I ordered 2 from pelican for my 300SD, one was the cheapest rebuilt one, and one was a little more expensive because the cheapest one was out of stock.

The cheaper one was actually in a box that said ATE original parts on it, but the other one was missing some of the hardware and the core wasn't even the right kind of caliper.

I wish I could find another of the ATE rebuilt calipers, but I kinda got blown off when I tried to find out if pelican was going to stock them again.

They usually say ATE/FTE or Girling/Bendix when you look at them. People have said the Bendix ones are cheaper.

Luck with rebuilts from Auto Zone or orther parts places seems to be spotty. However, at least you can see them and if you have a problem the exchange is quicker.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

i think nugeon is a reputable rebuilder, they are more expensive than other rebuilds though. pretty sure they rebuild both ATE and bendix.

oddly enough i had really good luck with raybestos. i was expecting the worst but they were high quality rebuilt in USA. came with hardware from denmark. they were bendix . also pelican is usually pretty responsible.. did you tell them they sent you the wrong part?

__________________
1981 NA 300D 310k miles

What brands of rebuilt calipers do people have good luck with?

The correct answer = YES.............

I have received bad brake caliper rebuilds from every possible supplier including MB..

Even the best re-builder has occasional Quality Control issues.

The critical issue:
* The front axle brake caliper pair brand matches.
* The rear axle brake caliper pair brand matches.

This means you can have brand X on the REAR axle, and BRAND Z on the front axle without any concern.

Warning / danger:

*** Never mix caliper brands on the same axle as they have different piston sizes = incompatible application pressure = this is a safety - vehicle control - handling issue.

*********

FYI:
Pelican does not stock rebuilt calipers, they order them from suppliers.
Trying to get answers from some of their suppliers is an exercise in futility.

.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
https://whunter.carrd.co/

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

I go with Cardone bought locally so shipping incorrect or nonfunctional parts isn't an issue. Compare before leaving the store. You will at least begin the process with the correct part. O'Reillys seems to have the most plentiful supply.

I like to shop for low dust pads that Professor says stop well. I forgot what is on the 85SD. They work really well. Perhaps someone else has a favorite

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Hmm, so they don't stock any at all? The kind that I had wanted said it was in stock at the warehouse in CA when I ordered it(but for only one side), and the other (wrong) one was shipped from the supplier. Thats the only reason I had thought that.

Either way, the person who answered the phone wouldn't even let me finish a sentence before transferring me to someone who didn't really know anything about car parts. Also, it looks like I get to pay return shipping even though it wasn't my mistake. I guess they are just too busy to be very helpful, I will do my part to help them be less busy in the future though.

It would seem to me that if PP messed up and sent you the wrong brand of part or if it was missing some hardware, you should NOT have to pay return shipping. Please let us know if they do not cover return shipping costs. This would be an appalling business decision, in my opinion, and something that needs to be well communicated if true.

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

They are not too terribly hard to rebuild yourself, you can get piston kits fairly cheap and they come with new pistons the seals you need as well, I did the 300d calipers for my dad for around $40 a caliper and the e420 calipers I have on my 190 were about the same.

X2. I dont know why one would buy a rebuilt caliper when you can rebuild yourself.

I dismantle, take the iron parts to the machine shop and they sandblast them to new condition for 10$. I then paint them with the por caliper paint. After, I clean them really well with brake cleaner to remove any tiny bits of sand leftover. Finally assemble with $10 worth of rubber parts.

End result is a fine rebuilt caliper with a tough coating to resist instantaneously rusting, and washes super easy. All for $30 or less each side.

__________________
Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

I like to use the g2 epoxy paint, it holds up really well, even after years of heat and brake dust they look new after being sprayed off with some brake clean.

I have several MB calipers laying around, I could take a video on how to disassemble them if you would like to attempt rebuilding them yourself.

Time and effort. Rebuild kits are 1/2 way to the price of remans. Remans have a lifetime warranty and SD calipers come with new hardware which further reduces the relatice difference.

Besides, order a kit then find the caliper is not salvageable and the car stays down until you get another caliper. Rebuild used to be SOP when kits were cheap, calipers expensive and money was tight. Situations change.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Please do - and make it a DIY with plenty of photos!

__________________
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need.

I went with Advance autoparts and am happy.

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

My right side caliper (frozen piston) was sticking causing the wheel to drag. Opened the bleed screw with same results. Applying the brakes on wet roads to test, Left side would lock while the Right would not.

Replaced both front ATE's in my 80 300SD with Nugeon. First one had a frozen piston that took a while to diagnose. the Second one to replace the first Nugeon rebuilt ATE leaked! Turns out there are no threads left to receive the brake hose. Threads on hose now are slightly trashed due to tightening over and over again. How to companies produce such sh_t and stay in business?

Now i regret not rebuilding the ones i had which were probably original.

__________________
1985 300D, 250k
1980 300SD, 180K

Having a quick look on pelican shows rebuilt calipers being as cheap as 78$, and genuine ate well over a hundred.

The rebuild kit made by ate is $15. The prices are based on an 85 sd.

To avoid any down time, one could buy some usable cores from the jy and rebuild at their leasure.

__________________
Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2