Yesterday,I put new front brake pads on my '87 SDL. Pads were bought at dealer.They were way too thick to insert,so I ground them down a bit..maybe too much. Do different brands make different thicknesses?? Was I given the wrong pads?Help,please!!

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2001 E320 4matic, 2003 E320 4matic wagon

The OE Textar pads I use on my 126s and 123 fit perfectly, just a tad snug but they fit w/o shaving. It is sometimes necessary to take off some meat to install a pad but just a tiny bit. If the pad wear sensor is not making contact with the rotor I suppose you’ve not taken too much off. But you've decreased the service life of the pad and will need new ones sooner. What brand did you get from the dealer? Did you have the piston retracted correctly into the caliper?

Did you retract the pistons all the way flush with the surrounding area? You should be able to put the pads on the rotor then fit the caliper over the whole deal. If the caliper is too narrow because of the pistons, you didn't retract the pistons enough. If the pads hang on some other part of the caliper then the pads are too thick.

I use a c-clamp against an old pad to retract the pistons. I turn the c-clamp screw until the pad bottoms on the caliper. Make sure the piston seal collapses evenly so you don't pinch the seal while retracting the piston.

Sixto
93 300SD