CLK 63 AMG / SLK 55 Brake Upgrade - Almost there

[tudu]

Almost finished brake upgrade everything has gone smoothly bar EBC sending the wrong front redstuff pads, so had to overnight a set of OEM CLK 63 pads to MB Exeter, which i picked up 8am this morning, cost was a whopping £146 plus £10 for the sensor. Pads are now being fitted, then road test and bed in the pads and rotors.

I will post some more pics later, in the meantime couple of pics of new CLK 63 front caliper and rotor, and the rear SLK55 rotor and caliper, which is all finished. Pleased to say no problems with wheels and clearance of the calipers.

 

[A210AMG]

That looks like some serious brake power


Nice.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Given the fronts look so sexy with the silver AMG finish, I can't believe they didn't do something to make the rears look better athe factory. After a few years the standard rears look awful.

I think tudu's done the sort of thing that AMG should have done at the rear.

And as for the front's?

If I were a betting man, I'd put a bob on tudu getting a blower on the C55 before he gets a C63. Go on, you know you want to...

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Looks awesome. Some serious stopping power there...

 

[stats007]

Floating rotors discs look great.

 

[tudu]

Given the fronts look so sexy with the silver AMG finish, I can't believe they didn't do something to make the rears look better athe factory. After a few years the standard rears look awful.

I think tudu's done the sort of thing that AMG should have done at the rear.

And as for the front's?

If I were a betting man, I'd put a bob on tudu getting a blower on the C55 before he gets a C63. Go on, you know you want to...

Ha - yep decided to hold off on C63 for a while as still not convinced worth the extra money over what i am driving at the mo. As to the Kleemann SC we will have to wait and see.

You are spot on with the way AMG allowed C55 and C32 to leave the factory with only a silver 4 pot caliper on the front, and as you say a rusty glob on the rear. IMHO given the money we pay for these cars AMG's should come standard with at least the setup i have now 6 / 4 caliper set-up, as the E55 AMG comes with 8 / 4 i believe.

 

[tudu]

Finally done

Here's pic's of the brakes completed, rotors and pads have been test bedded in, and the difference is already noticeable.

Before

After

Loads of clearance for calipers - wheels are Mandrus Regemeister 18 x 8.5 et32 and 18 x 9.5 et35 shod with Yokohama Advan Sport V103's 225/40/18 F and 255/35/18 rear.

Thanks to whitenemisis for checking part numbers for me, and Pete and the crew at Specialist Vehicles. The C55 calipers and discs well front anyway are going on my C200K, so sorry to all who have asked.

 

[C43AMG]

Great Mods,well done.

 

[tudu]

For anyone else (W203's) interested in doing this upgrade when your discs and pads are worn here are the part numbers:

CLK 63 AMG (Front)

003-420-67-83 (caliper)
003-420-68-83 (caliper)
209-421-01-02 (Rotors x 2)
005-420-39-20 (Brake Pads) think there composite pads?
171-540-06-17 (sensor)

SLK 55 AMG 030 Performance Pack (Rear)

003-420-29-83 (caliper)
003-420-30-83 (caliper)
171-423-02-12 (rotors x 2)

Don't have rear brake pad part numbers as i fitted EBC Redstuff on the rear's (DP31490C - 1490). All the parts directly bolt onto the W203 C Class except the back plate behind the rear caliper's which requires a bit of trimming to take up the new 4 pot caliper, might be best to bleed brakes as my guy did, and fit SS brake lines (Olly did mine few months ago) as they make a hell of difference as well.

After shopping around for the parts the total price including fitting came to roughly £3,200.00. I don't think that's too bad considering i was quoted £4,750.00 for Brembo GT BBK front and rear, and given that these are made by Brembo anyway i have managed to keep OEM AMG.

I will post in the near future and let others know how these brakes hold up.

 

[kjay]

Looks fantastic! - The ultimate brake upgrade.

Strange about the EBC pads. They sent the wrong ones when I fitted the C32 brakes, so I fitted the standard pads too.

.

 

[tudu]

Looks fantastic! - The ultimate brake upgrade.

Strange about the EBC pads. They sent the wrong ones when I fitted the C32 brakes, so I fitted the standard pads too.

.

Thanks. Yes, EBC not to good at replacements for MB's. Bet you didn't have to pay £146 plus £10 for sensor, plus vat for your OEM pads. The ones for the CLK 63 were massive - not sure what they are but they are not like normal OEM pads hopefully MB Exeter has given me a set of CLK BS ones, as after driving most of the day with them on there is no brake dust whatsoever.

 

[mw_C32]

The front disks are what you get on the Performance Package with the C63, they do look fantastic on your car and I'm pretty sure they are the ones on the CLK BS. Very impressed.

