Quality brake discs

[DaveyA]

Hi
I need some new discs on my W202 220Cdi. I have replaced them before but not with genuine parts and they have lasted only about 2 years. I should have known better but, never mind. Should I just pay the extra and buy Merc ones or can anybody recommend good quality replacements that will last. I also have a broken spring on the back and was considering maybe fitting a set of Bilstein B12 all round while I was on. I have seen them mentioned in one or two posts and wondered if it is worthwhile.
Thanks for any advice at all.

 

[Kompressor_Dude]

The B12's are well worth it in my opinion, if you are willing to sacrifice a tiny amount of ride comfort then everything else will be improved greatly.

As for discs, I got some ATE grooved discs from euro car parts for mine and they're brilliant. Didnt cost very much either if i recall so worth giving them a call or checking the website.

How many miles did the discs last? If you do hign mileage they might not have fared too badly!

 

[whitenemesis]

Genuine MB discs £42 each, expensive?

 

[Adam230K]

B12's are very good, and i'm waiting for an 'excuse' to buy them for mine.

As for discs, i currently have 'Delphi Lockheed' discs which were recommended to me by a member here on the forum, very good indeed, drilled grooved discs. Cost me £130 all round inc p&p. Cant remember the name of the seller though... think it was mtec_100 or something.

 

[DaveyA]

discs and things

Hi
Thanks all for the replies. I don't do many miles at all and am not hard on brakes. I did this same thing a few years back with my Audi, put some discs on from a factors and they didn't last 12 months, bit the bullet and went to Audi dealer only to find that original discs were the same price as the crap ones I had bought. Vowed never to do it again, but whoops. £42 doesn't seem too bad actually when you think it is only another 30 quid or so more than Rage paid for a full set. Kompressor Dude, is that picture of your car fitted with the B12's, it seems to sit much more level? Looks good. Mine looks as if it is too high at the back?
Cheers, Dave

 

[PJayUK]

I just had FEBI (Ferdinand Bilstein) fitted onto my S320, and I am very happy with them. I bought them franey a fellow Mbclub member and I must say his knowleadge and advice was excellant, I would highly recommend contacting him via a PM to see what he can get for you.

I ended up with MB original pads all fitted by a local indi. Very happy with it all and stops the long wheelbase beast a treat!

Good luck mate

 

[Adam230K]

The standard MB ones wont be drilled or grooved, and the logic is that the drilled/grooved ones dissipate the heat better so that they last longer and they provide slightly better stopping power.

If you couple this with braided brake hoses, you're in for a real treat the next time you stamp on the brakes

 

[whitenemesis]

Others may argue the drilling and grooves cause more rapid wear. Was certainly mentioned when I got my Sports pack discs renewed.

The heat dissipation would certainly help prevent brake fade from repeated applications. Absolute stopping power will be a factor of disc surface area, pad area, number of pistons in the calipers and of course tire contact area..

 

[Adam230K]

You may be right, but the way i look at it is, (this will be said in a very stupid way) but if you think about a slide, a very smooth slide, when u slide down it you wont have much friction or stopping power to give resistance to you going to the slide.

But if that same slide was to have grooved lines in it and maybe some holes, wouldn't you be going down it at a much lesser speed? there'll be more friction/resistance to your travel down that slide.

Based on that logic i think that those type of discs provide somewhat slightly better stopping power, i'm not saying its a dramatic difference, but i've definately noticed it on my car.

 

[Dieselman]

You may be right, but the way i look at it is, (this will be said in a very stupid way) but if you think about a slide, a very smooth slide, when u slide down it you wont have much friction or stopping power to give resistance to you going to the slide.

But if that same slide was to have grooved lines in it and maybe some holes, wouldn't you be going down it at a much lesser speed? there'll be more friction/resistance to your travel down that slide.

No. Your a*se would just get ripped to shreds.

 

[Dieselman]

Grooved, drilled or slotted disks work by releasing any gas that the pads emit and by shaving the pad surface so as to always present a flat pad to the disk.

 

[robert.saunders]

No. Your a**se would just get ripped to shreds.

abuse?

 

[whitenemesis]

Grooved, drilled or slotted disks work by releasing any gas that the pads emit and by shaving the pad surface so as to always present a flat pad to the disk.

Equaling more rapid wear? And noise? Though I cant say I notice these brakes being any more noisy

 

[Dieselman]

abuse?

West country accent.

 

[whitenemesis]

An interesting read here

 

[Adam230K]

No. Your a*se would just get ripped to shreds.

But during the process of my rear getting torn to pieces, wont it slow me down? and if you think of my buttox being the pads then it'll cause more friction to slow me down? And wont the discs/pads wear more evenly and at a slower rate than solid discs?

or am i just being stupid!?

I noticed though, that the new discs i bought also had a bigger vent gap in between... guessing thats another heat dissipation factor +, right?

 

[Kompressor_Dude]

Kompressor Dude, is that picture of your car fitted with the B12's, it seems to sit much more level? Looks good. Mine looks as if it is too high at the back?

Cheers, it sits lower and much more level on the B12's. Very happy with them over all As for the discs, I would have thought that grooved discs eat pads a little quicker, but for me the extra braking i have now is more than worth it, pads are cheap and easily replaced!

There are some more pics of before/after in my gallery, along with the brake pads/discs/braided hoses. My car is a sport tho, and so lowered a little already. You might get better results!

 

[Adam230K]

Cheers, it sits lower and much more level on the B12's. Very happy with them over all As for the discs, I would have thought that grooved discs eat pads a little quicker, but for me the extra braking i have now is more than worth it, pads are cheap and easily replaced!

There are some more pics of before/after in my gallery, along with the brake pads/discs/braided hoses. My car is a sport tho, and so lowered a little already. You might get better results!

Shaun where did you buy the B12's from and how much were they? I'm contemplating whether they are worth it or not, i saw them on ebay for £380 not sure if thats the right price though....

I do need an 'excuse' for the mod though, cuz thats how i work . I'm hoping the next time i do an MOT or something he tells me the shocks are buggered ....and the b12's will go on .

 

[Adam230K]

http://www.speedbox.co.uk/products/product_list.html?model=19357;type=bilstein_b12_suspension_kit

I dont know which one of these to buy. Aparently one is for the "sport chassis" and one isn't. But i'm pretty sure mine isn't the sport chassis, i bought it as a classic.

 

[Kompressor_Dude]

That's about right, yeah. I got mine from Euro Car parts.

When i called they'd just sold the last set to someone with a black W202 in Portsmouth, i called Olly to whinge about it and it was him that bought them!

Gentleman that he is, he let me put them on mine first and waited for more stock to mod his

In the region of £400 is about right for them, plus fitting! I replaced almost all of the suspension parts though so not sure how much it would be to put them on alone?