Talk to me about brake pads

[Diseasel300]

I'm finally annoyed enough with the brakes on my 300SDL to do something about them, and there seems to be a truly bewildering array of options to choose from regarding pads for these things.

The pads on my car are *AT LEAST* 10 years old, if not older and sat in the weather. I don't know if they degrade with age and exposure, or if they're just cheap pads, but they're getting on my nerves. Constant issues with brake squeal under light braking, and a truly obscene amount of black brake dust on ALL FOUR wheels. The pads have plenty of meat left and the rotors are smooth and healthy. No pulsating pedal, shaking, or other noise under braking other than the squeal. No dragging brakes either, just obscene amounts of dust (and I mean truly ridiculous).

Pads are cheap enough, these need to go. What is a good brand? There are options for different materials too - ceramic, semi-metallic, etc. What are the pros and cons of various types and what's best for a boat like this? Admittedly I'm not well versed on the virtues of brakes, I'm pretty easy on my cars and usually get a very long life out of a set of pads. ~58K on the Honda's factory pads and still LOTS of meat left on those for example.

This isn't a pressing issue, but one I'm slotting in sometime in the somewhat near future - probably this summer.

[86-300sdl]

I've had multiple brands over the years and went back to the dealer for my last set for not a lot more $$$.

They are quiet, smooth, and seem to stop really fast and seem to wear well. Love it all that way.

What is driving me crazy is the brake dust. Fronts wheels get dusted to the almost ugly in <200 miles. On wash day I often just need to rinse the rims, cause the rest of the car is clean.

Over here I'm getting tired of cleaning my wheels all the time, and very interested in the ceramics or other low dust options.

[t walgamuth]

I'd recommend changing all four wheels to ceramic. Minimal dust. I have used Hawks in the past. Not sure what is best now. The ceramics have different performance than organic pads so if you change front and not rear you'll be locking up the fronts on a hard stop.

[sixto]

There's a following for Akebono Euro ceramics for these cars. Very low dust or at least the dust color matches silver wheels. My experience in the '87 300D is it takes more effort until they warm up then they feel like proper brake pads. I don't track my car or ride the brake pedal down from Tahoe but I heard they put up with that as well as a street pad can.

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

[Rogviler]

I put some of the ceramics on my wagon (forget the brand) and have been happy with them. Unfortunately nothing yet has fully cured my pulsing but I can at least say the pads are great.

-Rog

[Diseasel300]

The brakes in this car are pretty grippy as it is, you have to have a pretty light touch to come to a gentle stop. I don't think a slight reduction in performance is going to hurt anything.

The brake dust on this one is truly something to behold. I gave up keeping the wheels clean, they're dirty the first time you drive it anywhere. Even to the end of the street and back. I washed it yesterday and had a thick "slick" of brake dust go draining down the driveway when I did each wheel. Ridiculous. I don't know if they're just cheap pads or if they're dissolving or what, but sheesh!

Keep the conversation rolling!

[jabstick420]

I installed textars front and back.

Dusty for sure, but no complaints

[oldsinner111]

used ceramics 11 years now,w126,and w140

[Mxfrank]

Organic pads make a lot of dust. I generally use Centric Posi-quiet ceramic pads. They make much less dust and last a long time. If the car has sat in the weather, think about rotors too.

[Frank Reiner]

As a personal recommendation, for fronts Raybestos RPD145A has been very satisfactory in the matters of wear, and noise, and in particular reduced dust.

The equivalent rear pad is RPD96A

[Junkman]

I have either Hawk or Akeobono on 1 SD. It stops well with little dust. I've used both brands in the past always with good results especially on a street car where there isn't a lot of heat.

No name or store brand on the other SD and I will change them the next time I do anything wheel related. I'm just waiting on an excuse to move that task to the top.

[jay_bob]

While you are in there, please consider replacing the rubber brake hoses too. They are no doubt beyond service life.

[tyl604]

A number of years ago my Indy installed dust shields on my 300SD. I have been pretty I happy with them. Use regular old brake pads and have not had a significant dust problem.

For brake pads I have always used regular cheap Pep Boys pads; think they are called Pro Line. Sometimes they squeak very fast but at other times they seem to do ok. If I get a set that squeak, I just buy some new ones and put the squeakers on the shelf for a rainy day.

Have never been able to determine what could make them perform differently from pad to pad.

[MBeige]

If you are going with Akebono, they will not bite well unless they are bedded in properly with the rotors. The rotors will have the previous material on the surface so won't help the ceramic pads bite.

Replacing the rotors help a lot here. They are "dustless" in the sense the dust is not visible with factory wheels.

Highly recommend the Akebono Euro Ceramics with new rotors or bedded in pads. Great stopping power, smooth and quiet operation.

[Diseasel300]

At this point in time I'm uninterested in replacing the rotors. They're not warped, not grooved, and in overall very good condition. If ceramic brake pads require rotor replacement that isn't an option.

I've heard/read discussion about organic pads and know enough that they're not really desirable. What about Semi-Metallic? From what I understand from reading they're sort of in between organic and ceramic?

I can live with a "normal" amount of brake dust from "normal" pads, but what this car produces isn't "normal".