Are these stock brakes ?

[Petrol Pete]

2006 W203 C55 AMG estate.

During a stint of tyre changing and professional wheel refurbishment I decided to tart up the rear brake callipers.

What happened next is still baffling me.

The pins and spring plate were well manky (the ones in the photo are AFTER is had them on the wire wheel and sprayed them !!)

So I went about getting new ones...here the fun starts , my local motorfactors and Europarts tried to sell me one pin and a T shaped spring, This appears to be normal fitment on non AMG C class cars...but not mine.

So with gritted teeth I went to Mercedes Benz who tried to sell me the same thing !

The photos you see here were shown to MB mechanics who all agreed that the brakes are non standard. The parts guy I am dealing with is in touch with Germany and has yet to give me a definitive answer.

Two Questions :

If anyone could be bothered to upgrade the rear brakes on this car in the past why not go for the 4 pot Brabus set up that is available rather than a Calliper that uses the same pads that are widely available and the same size as a stock C class ?

Why after searching the net (for half an hour) did I find exactly what I was looking for from brakes international in Rochdale www.brakesint.co.uk under the heading 'merc vented kit' part number BPF1765 £9.17p

I will fit them when I can be bothered to jack the car up.

OK, to re-cap. The bits I need are available and I have them in my grubby little hand. WTF is happening when no one , not even a BIG MB dealership (which happens to be an AMG dealership) can identify these parts ?

I believe the reason they were in such a sh*t state is because previous mechanics have had this problem before and simply bang the old ones back in.

The other problem I have is that I have yet to see another C55 estate to compare it with, if you have one pop outside , have a look ,and let me know if your callipers look like these.

Cheers

 

[Grovsie31]

Yes they are stock brakes.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Yes they are stock brakes.

Thanks
That has been confirmed by Brucemillar on this forum. What I can't understand is how a main (AMG) Mercedes Benz dealer insists they are not .

Looks like if the lap top tells them "Computer says NO" game over.

Tossers

 

[PobodY]

Any chance they are "upgrade" brakes? - So stock for an AMG model, but not for a standard W203?

 

[AMGeed]

I think I've seen bigger calipers on a push bike

Very surprised to see such a weedy looking caliper on a 55, even though its on the rear. The 55k/C63 ones are massive in comparison.

 

[Grovsie31]

I think I've seen bigger calipers on a push bike

Very surprised to see such a weedy looking caliper on a 55, even though its on the rear. The 55k/C63 ones are massive in comparison.

That's because your E55 is like a canal boat Geed, so needs bigger brakes to stop itself.

 

[Grovsie31]

Thanks
That has been confirmed by Brucemillar on this forum. What I can't understand is how a main (AMG) Mercedes Benz dealer insists they are not .

Looks like if the lap top tells them "Computer says NO" game over.

Tossers

Maybe there clueless idiots? The C55 is a pretty rare car. They obviously don't know what there talking about.

 

[AMGeed]

That's because your E55 is like a canal boat Geed, so needs bigger brakes to stop itself.

Never heard an E55 called a canal boat before but there's always a first.

Yes a fair bit heavier than a C55, but the C63 was given similar massive Brembo calipers and that can't be much heavier than a C55?

My comment isn't meant as a slight to any C55 owner. I just find it puzzling that such a small caliper was put on the rears.

 

[KeithJG]

I think you forget we are talking early S203 model?

My S203 C320cdi Sport is also not a very common model and during manufacture the buyers own personal specification Is reflected in the VIN breakdown description of what the car build is.

Mine does not have AMG drilled discs but the disc size is increased with Brembo 4 pots on the front and those same rear calipers as shown.

In essence the manufacturer knows best and fits what is safe for each model. The C class doesnt need to throw an anchor out the back to stop due to its compact size and lightness compared to the larger barges.

Drilled discs are only for look and not performance ........drilled holes in the disc mean less surface area for breaking and more wear on pads which in turn means very dirty dusty wheels.

Sport discs are not drilled discs as most think. Drilled are for AMG.

 

[AMGeed]

Drilled discs are only for look and not performance .

Partly true. The following quote taken from a brake disc manufacturer.

Most of our customers will not notice a difference in stopping performance from the brake rotor, but rather from the brake pads. The advantages from cross drilled and slotted rotors comes during extremely hard and repetitive braking such as in competition use.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I think I've seen bigger calipers on a push bike

Very surprised to see such a weedy looking caliper on a 55, even though its on the rear. The 55k/C63 ones are massive in comparison.

The cylinder diameter is 42 mm and the pads are exactly the same surface area and disc diameter as any other W203 C class of the same vintage.

The rear discs on the AMG are vented but not drilled. So all sorts of confusing 'Why TF did they do that ?' kind of questions raised here. But so far they appear t be stock...its just that MBUK don't know that...and don't seem to care either.