New painted wheels and PBR delux pads

[edboyles]

I got tired of the brake dust issue on these Bundt rims and took the plunge replacing the pads with PBR Delux pads and changing to a set of Griot painted Bundt rims. The wheels look great and I will keep you posted on how much brake dust reduction there is with the new pads. The braking performance is still excellent and I have heard brake dust will be reduced 90%.....stay tuned for a followup....
Eric

[Strife]

Please do. The brake dust issue is just incredible and it's actually stopping me from getting better wheels!

[edboyles]

The car is driven about 350 miles a week and in 3-4 weeks the front wheels would be completely a charcoal color. I'll now in 2 weeks whether or not it was worth it.......

[tecqboy]

I switched to PBR deluxe pads last year. The brake dust was remarkably reduced over the OEM pads. I can't tell any difference in braking performance. Of course, I don't race. I would highly recommnd the PBR's.

[edboyles]

One week and 325 miles, absolutety no sign of brake dust. Will update again in one week.....

[TheV12pwr]

Don't you think they might wear the rotors instead!

[SLZ]

Originally Posted by TheV12pwr

Don't you think they might wear the rotors instead!

Good question. Any answer?

[deanyel]

Originally Posted by TheV12pwr

Don't you think they might wear the rotors instead!

No, they are no harder on rotors than anything else. Why would they be harder on rotors?

[cbdo]

Previous discussions I've seen indicate no accelerated rotor wear, and I noted a *huge* reduction in dust with PBR Deluxe. Mine squeal a bit in reverse occasionally--otherwise no issues at all.

[450sl4me]

Eric,

Do you have any pictures to post? I have a 1980 also and have been thinking about changing the wheels. How do they look, how does it affect the way it drives and handles?

[ljmauricio]

Why not install Kleen Wheels? Had them on 2 107's. No problems. I like the fact that when you look through the bundts all you see is black.

[speace]

It may depend on the car, climate and driving style, but I had "Kleen Wheels" on my92 400E and they scared me to death one hot day a few years ago when I had been "hurrying" through stop and go traffic and the brakes just faded away to nothing!!! After cooling, they were fine. My mechanic removed the "Kleen Wheels" and changed the fluid and I've not seen the problem since. I personally don't recommend them for safety's sake! He said that they restrict airflow to the calipers and rotors and don't allow them to cool as designed...

I have tried the "Green Stuff" pads on my 500SL and liked them at first... True, the dust was lessened noticeably and what dust I had wasn't as hard to remove as with the OEM pads. They were, however, NOT "Dust Free" as advertised. Once they glazed over my rotors... LOOK OUT! My stopping power was greatly reduced... I pulled them off and tossed them!

I am trying the Textar Yellow Box pads at the moment on the SL. They work fine, and make less dust than OEM, but they still make enough to get on the wheels and bug me...

I WILL try the PBR Deluxe next. I've heard so many good things about them on this board. I think there may be a slight tendency for squeaking, but I'm still willing to TRY...

I have the ATE Power Slot rotors on my 400E and they make a vibrating sound under heavy stops that I would presume is caused by the slots on the rotor surfaces. If someone can recommend a good rotor that is reasoably priced, I'm open to suggestions. My mechanic says you can't beat the factory rotors and insists I should buy them from him or the dealer.

[edboyles]

It is now week 2 and and 750 miles later. From 3-4 feet away you can not see any dust. If you use your finger to wipe the rim you do find a light residue of road grime which is typical of the rear rim. There is no difference between the front and rear rims. Using the old pads it would have definetly required a wash by now on the front rims. I'll try to take some photos in the next couple of days.

No squeaks, squeals, or change in braking performance from OEM. PBR Deluxe pads are the best upgrade that I have done to the car by far......Eric

[hifeverz]

Ceramic Brake Pads

Has anyone used these on their SL?? I've read threads that they were the latest and greatest. Claims of longevity, NO brake dust, NO brake fade, and as far as rotor wear . . . it is minimal, as I've read. I was going to get these as my next replacement sets for my SL and my 911.

Anyone out there can vouch or negate their claims??

Thanks,
Hz.

[brookspw]

Originally Posted by TheV12pwr

Don't you think they might wear the rotors instead!

Let's say the PBR last 20k and "wear out" the rotors every 2 sets. This means you'll change the rotors once, maybe twice while you have the car. Rotors are easy to r/r. If that is the price I have to pay for clean wheels, then I am happy to do it.