Brake Pads
 

Can anyone recommend a good brandname of brake pads for my 190E? My front brake pads are worn now and need replacement and I was wondering if I should just go OEM or if there is something better. I don't mind the dust issue, but if there is anything that performs better, I would like that. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks a million!

Brakes
 

Since you are adding some serious HP to your car should you not upgrade the brakes now? Instead of wasting money on pads and labor. I just spent $5 at the junk yard buying used pads till I can get my 500E brakes on. (waiting for the rims! & SS Brake lines)

If you buy good pads for the stock caliper and disc. It will stop but not match your performance level. I took my car on a drive and lost the stock brakes after a few turns. Even with Carbon Kevlar pads I would maybe make a few more turns. Can't beat upgrading the rotor size and venting.

I have already planned to do 400E brakes when I am ready to drop the engine in, but I don't know when that is. Even when I do get the 400E brakes, what should I go with for pads. Stock?

One of the best brake up-grades for a regular 190E is going to the 300E brakes. Very low buck & efficient up-grade.
Find some good used calipers & have them powder-coated then reseal them. THEY are at least 40% larger than the original 1986 190E 2.3 brakes.
Use OE pads unless you are going racing or plan to do some "track events".

These brakes are standard on the 16V. OF course they use larger hubs, bearings, & steering knuckles but will bolt up to your car with-out doing that.

One of my friends has some 300CE brakes that he is selling. Are you interested?

EBC makes a nice, super grippy, low dust brake pad...I put the greens on the front of my 500E and I like. $70 for the pair from TireRack.

Brake Pads
 

One of the best brake improvements is to change the brake lines to stainless steel.

TimReid

I like my EBC pads also! I have them on both of my Mercs. Last long, Good grip, No dust! I still have to check out the SS brake lines for myself but i heard they were a good mod.
Good Luck!
Adam

If you want a really descent set of pads try the Axxis Deluxe Organic pads. These things give up less dust than the EBC's (completely surprised me), they make less noise than the EBC's (for my application they do anyway) and cost less than half the price. Because of their organic compund it feels like the performance is on par with OEM, with no dust. These pads are the best kept secret;) I got them from Brakewarehouse.com. Don't let them sucker you into getting the metallics.

Just one more opinion ... I put Porterfield R-4S on my 16 valve and the difference was unbelievable. Expensive but they are worth it.

I also tried the Porterfield R4-S pads and the initial feel is fantastic. I haven't torture tested them yet, but the feel under harder use is not as great as I'd hoped. Maybe I just need to get them hotter?

I'd love to try Performance Friction carbon-metallic pads but they're not made for any Mercedes vehicles, for some stupid reason. I've used their motorcycle pads for racing my GSX-R and they are absolutely the most incredible pads I've ever tried. All the racers "in the know" are using PF's now. In the bike world, EBC has a less-than stellar reputation with their red/green/etc pads (the copper HH "Kit" pads are decent, though). I'm surprised at how many people like EBC car pads. Hmmm.

Anyway, Maddog, it depends what you want. If you want good performance, with quiet pads that don't chew up your rotors, OEM is the best bet (Jurid, Textar, Pagid). Some people complain about the dust, though. However, most of the "low dust" pads have side effects of higher rotor wear and noise. For performance use get some type of performace pad, most of the major mfr's offer a performance compound but they're often pretty expensive (Mintex C-tech, Porterfields, Ferodo DS-2000?, etc.) and they don't always work that great when cold. You've been warned...

Let us know what you end up buying and how they work. (And don't forget to bed them in properly before standing on them!!!)


Good luck,

Science vs. seat o' pants
 

I changed my pad recently, and the improvement was amazing! Of course, I just put on the OE pads, and the difference was because I had been using an old set that were rutted and generally beaten to hell.

The lesson here is that you can't say 'the improvement was amazing' when you are comparing a worn out set to a new set of anything, even stock oem.

I would reccomend finding some tests in reputable magazines, or sticking with stock. Not to be a party-pooper, but the proof is in the science, not the seat of your pants


respectfully,
Dan Rotigel