[phat95m3]

Gentlemen, changing the brakes on my 05 SL500 may have been the easiest brake maintenance I have ever performed. Seriously.

First, get your jack, and gently place the cup under the "puck" found under the car, right where the side covers are for the factory jack. Loosen the wheel nuts with a 17mm socket and remove the wheel:

Next: go to your trunk, remove the cargo cover, and using a 10mm socket, remove the negative wire from the battery. Then pop your hood, and locate the SBC brain at the front-passenger side corner of the engine bay, behind the headlight. Pull up on the connector's top thingy, which looks like it has enough room to stick a finger thru and pull up. This will allow you to take the connector off:

Now we'll remove the old pads. Using a hammer and a perfectly sized punch (which i just happened to have in the barn), tap out the 2 "pins" that hold the pads in:

Then get a flathead screwdriver, place it between the old pads and the rotor, and leverage the screwdriver to push the pistons back into the caliper, very gently, so you can remove the pads. (don't toss the old pads just yet)

Now grab your 1/2" drive and an 18mm socket, remove the 2 bolts holding the caliper on. Remove the caliper, and gently let it hang (typically you're supposed to keep calipers supported, so the abs/brake lines don't strain, but as long as you're gentle with everything, it should be ok...

Then don't forget there's a bolt that holds the rotor on, its a torx, just not sure what size since I have a whole set of them...

You may have to tap the old rotor from inside the wheel well - outward - to get the rotor off, depending how much rust, grime, etc., your car may have.

Now install your new rotor, I got slotted/cross-drilled zinc plated silver rotors from www.brakeperformance.com, they were so cheap! I figured if they were crappy, i didn't blow too much money on an experiment, and if they DO work wonderful, then great!

The pads I'll be installing are Akebono, purchased from Tire Rack, I think... I've had all this stuff sitting around for months

Re-install everything reverse of removal. I noticed some blue stuff on the bolt that holds the rotor on, and for the 2 bolts that hold the caliper on. So for those bolts, upon re-install, I applied red loctite on them during the installation process.

Here is why you don't toss the old pads = when you have the caliper back on, the pistons will still be sticking out a little bit. Since you're old pads are worn down, and you need more room for the new pads with all that new meat on them, place the OLD pads back in the caliper, and use the screwdriver to force the pistons in as far as you can on that side. Take the old pad out, install the new pad, and now do that same procedure on the other side to get the new pad in. Since its a closed system, if you push on one side, the fluid will just push the pistons out on the other side, get it ?

One note, on the passenger front is the "brake pad wear sensor". If you do NOT have any warning on the dash, then you can re-use this sensor. You'll notice the outside pad has a hole in it, just for this purpose. The bolt to remove the sensor is an "inverted torx", size E10 socket for 3/8" drive, which I purchased at Napa.

put all your stuff back together (i took this opportunity to fully clean my rims as well), put the tire/rim back on, tighten everything up, and BAM!

Don't forget to use your head, and make sure you install the rotor for the proper rotation (if you get slotted)....

 

[egwu]

Nice!! These steps have been thrown around quite a bit in the posts, but ofcourse you can't beat a picture. Thanks for the dedication to document the steps! :bowdown: :bowdown: .

 

[Mercedes mechanic]

Good write up, but why disconnect anything electrical?

 

[dlg]

The SL/R230 model and some others have a brake by wire system. What actually works the brake is an electronic actuator. This actuator is always on as long as power is applied to the car. So if for some reason the brake petal was moved or even if the door was opened, it will push out the caliper pistons. The reason if the door is opened it causes a self check to run and it will also push out the pistons. The SDS system can disable it or there is a way to do it with out removing the battery and cable.

David

 

[phat95m3]

yea, better safe than sorry. as far as i've read, if you so much as "touch" the door handle with a keyless go car (which mine is), the brakes will pulse. if someone is walking around the car and happens to hop in, hit the remote, or something else like that, anyone working on the brakes could lose a finger.

