These docs should give you some good ideas

Good Luck

 

I want to change the brakes myself as well!! But I also want to change the discs/rotors. Does anyone have an instructions for these? Thanks in advance!

 

First, make sure the dealer is not trying to upsell you on work that may not be needed.
Next, suggest you find a reputable MB non-dealer local shop and have them do the work and save yourself 25-40%.

 

I want to change the rotors and pads myself. Fed up with dealers and bad local shops! Anybody with instructions? Thanks!

 

Easy.
1. Disconnect the rear battery for safety. Put a large wrap of cotton cloth under the brake master cylinder.
2. Jack up and solidly support car at all four corners on a flat surface. MAKE SURE AUX BRAKE IS OFF.
3. Remove wheels. Blow/pressure wash off the dust for convenience.

FRONT WHEEL
4. Drive out the two pad retaining pins, using a small drift from the front. Keep these and the spring clip in a safe place.
5. using a large screwdriver - force the pads open a bit - wedge the driver inbetween the disc and pad backing plate and GENTLY but FIRMLY ease the pads off the disc.
6. On one side of the car there will be a sensor from pad to a locator on the hub. Remove it.
7. Draw out the old pads. Remove the anti-squeel plates and put them all to one side for now.
8. Get a stand (a large paint can is good) that will fit behind the disc with the top flat just under the caliper - this is to rest the caliper on after the next step.
9. Behind the caliper there are two large bolts holding it to the hub (18mm heads, or 17, I cannot remember). These bolts are fitted with Loctite, so they will be tough to und0)
10. Rest the removed caliper on the stand you have ready and move away from the disc.
11. There is a small torx head screw holding the disc to the hub. Remove it.
12. If you are lucky, the disc will pull straight off. If not, puersuade it with a judicial low of a large hammer.
13. fit the new disc by following the above steps in reverse. Smear a film of copper grease on the hub face before replacing the new disc. Make sure you use some Loctite on the caliper bolts and do them up TIGHT.
14. Libverally spread some anti-squeel paste on the back and edges of the new pad steel backing plate (do not get any onto the pad surface) and refit the anti-squeel plates.
15. You will find that the new pads will not slide in. Retrieve the old pads and slide one back in as it was, and using the other end on as a lever, put it on the other side and again firmly lever back both pistons until they are level with the caliper allowing the new pad to slide in. Leave it there, and using the old pad you had in place on the other side, firmly lever back the pistons so the new pad will fit in. DO NOT USE A SCREW DRIVER TO WIND BACK THE PISTONS. BOTH PISTONS MUST BE WOUND BACK TOGETHER. If you do just one, the other will pop out.
16. Replace the sensor wire on one of the pads with a new one that will b e with the set of new pads.
17. Replace spring clip by driving in the pins from the rear. Make sure that each pin 'clicks' into place.

REAR WHEEL
There are three types of brake caliper on the rear - two will be the same as the front in design, ie they will have a piston either side of the disc, and their removal is the same as the front ones.
The 350 and 500 though have the newer Mercedes single piston caliper. With this one, the caliper must be removed with the pads in place. Once removed, the pads will slip out. Lever the single piston all the way back and put in new pads, remembering to fit the anti-squeel plates and paste.

Now, I will bet you that the rear disc will be a pig to take off. If you can get a large puller, then it will be straight forward, otherwise you will have to perservere with tapping it off. Be very careful if you are tempted to use heat - there is a wheel bearing in behind the disc... one of the reasons the rear disc is difficult is that the aux brake mechanism is in there - it is in fact an old fashioned drum brake. If it has had considerable use, then the friction material will have made a channel in the drum which acts as a lock.

Remember the little torx headed screws on each of the discs must be put back along with a sensor on one side each of front and rear.

Finally, put the wheels back on, re-connect the battery and remove the cotton wrapping from the master cylinder (if the wrapping is damp, it means that fluid has overflowed from winding the pistons back - just wipe it all dry, especially the body work underneath the cylinder)

The job is not difficult if you are confident in your mechanical ability and have the right tools. It is not a job for a first-timer unless you have someone with you with the experience. each time I change my pads and discs, I keep meaning to do a photo record and always forget! maybe someone else has some photos they can post.

By the way, if you are replacing the pads, then I suggest using Akebono pads. They are ceramic meaning that you will put an end to that horrible black dust...

 

That's what's up Hal! Nice write up ! Thanks for taking time to do this for the community :bowdown:

 

One additional note of caution on 03 cars

When ordering the brake disc, make sure you give the supplier your car's vin number - there are two disc sizes, one for earlier cars and the other for later cars. I found out the hard way and had to re-order.

 

Thanks thelos for the heads up !

 

WOW great write up!!! Thanks for the help!!!!

 

The pads came in today. One question the dealer said that I just needed to do pads but it seems on here everyone is doing rotors also. The car has 36,000 miles should I be doing the rotors also?

Thanks again for all of your help!!!

 

How worn are they? If there is a distinct lip at the edge of the disc, then definitely.

Bear in mind though that new pads and old discs are a bad combination until they bed in with each other - so certainly for the first hundred miles, take it easy.