Which rotor should I get?
 

There are so many brands on fastlane for replacement on my 1987 260E. The rotors are probably originals (due to a lack of any maintenance at all on the car...)

ATE vs Brembo vs ATE PremiumONE vs PBR vs Balo

I'll cross PBR off list as I didn't have good experience...

Should I go Brembo? I see there are no Brembo pads though, so should I stick with ATE? What about the PremiumOne?

Thanks,
Robert

Napa.Not everything in Europe is the best.They outsource too.

rotors - which ones should I get?
 

if you are a Mercedes Benz Club member then OE MB rotors from a dealer are not that expensive. I think my Club price at the local MB dealer is like $45 each front and $39 each rear.

I put some Brembo replacement rotors and M/B factory pads on the front of my 190E 2.6. 2000 miles later the rotors are warped badly. M/B factory rotors would likely have served me much better.

Who makes a good reliable, long lasting Brake rotor fo a M/B other that M/B? Who makes the rotors for M/B?

I've had good experiences with Balo front rotors on my 300CD. Got about 5k miles out of them before selling the car, and they held up well. They seem to be good quality, and are packaged well too!

I put a set (all 4) of cross drilled German made Zimmerman's on my 300E....and they are awesome so far. Close to 9k on them now. Real stopping power!!

Ok thanks...good thing I asked about the Brembos then. Cross that off the list.

But yes who makes the OEM Mb rotors? I'll always go OEM over aftermarket if there is any confusion.

I just put on a set of ATE premium one. I can't comment on their durability because I haven't even put a hundred miles on them yet. But I can say that they were very impressively machined and precise in appearance. They also have a corrosion resistant coating, so if you live in areas with salty streets, they might benefit. They are made in Germany.

My last set of the ATE PremiumOne rotors lasted about 55k on my SD....and they never warped, excellent rotors. I actually got the cross drilled cheaper than the PremiumOne's....so I switched. So far so good with about 5-6k on them. Not sure about the anti-corrosion mine were pretty rusty (aside from the braking surface) when removed.

The anti-corrosion is for storage, you clean it off to use them.

My cars stock brand was ATE and Bendix. I would stick to those brands or go to the dealer.

Theses are brake components, they stop the car. If I were racing I might get Brimbo but I only use oem brake and steering components, they designed and built the worlds safest car.
Bill

Nope, not on the Premium One Rotors. The anti-corrosion coating is designed to be left on the rotors. The standard ATE rotors have a storage only coating that is removed before installation. Premium One rotors come with a little warning sheet telling you not to remove the coating.

Okay, call me confused, but won't the friction remove the surface and thus any anti-corrosion coating?

Well, yes, the friction removes the coating from the stopping surfaces, but the rest of the rotor remains protected, including the inside fins, which really take a beating in salty areas. The braking surfaces don't need corrosion protection for anything other than storage, since the pads continually sand away any rust. It's the rest of the rotor that benefits from the coating.

The ATE PremiumOne coating is different than any I've seen, it resembles silver radiator paint.

Sounds like it's galvanized, probably not on the friction surface though as that would be a lubricant of sorts.

I don't think it's galvo, definitely a paint or powder coat of some sort. Must be really hi-temp! I just put on a set and I like them so far. They are more precisely machined than just about any rotor I've seen.

Okay so the choice is down to ATE or ATE PremiumONE. Think I should go Premium then?

I still have preference to the Zimmerman Cross Drilled, they are very well made....having used 5 pairs of them so far (3 front pairs, 2 rear) and all have been perfect and perform extremely well....my dad's car has nearly 15k on them so far. You can tell the difference when doing repeated hard stops, they make a "booming" sound while slowing down when they get hot and do not fade like normal rotors do, in fact they seem to grip even harder! Though the slots in the PremiumOne work similarly.

My second choice would be the PremiumOne, they are excellent too.

What about squeaking and life on them? I definitely want quiet and long lasting. What combo of pads did you use?

You have a lot of nerve to complain. At 2,000,000 miles, you are lucky that they are thicker than a sheet of paper:) Got to give you credit though for getting your money's worth:):)

They tend to make a tiny bit of a low-tone sound just before you come to a stop if you are lightly applying the brakes....and a tiny bit (also low tone, no squeak/squeal) when backing up and using the brakes. Doesn't bother me, and when stopping harder or if the brakes are warmed up, no sounds. My W126 makes no sounds at all with the same rotors, only the W124 does. The W126 used to squeak a lot when backing up with my old (ATE) rotors, now it has no sound.

On the W124 I have Mintex pads in front and PBR organics in back (I think)....on the W126 I have PBR Advanced Ceramics in Front and PBR organics in back....both cars have awesome brakes.

Ive tried just about all brands of rotors on my benzes. I will share my opinion. First off, Ive had good luck with Ate, Ate premium one, and Balo. I would buy one of those. I have a full set of premium one's on the 95 E320. It has been driven through a nasty ny winter and havent rusted at all. The car even sits for periods of time. However, there is a tradeoff. They are a little noisier than the rest (due to the slotting). And by noise, i dont mean squeeking. Im talking about a low tone, almost grinding like noise. I guess it could be compared to tires with huge knobby's on them. Btw, the car has brand new michelins on it. As for performance, its definetely over kill on a daily driver. None the less, excellent quality. And I am knitpicking about the noises. Its not as bad or as loud as you would think.

Ate (regular) and Balo are also good quality and are pretty much OEM (ATE is OEM isnt it?). You wont get the noises that the premium ones make.

My greatest advice to you: Dont skimp on the brake pads. Buy OEM, Textar, or Pagids. I would not buy any other. Use a good anti-seize compound, coat the backs of the pads. Get a cordless drill with a wire brush on it, clean up the hub before putting the new rotor on, coat that with anti-seize too. Also, you could clean the inside rim mounting surface as well. Put some anti-seize on that too! Best of luck. A very simple job indeed.

I fixed my mistake, the rotors only have about 2000 miles on them sorry....

You'd be amazed at how many different brands come out of one factory...

Sometimes the only difference in a part is the label on the box.

Okay I have decided on ATE PremiumONE's as I can't find the Zimmermans anywhere easy.
I will be using Textar pads as I have had good experience with them previously.

So, you happy with the way ATE premiums have held up?

My vote is an ATE rotor with Portorfield brake pads.

Drilled & slotted and plated
 

Front set on my '88 560SEL from Advanced Brake Technology. Good fit and a precision made product. Oh, and they stop well from triple digits and again!

I have some ATE slotted on the 190. I have idea how long they have Been on there. I am guessing 40-50k. They work great. I need to replace them as the slots ade nearly gone. Im going to go with them again.

Ended up getting Balo rotors -- they've performed awesome in the last year.

I've got ATE premiums on my 300E and they're great. Strong power along with the OE MB pads, no fade, no warping after 15k, minimal squeaking (about 1/2 sec of light squeak coming down to a stop) - can't hear it unless the window is down and you're next to a barrier or something, and that could easily be the pads or calipers too. I am very happy with them, well worth the extra money IMO.