if wear sensors can be connected for this application. That way they'll know what diameter hole to drill into the pad material, and depth. That is the last communication I had with him 4 months ago. I guess I should contact him again and try out the front pads. I was just hoping there would be a direct replacement (same size) __________________ SOLD! 06 Mercedes Benz SLK55 Caspian Blue / Black & Ash *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

08-25-2007	#7 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,756 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	Thats one type yeah it and it normally produces the mushy feel on the pedal. You then have glazing that occurs after active braking and a cooling period where the resin tends to solidify over the pad face in a slick form, the other primary type and common root cause is triggered by the pads overheating and being forced to work outside of the recommended temperature range they then start to lose performance rapidly this itself does not cause a weird feeling in the pedal so can creep up on you but because its temp related it also tends to cause the fluid to boil and give you a warning. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

08-24-2007	#4 (permalink)
slktyperice Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 114 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Actually, I went the ceramic route with my first set of new pads with Akebono pads I got from Tirerack. I need to change again, and I'm definitely going Porterfield. I recommend Porterfield if you want the best for your SLK and don't want to gamble about fitment.

08-24-2007	#6 (permalink)
Tslick Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Long Beach, Ca Vehicle: SLK32 AMG Posts: 1,326 Country: Thanks: 74 Thanked 56 Times in 29 Posts	Doesn't brake fade have to do with overheating hydraulic (brake) fluid. Going back to the 2008 AMG brake issue, reducing the surface area of the piston(s) causes the temperature of the hydraulic fluid to increase due to increased PSI required to achieve equivalent force.

08-25-2007	#8 (permalink)
Tslick Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Long Beach, Ca Vehicle: SLK32 AMG Posts: 1,326 Country: Thanks: 74 Thanked 56 Times in 29 Posts	Dan, brake fade vs mushy pads are separate subjects.

08-25-2007	#9 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,756 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	mushy pads? thats a new one mate sorry. Just telling it like its been told me i was taught that brake fade is a term given to anything that reduces brake stopping power. MB give the main 3 - Fluid boiling and releasing compressible gas into the system that gives a mushy pedal. Pad's glazing after a session of hard driving. And the loss of performance as they overheat during hard driving. Just how I've been taught but as always open to corrections. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

08-27-2007	#10 (permalink)
F111F Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Plano, TX Vehicle: SLK55 Black Mocha Designo Posts: 290 Country: Thanks: 39 Thanked 22 Times in 10 Posts	"Porterfield R4-S Carbon/Kevlar Street Brake pads offer these advantages: * 90% Less Dust than OEM * Light Pedal Effort * Rotor Friendly * High Friction, Hot or Cold * Low Wear Rate * Fastest Stopping Road Pad Available!" That is the one thing, the MB brakes leave a ton of dust to clean off all the time.

10-12-2007	#13 (permalink)
B4TM4N Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Vehicle: 2006 SLK 280 Other Toys: C300 RWD 6MT Posts: 153 Country: Thanks: 36 Thanked 34 Times in 10 Posts	Do they have (is it called?) Hawks HPS or HP+?? A lotta track people use it because they're supposedly very good and reduce a lot of brake dust. They're just damm noisy... __________________ 2006 SLK 280 6MT *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

03-18-2008	#14 (permalink)
GAM817 SLK World Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 7 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	DSB 5mm and 8mm doesn't sound so bad. I was told after my service 'D' that I needed to change all four pads as well as the front disc rotors. But after purchasing the OE parts and having a more mechanically inclined friend help pull my car apart, we found all four pads to be quite meaty and only slight grooving on the rotors. This is after 65,000km and a change from the stock 16s to after market 18s somewhere in between (not sure if this is relevant). We decided to leave it as is. Since the pads appeared to be arond 40% - 50% worn compared to the new Textar pads I had, my friend figured it'd be safe for around another 20,000km. any opinions would be much appreciated

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