Brake Pads
 

Can anyone tell me on a 300E is it mandatory to replace the rotors if you are installing new brake pads? I seem to get so much dust on the front wheels that I can hardly believe there could be any pads left. It's a constant battle to try and keep the wheels looking half way decent.

No, not necessary to replace the rotors - unless they are worn out. If you don't like brake dust, or cleaning your wheels, get dustless pads - like PBR Deluxe.

brake pads
 

Where do you get the PBR Deluxe pads, and are they drilled to accept the sensor wiring etc? Thanks

FatsLane has them for your car (see above). I have them on the 88 TE and they stop well and have cut down my wheel cleaning from once a week to every two weeks. Also the dust from the PBRs is more a grey color than the black dust from the OEM pads. I usually count on changing the rotors every other pad change.

Ed

Just think of that black dust as a "design feature." It seems to be common to German cars including VW and BMW. It is shocking, when you get your first MB, to see the impressive amt. of brake dust these beasts generate. As with everything automotive, as elsewhere in life, it's a compromise. The engineers who designed your car made a conscious decision to use soft pads to maximize braking under real-world conditions. They have a great "bite" and are generally smooth and quiet. Remember that those same engineers are designing cars which must be able to repeatedly slow or stop a vehicle safely from Autobahn speeds without excessive brake fade. The downside, of course, is lots of dust.

Lots of people are happy with PBRs and similar pads. Personally, I don't want to second-guess the factory engineers, esp. when I've read that PBRs are suboptimal when wet (one writer on another list called them "Pathetic Braking in the Rain" pads...)

Getting back to your original question, no, rotors don't necessarily need replacement with each pad change. There are clear specs for rotor thickness, and as Ed C says, this almost always seems to equate to replacing rotors every other pad change.

brake pads
 

I didn't realize that mbz designed them that way. I really don't want to compromise the braking qualities of the car. It stops great no squeaks or noises, and it is straight and true. I suppose I just need to get used to the black brake dust, and get use to more frequent cleaning. I like nice shiney wheels... always have. Shucks!! I guess, everything comes with a price.

I like clean wheels and have a nice aftermarket set on mine. I just clean them every few days or every other day depending on how much I drive. It takes about 10 minutes for me now to do all 4 wheels real fast. Just get used to it, welcome to the world of German cars. :cool: