W203 Brake Judder (HELP)

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Pegger83

New Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2015
Messages
13
Car
Merc C220CDI Sport Estate
Hello All,

Pretty new to the Forum as I only got my C220cdi Sport Estate in November. It had three little niggles when I got it and two of them have been sorted. But the last one is giving me problems.

As with other posts I'm getting a judder from the car when braking from motorway speeds (60mph or over). These are the following symptoms:

-Judders when braking from higher speeds with average pressure on the brakes.
-My normal commute at the lower speeds does NOT bring about the problem.
-Normal motorway cruising is smooth and well planted.
-Front discs and pads were initially replaced back in Jan.
-Just had rear pads and discs replaced by indie.
-Suspension checked and reportedly all fine by indie.
-STILL WOBBLING.
-I would say it is through the brake pedal, not so much the steering.

The Merc Independant specialist has said to me that he does not know what to do from here. I have discussed possibilities of Bearing, hubs, wheels being damaged. He isn't sure and said it would be a case of replacing parts one at a time until it is cured. Which could cost me hundreds, possibly over a thousand quid.

He says the car is safe and WILL pass the MOT, as the balance of the braking actually isn't affected.

So what do I do? I'm quite paticular about how my cars drive. And I must admit that at the moment I'm wondering whether getting shot is the best thing for me to do?

:wallbash:

Advice please.
 
I had a similar issue on my W203, it was wear in one of the lower suspension arm bushes. The W203 has multi-link suspension and wear in just one lower control arm caused judder as you describe.

Another thing to check; were the hub faces properly cleaned before the discs were replaced? Any surface corrosion can throw out the new disc slightly, I assume you have checked tyres/ wheels for damage?
 
Yeah the wheels and tyres look fine. And I would like to think that the Merc Specialist would of fitted the Discs and Pads correctly. But I guess I don't know 100%.

I have read about the suspension arm bushes. But again the indie said he had looked at all of this. I'm going to try and get the car jacked up at some point to look myself. But I'm not mechanic.
 
Does the car pull to one side under firm braking?
 
I would also query any corrosion on the hub face. I recently had new front discs and pads fitted and as a precaution had the hub faces cleaned up.
 
No doesn't seem to pull ot one side?

I guess I will be looking at the hub face if I take of the discs will I? Something that I guess I can do when I get the car jacked up!?
 
No doesn't seem to pull ot one side?

I guess I will be looking at the hub face if I take of the discs will I? Something that I guess I can do when I get the car jacked up!?

Yes, securely jack up and support the car on axle stands, remove the brake caliper and tie it up so it is not straining the flexible hose and then the disc should come off once you remove the retaining torx screw.

Use a wire brush etc on the hub face.
 
You will have corrosion on the hubs. They should have been cleaned with a flap disc back to bare metal. Its a common complaint when the discs are replaced and the hubs are not immaculate.

The worst case senario is that the hubs are now warped too and will need to be replaced.
 
Try and find a pro cut disc skimming agent, they skim disc's on the car and from what I have seen work very well if the disc is new enough.
 
Try and find a pro cut disc skimming agent, they skim disc's on the car and from what I have seen work very well if the disc is new enough.


That wont fix it. Its the hubs that cause the issue.
 
So I took the car to a family friend, who I can't usually get the car too. Hence I don't use him regularly. Anyway he put the car on the rolling road and straight away said that the front Discs were out. He said the variant in the readings were so bad that he probably wouldn't pass it in an MOT.

I have gone back to the garage that just replace the rear discs and pads and they have been pretty good to be fair to them. Car needs an MOT and Service (B) in July and abviously the front discs changed. They said they would do the service for free. Which I guess is about £300?

I guess if the discs arent the route of the problem. I could continue to have issues!?
 
Yeah I saw your posts buddy. I haven't had the time to go taking it all apart to look for myself. SO I don't know if the hubs were cleaned up. I guess I am having to trust that the garage will do it correctly and clean everything up as they should.

The fronts were previously replaced by another garage, not long after I bought the car.

Now have a noisey rear shock to get looked at. Grr...
 
Get them to clean the hubs up with a flap disc.
 
I have recently replaced the front discs and pads on my W203 and can confirm the hub flange faces MUST be cleaned up before fitting the new discs!

You could tell this hadn't been done in a very long time on my car (crud & rust filling the holes in the hub plate) so it didn't surprise me that the obviously not very old discs were warped!

Braking is now so much smoother.

I would suggest you speak to your indy and confirm not only he cleans the hub faces but ensure he cleans and lubricates and sliders (or sliding faces)! The state of my calipers was disgusting and yet a fully stamped (and receipted) history with the last 4 services (and brake disc/pad change) done by an Indy.

So glad I am able to sort these things myself because it seems some folks just do not take pride in their work!
 

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