FASTLANE Pads: Which Should I Get? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

EricSilver · #1 07-16-2004, 12:46 PM

Fastlane has PBR (Axxis??) Metal Masters and Deluxe pads, as well as Textar. All at quite good prices I might add.

I just got a set of Brembo High Carbon vented rotors, and am wondering which of the pads would be best for them.

Thanks.

csnow · #2 07-16-2004, 01:34 PM

I like the Metal Masters, though they do take a bit more pedal effort. A lot more when cold. The benefit is that they are more consistent once they kick in. If others drive your car, they may report that "there is something wrong with the brakes" if they are not used to them. Currently running ATE pads (slotted rotors), which have more of a stock feel, and plenty of dust.

Are those Brembo rotors cross-drilled? I had really poor results with them on 2 vehicles. Premature and eneven wear. Some claim I must have gotten defective stock, but I think cross-drilled and roadsalt/sand do not mix well. Let me know how yours hold up.

EricSilver · #3 07-16-2004, 01:44 PM

I have Metal Masters now and like them.

When I installed them I did not replace the rotors (which were already quite worn) and the Metal Masters warped them after a while. (They get pretty hot, enough to smell them from outside of the car.)

The Brembos I have are the High Carbon solid/vented ones -- no slots or drilling. My original intnent was to keep using Metal Masters, and the high carbons would perhaps make warpage less likely.

I agree that drilled rotor would trap a lot of sand, dirt, etc. and perhaps act a bit like a cheese grater in wearing down the pads. Also, I think solid metal is a better heat sink than the air in the drill holes.

miktvk · #4 07-16-2004, 02:33 PM

I use the Deluxe pads on both MB and BMW, very very low dust, stopping power just fine.

RKreutzer · #5 07-16-2004, 06:59 PM

Hi Eric,
I also have the deluxe on my '87 420 and are very happy with them, very little dust and good stopping. I rented a Ford Mondeo in Europe a few weeks ago and was surprised how much better my brakes on the old MB were...
Reinhard

grapes11 · #6 07-16-2004, 10:09 PM

Eric , i always use Textar pads, have never had a problem.

EricSilver · #7 07-20-2004, 04:49 PM

Thanks for all the good advice. It was a tough decision.

I think I had Textar or Mintex when I got the car, and they were fine. My current Metal Masters do exceptionally well, but the brown dust can be excessive at times -- and can stain wheels.

So, I just ordered the Axxis/PBR Deluxe pads. I have read nothing but good things about them, and hopefully will get them installed this weekend.

EricSilver · #8 07-26-2004, 01:29 PM

Did the new pads and rotors. The first wheel took about 4 hours. The second took about 30 minutes. Here is what I learned:

In addition to the hex bolt, the rotor is secured by two rolled pins. At least one of these needs to be removed since they appear to exert significant holding pressure on the rotor. They are removed by hammering them out with a heavy hammer. I used the metal side of a heavy mallet and an improvised metal punch (an old socket wrench extension).

The socket extension was narrow on the end where it connects to the work piece and wider on the end where it connects to the wrench. Because the wide end matched the diameter of the rolled pin, I figured I could hammer the narrow end through the hollow core of the pin and the wide end would push it through if the narrow part didn’t.
What I actually succeeded in doing was jamming the extension solidly into the rolled pin where it did not budge. I wasted about 2 hours reverse-hammering to try and get the extension out, but no luck. Finally, I used a 3-foot pipe section to break off the extension flush with the surface of the rotor. I used a second socket extension to hammer out what was left of it, and it popped right out – with the rolled pin. Unfortunately, the last hammer blow may have been too hard and now, in place of the rolled pin, the second socket extension was stuck in its place.

This was truly becoming worthy of a movie script.

I was fortunate enough to have one of those closed, trapezoidal wrenches where you have to turn the cylindrical screw in the handle to tighten it against a nut, bolt or whatever. I slipped it over the wide end of the new socket extension, and tightened it around the narrow end. After three or four blows of the hammer against the wrench handle, the extension came out – and the rotor fell off.

Wheel number two went smoothly. This time I hammered out both rolled pins. About four blows of the hammer knocked the rotor off. (The rotor would not budge at all with the rolled pins in place.)

# # #

So far I am pleased with the new pads. No visible dust, but I am still breaking them in – as well as the rotors.

I did notice that the driver’s side pads, and the rotor, were very unevenly worn – one pad was about half the thickness of the other, and one side of the rotor was more worn than the other. I am wondering if I have a bad piston (perhaps from pushing it too far back on my last brake job?)

I am also having vacuum issues, which I am addressing in another thread. For the past year or so this has required me to use a a bit more brake pedal pressure than normal. The new pads and rotors make the pedal feel firmer, but I can still sense it is not as it should be.

Hopefully the vacuum issue is the problem, though I would not mind replacing calipers since it is such an easy job.

yal · #9 07-26-2004, 04:15 PM

If it turns out to be your calipers you can get some really good reman ones from www.********.com from a company called Cardone who reman a lot of brake components. I got a set from them and I sent my old ones back to them for a core return. Total cost about $50 each.

EricSilver · #10 07-26-2004, 04:21 PM

Cardone -- I saw those listed at Advance Auto parts. I was unsure of the brand. I have Girling now, so I assume Cardone is as good or better?

Also, I think ******** sells only the pistons, which is all I need. The caliper itself is filthy, but fine.

yal · #11 07-26-2004, 05:18 PM

Girling is the stamp on the caliper I believe, just like some calipers have Ate stamped on them. Cardone is just a company that takes old calipers like these and goes through a process of refurbishing them. They do a real quality job and the outsides are also cleaned so I was able to paint mine before putting them on.

If you can do it yourself and get the pistons and the rubber seal then go for it

EricSilver · #12 07-26-2004, 05:37 PM

I need to clarify.

By caliper, I was referring to the fixed, bolt-on part that the flip-up part containing the piston attaches to. My terminology was incorrect.

******** sells pistons, which I assumed included the piston and the parts that squeeze the pads, the "Caliper Proper" I suppose. (Since there was no photo, I am not sure.)

If they are selling just the piston alone, then I'll just buy a complete remanufactured Cardone set from them or Advance auto.

nthach · #13 07-26-2004, 11:40 PM

Textar, it's as close to OEM as you can get. Fastlane sells the MB box ones as well.

EricSilver · #14 08-12-2004, 12:27 PM

Want to thank everyone for the PBR Deluxe recommendation. They are performing really well.

Last Saturday I detailed the car and rotated my tires – putting the nearly pristine rear wheels up front and the “dirty” rims in the back. I did my usual city and highway driving over the weekend, and my usual commute on Monday. Monday evening, as I held my breath, I ran my finger over the front driver’s-side wheel. There was only the tiniest amount of dust – and by tiny I mean less than I would rub off my living room coffee table, and I maintain a clean household.

I was truly shocked and pleased, and it seems I will not need to refinish or replace my wheels anymore.

Now that the pads are starting to set in the new rotors, I am feeling more and more “bite” when braking, and I can honestly say they perform as well as the MetalMasters -- actually, they do better because I do not have the dust issues.