Parking Brake brand for 1984 300D question.
 

I've located both Febi-Bilstein and genuine mercedes parking brakes for the 1984 300D. The Febi-Bilstein parking brake replacement parts are quite a bit less money than the genuine mercedes benz parking brakes. I have never gone wrong using genuine mercedes parts but am wondering if the Febi-Bilstein brand would work as well?

I have never replaced them. I bought a set but found that there is plenty of adjustment in the Cable so I never replaced them and as far as I know they are the originals. If you put new ones on you are going to have to go under there and release the tension on the cable to start over with the adjustment.

On mine it shows a typical drum brake type adjuster on the brake mechanism itself and a cable adjustment down under the Transmission Tunnel.

I have to admit when I first got the car and had bought the new parking brakes I had tried to change them and did not get past removing the springs that go through the backing plate. (At that time I also did not know about the Parking Brake Cable adjustment.) So I gave up on it.

Later I found the cable adjustment and since then they have worked fine I left them alone. Even later I acquired the tool to compress the spring and remove the retainer but have had no need to use it so far.

Since that time there has been companies making a less expensive version of the tool.

If the parking brake shoes are not dragging. They probably should on average last the life of the car. With average users. Other than the shoes it is a cleaning and lubrication and adjustment issue to make certain they can back clear of the drums. I would use the cheaper shoes in your case.

Get some penetrating oil into the cables as well and make sure they are not dragging. Or just lubricating oil if not. Probably silicone lubricant if the cables are running in a plastic sheath.

If you really give it some thought. We call them brakes because they inhibit the wheel turning. There should be no wear in reality as they do not lose friction material. If they remain clear of the drum when the wheel is turning. With brake work it is the details that determine a good repair or restoration of them.

It is not rocket science and good habits remain. Every component of that system was very low in resistance to movement when the car was new. You want that again. Or too retain it. It was a strange ideal in the early years. They made the cable housing very large for the emergency brake cables. There was no way they could ever drag or seize up. Then they changed to cables in tighter housings.

Though I haven't visually inspected them, I am concerned because there have been several times I accidentally left the emergency brakes on when I put the car into "drive". Of course, as soon as I caught the mistake, I disengaged the parking brakes. I'm concerned that I may have damaged them by doing this; I guess the next step is to visually inspect the parking brakes.



Any ideas on what I should look for?

W123 Park Brake
 

Yes ;

Jack up and safely block the rear wheel, remove -one- lug bolt and peer in the hole with a good flashlight, you'll see a brass start adjuster, give it a few clicks until the rotor drags then back off *one* click, make sure there's no drag whatsoever, button in up and do the other side .

I've driven off with my park brake set several times now and am still on the original 440,000 + mile park brake shoes.....

Just adjust them and drive it a few weeks, re adjust as necessary, stop worrying and enjoy your fine automobile .

I too worried at first, bought the Febi shoes and still have them a decade later .

Left on by accident a few times and released soon. Would only cause neglishable wear. Constant drag from other than application is what wears emergency shoes down. As mentioned make sure wheel spins with no drag. You may want to back off your rear caliper pads a little for this test. If you feel drag.

Due to the age, pull the rear rotors and do a visual inspection, clean and lube if you wish. The shoes usually do not wear out but may have the lining separate from the shoe due to age. Rotor removal is not necessary for adjustment. When properly adjusted they work very well.

I would be comfortable with Febi.

Good luck!!!

DO NOT fool with the cable adjustment ! .