I'm not sure, but I believe the business end of the sensors are made of material similar to electric motor brushes. They are brittle and can't handle a lot of stress. With a little finesse I was able to salvage all the sensors and transfer them to my new pads.

My brakes (Pagid) groan just a little bit at creeping speeds, but don't squeal. Did your brake pads come with shims or did you put any antisqueal paste on the pad backing? Without either of these, the brakes will be prone to squealing.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K