I'm kinda happy making it thru 34 years with all 10 digits so far, so i'd like to keep them another 34 years or so...

 

[dlg]

Wow, 34 with an SL, good job! I had to wait until 58.

 

[bltserv]

Time to do my brakes as well.

But its funny you mention fingers. I only have 9 left. They dont grow back.
At 55 I am going to let my Indy do the work. Like $ 800.00 for the complete job.
New Pads and Rotors up front. 2005 SL55.

 

[phat95m3]

$800? Cripes!

This cost me $135 shipped for the front rotors (both!), and $88 for the front pads.

Rotors:http://brakeperformance.com/brake-rotors/Premium-Dimpled-and-Slotted-Brake-Rotors.php?did=21218]Premium Dimpled and Slotted Brake Rotors

Pads: tirerack.com (benzworld does some weird other link when trying to make this a link. so you know what to do...



Price is even less for the rears!

 

[bltserv]

Mine is an AMG. Pads are about $ 300.00 Rotors about $ 150.00 Ea.

If mine was the Performance 030 Package the Rotors are like $ 1100.00 Ea.

 

[hilld]

Mine is an AMG. Pads are about $ 300.00 Rotors about $ 150.00 Ea.

If mine was the Performance 030 Package the Rotors are like $ 1100.00 Ea.

That's the ceramic brake package?

 

[bltserv]

That's the ceramic brake package?

No. Its a little bigger diameter and its a 2 piece construction for the "030" rotors.

Ceramic Rotors for the SLR are like $ 10,000.00 Ea. list.

 

[flyjets01]

Hi

The Rotors look good but how do the Rotors and new Pads perform compared to old?

Whats the Brake dust like?

Ian

 

[phat95m3]

well, its only been 3 days now, and i'm using the wear in procedure of "normal braking for 200-500 miles" as i was used to doing with powerslots on my import cars.

i can tell the pads are broken in, just don't want to ROMP on the brakes just yet to find out...

but it should be an overall improvement in braking, and less dust, since akebono's are some of the best pads in the business, and the inventors of ceramic pads, afaik.

 

[T Dub]

I had the brake wear light on my dash and determined that rear rotors were toast but the fronts have about 80-90% left so I just changed the rears.

My question is....How do you reset the memory malfunction error for brake wear? I did not change the sensor but am thinking that may be the culprit. Can you reset the error manually? Or do I just need to change the wear sensor?

 

[phat95m3]

the wear sensor CANNOT be re-used if it has triggered the brake warning light.

its a fairly cheap part, and very simple to replace, even with new pads on the car.

resetting the light has to be done by the dealer, i'm pretty sure....


This is another reason i changed mine out. only 1 rear pad had a hole worn thru a little tiny bit where the sensor is. I didn't have the brake warning light on, but i didn't want it to come on either

 

[T Dub]

I figured that. Thanks.

 

[T Dub]

Anyone know where I can get a replacement "puck", as referred to here? Aside from the dealer.

 

[Russ495]

Just a follow up to this with a little more info for anyone changing brake discs / pads.

The torx screw that holds the disc in place is a T27 size.

I needed to buy an 18mm wrench to remove the top bolt holding the rear caliper on as I could not fit a socket onto it.

Tapping with a hammer didn't help remove the discs, perhaps I was a little too gentle but after moving to clouting with a lump hammer the problem was solved.

Other than this the instructions were very good and this is a very easy job (except on my back and knees) for someone with minimal mechanical skills.

 

[phat95m3]

QUOTED ORIGINAL POST W/ NEW PIC LINKS

QUOTED ORIGINAL POST W/ NEW PIC LINKS

Gentlemen, changing the brakes on my 05 SL500 may have been the easiest brake maintenance I have ever performed. Seriously.

