Which pads (i want low dust)

[television]

New pads do take a few hundred miles to bed it and take up the complete surface on the disc, in my SL I changed the pads to ceramic at 16k miles when the pads were less than ½ worn, and the difference can be felt as you over brake till you get used to them, that is even without them bedded in.

The pads and disc on my CL were like new as only been on a couple of k miles when I changed them and again the greater retardation could be felt.

That is my experience of ceramic pads.

 

[television]

Disc brakes first came in about 1962 and have for the best part remained unchanged re the material that the pads are made from. Now in those days we did not have alloy wheels, all steel wheels with large hub caps so very little brake dust ever showed on the wheels.

There is no doubt that if you took pride in your car and wanted to keep it very clean, the wheels always let the car down. the first generations of allow wheels were just alloy with holes in, like the MB 8 hole and again with these wheels the dirt never really ever showed, it was the same with the Mexican top hat wheels used by many firms and again these wheels never got very dirty. In 1998 Volvo were one of the first firms to come out with a very open wheel as in the picture. I always kept my V70R with these very open wheels spotless, but the wheels were a pain to keep clean and always spoilt the look of the car after just a few miles owing to the hills were I worked.

If I can recall it correctly in 2000 EBC started to make the green pads that offered OEM braking, but not making the wheels very dirty, and what dirt there was washed off with ease. They were a great success and soon used all over the world. Other versions have been added including the Yellow as used by many Police authorities in the UK for the high speed pursuit cars. EBC now employ 400 people in the UK alone so they must be doing something right.

Now TMD and ATE have jumped in on this growing market and producing the ceramic pads that offer greater retardation along with clean wheels and a longer disc life, and TMD and ATE are both OE suppliers to Mercedes.

But reading on here, EBC have got it all wrong and no doubt TMD and ATE have got it all wrong as well.

Other parts of the car have changed dramatically and no one says a word and in most cases praise for new innovations, but brake pads made from something other than the old materials unchanged in 50 years gives some members here so much grief just to read about them, yet alone try them.

On Benzworld you can discuss this subject without all of the comments from those that have never tried them, and over in the USA they have many more options and makers of these things than we have.

 

[bigasotonuk]

But all the comments are NOT all from people who have never experienced them I have, and I will never buy them again.
BUT this is only my opinion, and I would NEVER put my opinion above anybody else's.
I think Bolide has summed this repetitive discussion up in post 20 thread, words of great insight and wisdom.

 

[television]

But all the comments are NOT all from people who have never experienced them I have, and I will never buy them again.
BUT this is only my opinion, and I would NEVER put my opinion above anybody else's.
I think Bolide has summed this repetitive discussion up in post 20 thread, words of great insight and wisdom.

People change shock absorbers on their cars to other types and specifications, also the springs, all could have a lethal effect on the cars handling and not much said about this.

Bolides post does have some flaws in it, in that new pads take a minimum of a few hundred miles to bed in, so an immediate effect could never be really tested.
Also in a softly sprung car like a 124 one cannot say that the nose would dive more with pads that retarded you quicker or better for at the same time you would over brake and one does not over brake with better pads after the first few stops, for it is the retardation that forces the front down, it just means less pedal pressure is required to slow or stop so no change in this respect at all.

Yes it is a shame that we cannot discuss the subject like grown ups.

 

[st4]

I fitted non OEM shocks and springs, never again

 

[S.Speed]

Better than OEM, absolute rubbish. I've spoken with a few specialists who deal with this sort of thing for a living and say they've tried EBC blah blah and keep saying for a road car driving on the road OEM > all other alternatives. If you plan to track the car then you need to look at different pads and discs.

For keeping dust low, you need to clean the alloy wheel and wax it, this will keep the dust from sticking to it.

Time you grew up I think..
My opinion is NOT absolute rubbish at all..
Yea rapidly I do tire of thy infantile banter...
Be gone irksome sprite !

 

[NW_Merc]

People change shock absorbers on their cars to other types and specifications, also the springs, all could have a lethal effect on the cars handling and not much said about this.

Bolides post does have some flaws in it, in that new pads take a minimum of a few hundred miles to bed in, so an immediate effect could never be really tested.
Also in a softly sprung car like a 124 one cannot say that the nose would dive more with pads that retarded you quicker or better for at the same time you would over brake and one does not over brake with better pads after the first few stops, for it is the retardation that forces the front down, it just means less pedal pressure is required to slow or stop so no change in this respect at all.

Yes it is a shame that we cannot discuss the subject like grown ups.

Shock absorbers are generally from the same manufacturers that MB buy from not 'OEM spec items' but OEM ones, and those are then fitted according to the engine weight and spec of the car so doesnt generally have lethal effects as you call it. A squeak is not a lethal effect either, however warped discs from pads designed for faster or more powerful cars is.

I have had EBC pads fitted but the greenstuff as the red stuff was deemed unnecessary seeing as I dont track the car. We can have an adult discussion but it appears that others opinions are belittled whenever this topic comes up. Different people have had different opinions, I'll be fitting new discs and pads to my W202 when I do the C32 conversion, but I will be getting all the bits from MB themselves to save the hassle.

 

[Miffy]

I think Bolide has a fair summary of the situation. When I was a bit younger I found that the addition of some go faster decals on my Capri added no end to the acceleration

Personally I feel the RED STUFF performs better than OEM, but thats only my opinion and counts for not too much. Where there is no doubt is that they do create a lot less dust, this is not an interpretation, but a fact (at least on my car)

Maybe we should ban all threads on the subject of best brake pads and refer them to Bolide's post I know it wont happen but hey, worth a try.