As for:

Ha - yep decided to hold off on C63 for a while as still not convinced worth the extra money over what i am driving at the mo.

You will only know when you have one.......

Mark.

 

[tudu]

The front disks are what you get on the Performance Package with the C63, they do look fantastic on your car and I'm pretty sure they are the ones on the CLK BS. Very impressed.

As for:



You will only know when you have one.......

Mark.

Thanks. That's what i thought as well that they were CLK 63 BS brakes and pads. The stopping power is getting better all the time as the pads and rotors are bedding in although i am still taking it pretty easy. I will have to see regarding the front pads as i vowed never to buy OEM pads again but the ones i have now have so far not created any brake dust so for £146 + VAT MB might have produced a brake pad that provides minimal brake dust even though expensive compared to a CLK 63 redstuff set of pads which retails at £93.00.

I had a C63 for the weekend a couple of months ago, and although faster and more aggresive than my C55 i still need to convince myself that the C63 with all the options i want is worth £45,000.00 even though my dealer has offered me £15K in part-ex for my C55, which is damm good considering i paid £17K for it August last year.

As it stands, i owe nothing on my C55 so am contend to carry on enjoying the experience of a great AMG. The other route i have yet to explore is to keep it and convince myself not to put a Kleemann SC on it, as that would bring me close (if not over if i opted for the sports camshafts) to the power output of a C63, and at £10K means i would get 2-3 years of really enjoyable driving while the C63 continues to drop in price as the C55 and other AMG's have.

I just don't know at the mo, got a lot of thinking to do over the next 6 months. But have to admit the C63 is a driving expereince.

 

[Adam230K]

Nice upgrades, very good looking.

But i think that mercedes know what they're doing in terms of brakes. Its a bit like the W202 C43, it has the worst looking brakes, but it can stop extremely well for a car of its size/weight.

My car is a standard car with standard callipers, 1 pot in the front 1 pot in the back. But whats funny is, i can stop slightly better than a few mates with Jap cars, and they have 4 pot in the front and 2 pot in the back, and my car weighs 200kg more! I dont judge it by the number of pistons... disc size matters alot too

 

[tudu]

Nice upgrades, very good looking.

But i think that mercedes know what they're doing in terms of brakes. Its a bit like the W202 C43, it has the worst looking brakes, but it can stop extremely well for a car of its size/weight.

My car is a standard car with standard callipers, 1 pot in the front 1 pot in the back. But whats funny is, i can stop slightly better than a few mates with Jap cars, and they have 4 pot in the front and 2 pot in the back, and my car weighs 200kg more! I dont judge it by the number of pistons... disc size matters alot too

Thanks. I don't disagree with your comments. However, given the cost of AMG in terms of performance and tuning etc, i would have thought that AMG would have spent some time thinking about what their caliper's and rotors might look like in the longer term - the before photos i posted bear testament to the fact that the C55 rear 2 piston caliper after 4 years (in my case) looks awful a rusty glob of metal, which loads of friends have commented on. Apart from stripping the caliper every couple of years and repainting i chose the route which i think AMG should have done in the first place as they got it right with the E55 AMG looks perfect with the 8 /4 (or 6) set-up.

When you consider that the new SLK55 AMG comes with the 4/2 setup, unless you opt for the 030 performance pack which i have will result in a number of discontended SLK 55 owners in the future. I think AMG have just gone for a cost cutting exercise - using the brakes from the C55 to save money, but as you say in terms of stopping power AMG know what they are doing. I would also consider the question as to why many high performance car owners also opt for the Brembo GT BBK as an aftermarket product. One must be in terms of looks, and secondly, in terms of performance and stopping power. There is of course disagreement in both camps.

I thouroughly researched this upgrade before going ahead with it, as their are a number of options i am thinking about with regards to my C55, and for those options to become a reality i will need the extra stopping power, so believe i have gone down the right route.

You are right however, that their is nothing wrong with AMG brake performance, but everything on a car can be improved upon.

 

[Adam230K]

I hope one of those options you are considering is a kleeman S/C

 

[tudu]

I hope one of those options you are considering is a kleeman S/C

Thanks. Could well be - a few more things to do first though

 

[Smiley]

Thanks Tudu - seeing your post spending 3 grand on a brake upgrade makes me feel better spending a few hundred quid on maintenance!!

 

[A210AMG]

Same as for me, I'm not 100% on the worth of the mod but hats off for you for doing it and it does look superb. Its also a good job we are all different, I would probably be semi sensible and put the money toward its replacement but..


You only live once and if you go the S/C route (and I think you will...) then your ready for teh extra power.

 

[BlackC55]

Excellent Mod Ossie.

When am I fitting the SC kit then.........?