First, get your jack, and gently place the cup under the "puck" found under the car, right where the side covers are for the factory jack. Loosen the wheel nuts with a 17mm socket and remove the wheel:

Next: go to your trunk, remove the cargo cover, and using a 10mm socket, remove the negative wire from the battery. Then pop your hood, and locate the SBC brain at the front-passenger side corner of the engine bay, behind the headlight. Pull up on the connector's top thingy, which looks like it has enough room to stick a finger thru and pull up. This will allow you to take the connector off:

Now we'll remove the old pads. Using a hammer and a perfectly sized punch (which i just happened to have in the barn), tap out the 2 "pins" that hold the pads in:

Then get a flathead screwdriver, place it between the old pads and the rotor, and leverage the screwdriver to push the pistons back into the caliper, very gently, so you can remove the pads. (don't toss the old pads just yet)

Now grab your 1/2" drive and an 18mm socket, remove the 2 bolts holding the caliper on. Remove the caliper, and gently let it hang (typically you're supposed to keep calipers supported, so the abs/brake lines don't strain, but as long as you're gentle with everything, it should be ok...

Then don't forget there's a bolt that holds the rotor on, its a torx, just not sure what size since I have a whole set of them...

You may have to tap the old rotor from inside the wheel well - outward - to get the rotor off, depending how much rust, grime, etc., your car may have.

Now install your new rotor, I got slotted/cross-drilled zinc plated silver rotors from www.brakeperformance.com, they were so cheap! I figured if they were crappy, i didn't blow too much money on an experiment, and if they DO work wonderful, then great!

The pads I'll be installing are Akebono, purchased from Tire Rack, I think... I've had all this stuff sitting around for months

Re-install everything reverse of removal. I noticed some blue stuff on the bolt that holds the rotor on, and for the 2 bolts that hold the caliper on. So for those bolts, upon re-install, I applied red loctite on them during the installation process.

Here is why you don't toss the old pads = when you have the caliper back on, the pistons will still be sticking out a little bit. Since you're old pads are worn down, and you need more room for the new pads with all that new meat on them, place the OLD pads back in the caliper, and use the screwdriver to force the pistons in as far as you can on that side. Take the old pad out, install the new pad, and now do that same procedure on the other side to get the new pad in. Since its a closed system, if you push on one side, the fluid will just push the pistons out on the other side, get it ?

One note, on the passenger front is the "brake pad wear sensor". If you do NOT have any warning on the dash, then you can re-use this sensor. You'll notice the outside pad has a hole in it, just for this purpose. The bolt to remove the sensor is an "inverted torx", size E10 socket for 3/8" drive, which I purchased at Napa.

put all your stuff back together (i took this opportunity to fully clean my rims as well), put the tire/rim back on, tighten everything up, and BAM!

Don't forget to use your head, and make sure you install the rotor for the proper rotation (if you get slotted)....

 

[Richrider]

Good choice in pads. I had to clean my wheels every time I drove the car, with OEM pads. The Akebono are excellent pads, no dust. the pedal free is a bit firmer and not as grabby as OEM , but once the brakes are used a couple times the pads warm up and are fine. I haven't used these pads on the track yet, but the OEMS would fade after one lap. Now for the rotors. I had Brake Performance rotors on my Acura. They warped in a couple thousand miles, the company replaced them, but the shipping was $40. Then the replacement rotors warped. I decided to have them cut and a few thousand miles later they warped again. I only used the car in normal driving and always check the wheel lug torque to prevent warping. I ended up replacing the rotors with Stop Tech brand from Tire Rack, no problems at all for 15K miles. Don't forget to change the brake fluid. I had a shop do mine since the system is two stage and simple draining doesn't get all the fluid. You want to make sure you have clean brake fluid due to SDS pump failures. There is a ten year extended warranty, but if your pump doesn't fail in the ten year period you'll be on the hook for the cost of replacement. So what else is new, at least I have a good sense of humor about the various pump replacements om SL's.