 

[television]

Shock absorbers are generally from the same manufacturers that MB buy from not 'OEM spec items' but OEM ones, and those are then fitted according to the engine weight and spec of the car so doesnt generally have lethal effects as you call it. A squeak is not a lethal effect either, however warped discs from pads designed for faster or more powerful cars is.

I have had EBC pads fitted but the greenstuff as the red stuff was deemed unnecessary seeing as I dont track the car. We can have an adult discussion but it appears that others opinions are belittled whenever this topic comes up. Different people have had different opinions, I'll be fitting new discs and pads to my W202 when I do the C32 conversion, but I will be getting all the bits from MB themselves to save the hassle.

Shock absorbers and springs can be bought from many places and from suppliers that are not OE to Mercedes, and I can assure you that the results from fitting the wrong ones can be lethal, its why they are part of the MOT from a safety aspect, the same as brake pads. You mention warped disc, as anyone here had their disc warp through using the wrong pads, Disc are made of a mixture of metals but mainly cast iron, it is a very unstable metal with the molecules always on the move. Any pad that needs less pressure to for fill its purpose will be in contact with the disc for a lesser time, so less chance of over heating the disc.

Please point out where anyone is belittled on this thread you do your best to belittle me, that is for sure, hence the wording of your post and using my post in your qoute.

What you think is unnecessary is not part of this discussion is it, it is your view and that is all.

So you want to fit new disc and pads, well that is just fine and fit want you want to, I do not care in the least what you choose to fit, the choice is yours

You say the red pads are for track use, that is so wrong and heavy motor cars would be nearer mark. You should not comment on the Red as you have never used them.

Tell me, I wonder why ATE and TMD are now producing ceramic pads, have they got it all wrong as well.

 

[television]

I think Bolide has a fair summary of the situation. When I was a bit younger I found that the addition of some go faster decals on my Capri added no end to the acceleration

Personally I feel the RED STUFF performs better than OEM, but thats only my opinion and counts for not too much. Where there is no doubt is that they do create a lot less dust, this is not an interpretation, but a fact (at least on my car)

Maybe we should ban all threads on the subject of best brake pads and refer them to Bolide's post I know it wont happen but hey, worth a try.

There are some errors in Bolides post as I pointed out

 

[Miffy]

There are some errors in Bolides post as I pointed out

Yes, but in general we all have our very own opinions on what is better or not as the case maybe.

I prefer the ride with my 18inch low profile, wide tyres, others on the same car will say the ride on 16inch OEM is better. At the end of the day its only our opinion on what we feel is best for us, and our cars and in most cases will not reflect the views of others.

 

[television]

Yes, but in general we all have our very own opinions on what is better or not as the case maybe.

I prefer the ride with my 18inch low profile, wide tyres, others on the same car will say the ride on 16inch OEM is better. At the end of the day its only our opinion on what we feel is best for us, and our cars and in most cases will not reflect the views of others.

Thats fine, but bolides is not right on 2 main points

Point 1 is that brake pads have to be run in, so you just cannot swap pads to notice any difference.

Point 2 and this is the nose diving of a softly sprung car.

If 2 identical cars had to stop at a certain point from a certain speed and one car had ceramic pads and the other had OE both cars would nose dive identically, its just that the one with ceramic pads would require less pedal pressure to do so.

 

[Miffy]

The part I fully agree with on his post is that we all see something different with change. I even feel the car drives better just after it has passed the MOT Placebo is a strong drug and can affect most of us.

 

[television]

The part I fully agree with on his post is that we all see something different with change. I even feel the car drives better just after it has passed the MOT Placebo is a strong drug and can affect most of us.

well they certainly go quicker when they are washed and clean

 

[Frontstep]

I suppose access to the testing equipment the manufacturers have would help determine which pads have the best results.
It surely is measurable in every aspect rather than relying on personal opinion.

 

[NW_Merc]

Please point out where anyone is belittled on this thread you do your best to belittle me, that is for sure, hence the wording of your post and using my post in your qoute.

Yawn....... the 'woe is me' is about to start?

What you think is unnecessary is not part of this discussion is it, it is your view and that is all.

So you want to fit new disc and pads, well that is just fine and fit want you want to, I do not care in the least what you choose to fit, the choice is yours

and no doubt the choice of the OP and anybody else who wishes to fit what THEY want to THEIR cars

You say the red pads are for track use, that is so wrong and heavy motor cars would be nearer mark. You should not comment on the Red as you have never used them..

The red pads from EBC's own website says that they are for performance cars, it says -

The Redstuff pads are better suited for fast road driving and cars that are above 200bhp.

I dont need to use them in order to quote something from their website. You have this strange paranoid issue that anyone who has an opinion different to yours must be picking on you, how strange.

 

[Miffy]

The Redstuff pads are better suited for fast road driving and cars that are above 200bhp.

My car is both heavy at over 2 tons and over 200bhp. Even an old Mini Metro is capable of driving at "fast road speeds"

 

[toby1]

 

[NW_Merc]

My car is both heavy at over 2 tons and over 200bhp. Even an old Mini Metro is capable of driving at "fast road speeds"

True, I agree, but I guess they're saying that if you're thrashing the car about or more politely 'spirited driving' then the pads would be more applicable. The red pads are a harder compound and hence take a little more time to warm up hence the problems that some people have had. At the end of the day some people like them, some dont.

 

[whitenemesis]

My car is both heavy at over 2 tons and over 200bhp. Even an old Mini Metro is capable of driving at "fast road speeds"

I'm sure we debated this a while back, the listed curb weight for the 320 cab is just 1474kg?

But that's beside the point, I think by fast road speeds really implies a lot of heavy braking from high speed, in which cast the pad would need to be formulated diferently