1990 300TE front brake pads
 

Wow! I was doing a little research on replacing the front brake pads. figuring brake pads be brake pads...and have discovered that Mercedes uses 4 piston fixed calipers....damn it! Very few use 4 piston fixed calipers
BMW doesn't, SAAB doesn't, VW doesn't. The only ones I know of are like Porche and Ferrari and like them there. But, low and behold, it's not a floating single piston caliper, no, it's a fixed 4 piston caliper which only increases the potential of non-piston retraction by 400% per wheel. This is great.... What are the chances of simply throwing $21 worth of brake pads at this and having it actually work? Thanks

Its a 1 piston floating caliper for your wagon. The 4 piston were only included on the 400E, E420 and 500E

Thanks
 

That is outstanding news to hear...

So where does that 400% number come from?? A very precise number indeed, and intriguing in light of your research on MB brakes....

I ask because we've had no problems at all with my father's 308 and 328, which have 4 piston fixed Ferrari calipers. He's had both since new.

300CE with the M104 uses the 400E brakes as well.

Also the '94/'95 E320s. Nice brakes.

that 400% thing is based upon the statement 'only increases the potential of non-piston retraction'. So here is the logic...as most folks who work on their own brakes know, the old piston retraction is problematic. It may go or maybe not, SAAB Turbos ate front calipers like peanuts..anyway...so say the #1 piston retracts nicely, great..that's 100% good, or 100% bad if it goes the other way. However, there are still three more to hope for the same result, #2 goes well excellent, now you're to 200% and so and so forth...and if one refuses to cooperate well, then the entire gang has to go...and this only on one assembly....that's my 400% theory thing.....

but screw my theorys....I did the brake pads today, first time I've ever taken a wheel off of the car as well as my first Mercedes...I like what I saw in there, the Girling caliper is awesome in it's simplicity. It took me 45 minutes to do both sides in a parking lot with jacking and bracing and so forth. Brilliant design! Much much simpler than my wifes BMW 325i brakes..I am blown away by the logic

Is there really a point? My 300E has the single piston floating calipers, and it will drag the car from 70+ to 0 in no time with practically no effort at all (as do the twin piston calipers on my W126)......both will lock the tires instantly as well if you hit them hard, so what advantage do the 4 piston brakes have unless you have bigger rubber on the road? Perhaps in sporting event driving.....but for normal use?

The 4-puck design is more powerful, they apply pressure more evenly and thus avoid hot-spots on the pads & rotors.

Yes, they're an improvement mainly for more extreme uses, but I'm quite happy with them for everyday use.

If you do the math Cliff, using your scenario, it is increasing the odds of failure by 300% as you're adding 3 pucks, ... the 400% number would correlate to quintupling the number. Still, since I've had a dozen of these cars and never a stuck caliper, I'd say that 400 times zero is still zero, I'll take the 4-puck brakes.

no, you have to start with 100% chance of non piston retraction...even with the single piston version you still have a 100% chance of trouble. At any rate, doesn't matter because I do have a single piston Girling caliper system and I am impressed. My question would then become... why would these sites sell 4 piston fixed caliper units for my 1990 300TE to the tune of $6-700? Yeah, I knew it was goofy, I seldom track the station wagon.
But when I take up to it up to Road America I insist upon 4 piston calipers....

If it's "problematic" it's time for new parts. End of story.

Performance tires don't last as long "mommy" tires, either.

19 years is really old.