My 82' 380SL has developed the loudest break squeal that I have ever heard. It only happens after the car has been driven for a while and it is the loudest when the pressure of the breaks is about 50%. Slight pressure on the break pedal will not cause much if any break squeal. The same goes for hard pressure on the break peddle. At normal pressure on the break pedal they make a very loud and is embarrassing to say the least. Also if I go in reverse and stop quickly this seems to make the squeal go away for a short period of time.
Is there any thing that can be done for this? I had the pads checked and they are not worn or have any visible problem.

Thanks

Ever since manufacturers had to go from asbestos to semi-metallic pads, squeal has been more of a problem (metal -to-metal contact, DUH).

I had a mechanic friend of mine that would cure the problem by making cross-hatched cuts across the pads. Might be worth a try...

A very common cause of brake squeal is lack of lubrication on the pads. MB sells tubes of brake pad lubricant which are pretty cheap and highly recommended. It is applied only to certain surfaces of the pads -- I believe the sides -- but the best bet is go to a dealer and get the genuine MB product and ask someone knowledgeable to show you where to apply it.

I have been having the same problem lately. NOt that loud though. I tried a couple of hard stops and it helped some, but not much.

Firstly, get up to speed and jam on the brakes real hard. This is supposed to remove glaze buildup on the brakes that cause the squeeks. I would try doing that 2 or 3 times and see if that cures it. GOod luck!

Also check to see if you have a rust lip on the rotor. If you do then get it replaced or 'cut' off. This has been the source of my screech on my left rear for awhile now and it happens exactly as you describe. I don't know why the lip causes this sound but I will be replacing them this weekend. Also check for uneven or 'deep' grooves on the rotor surfaces these cause the screeching sound too.
A swap to stock pads did not help, the sound was not as loud after but still enough to erritate, I attribute the change to the new pad size more than anything. I just ended up with more dust :(


Hope this helps. Maybe someone should design a caliper that is not susceptible to harmonics when things go off a little;)

New Pads?
 

I had a similar problem and a mechanic told me the previous owner had the brakes done at a national chain. He replaced the pads with genuine MB pads and it cured the problem. My $0.02.
Steve
'85 500 SL Euro