Hello, I have a 2004 slk 230 special edition and looking for some advice please. I want to put on a set of porterfield pad. I found a web site about how to on a slk http://www.slk32.com/pages/brakes/brakes.html
But the problem is its for a slk 320. My question is are they the same calipars and same procedures? Just want to make sure before I start this project. Does anyone have pictures and procedures for the slk 230???
Thanks in advance for your help!
Gary

 

Have a look under Useful Links here 230 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r170...tips-such.html

Same procedure but...

Bazzle

 

Thank you!! Just got my new pads and ready for installation.

 

I've tried the Portefields and while the dust less than stock, they squeal, specially the first month or so and then get better but not perfect. I bought the Akebono ceramic pads for our SLK230 but haven't had a chance to put them on (the pads in there are still good so it's not a priority). Theworkmanship and quality of the pads far exceed Porterfield. I've put ceramics from Satisfied Brakes (Canadian product, not US like Akebono or Portefield) on our Jeep Wranglerand it's been great, can go weeks before the wheels look dirty, very quiet, very smooth, stops about the same.

 

Guys, MB brake pads are excellent. I've drivin my Mitsubishi for a few years now, and once my mom got her SLK 230, I didn't understand how well cars should brake. Aftermarket pads albeit may be cheaper or whatever, the compound may not mix with MB brake discs. Benz uses really soft brake disks and using anything other than stock could reduce the life of them.

 

What makes you think aftermarket pads are cheaper. MB pads are the cheapest. Porterfield and Akebono costs double. We gladly pay double to reduce dust. Metalic dust not only make the car look bad, it's highly corrosive and etches the finish on wheels. Also, why use MB rotors/discs, they too are very cheap, good aftermarket disks cost double but you get what you pay for.

 

I think what mbalexandriatech is saying is that the engineers that spent numers hrs at MB factory when they designed the car put the brakes and pads it has for a reason ...i don't think cheap was on there mind...the car has amzing brakes ..it even compares to higher end porshes and ferraris... you may pay more but i beat there not better.....

 

That's one way to look at it, I look at it the opposite way. MB brakes are not made by MB, they are sources like most of their parts. But with that aside, MB has multiple criteria when engineering components for their cars, they must meet U.S. DOT requirements, they must meet Euro TUV requirements and by made for the lowest possible cost, even a $1 difference is taken into consideration. Sometimes in an effort to appease regulators and bean counters some compromises are made. I feel many of the MB pads are compromises, mostly of cost end Euro TUV. This benefits thefrugal in the end because they are the least expensive pads you can buy for your car. But there's better and better is defined by your requirements, do you want brakes that stop better but as the compromise you are willing to put up with noise or more rotor wear, or in my case, my priority is quiet and dustless and my compromise is I'm willing to pay more for pads that exhibit this trait. To think that their #1 priority is your safety is very naive, their number #1 priority is profit.

 

PROFIT IS ANY COMPANY'S 1 PRIORITY...BUT I REALLY FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT MB DIDN'T DO ANY RESEARCH AND JUST PUT THE BARE MIN TO HAVE THE CAR PASS US OR EURO STANDARDS...THIS IS NOT A FORD MUSTANG...THAT CAR WAS DESIGNED TO DO SOMETHING SPECIFIC ..FOR THE SPEEDS IT CAN REACH AND THE SHOCKS THAT CORNER TO THE GREAR RATIO... THIS CAR WAS VERY SPECIAL WHEN IT CAME OUT AND ALOT OF TIME AND TESTING WENT INTO IT BEFORE IT WAS INTRODUCED.. AND BY THAT I MEAN A LOT OF HIGHLY PAID ENGINEERS THAT KNOW ALOT MORE THAN ME AND ANYONE ON THIS FORUM PUT THE CAR TOGETHER..

 

OK, I hear ya. But MB sources pads from about 3pad manufacturers, Pagid,Jurid, andTextar.Heck, even Brembo doesn't make their own pads. So not much MB engineering went into the pads. They just have a regulatory spec to meet and count on their suppliers to meet those regulation. So they spec out the shape and stuff like sensors, metalic contentand then get bids, and unless I'm mistaken they take low bid.They thentake their low bid pads and test the heck out of them,doesn't mean they spent a lot of time engineering pads. But you are not convinced so lets look at other parts in their cars, take the radio in my C-Class, pretty radio, made in China by Alpine. I wouldbe surprised if thisjunk cassette radio was not the low bid. They don't even use that radio in europe asthey must have higher standards and use a Becker German made radio.MB is in a highly competitive market, one that has twice as many competitors than 20 years ago. Every dollar counts. This is why they use low cost labor from east europe, this is why they consistantly get below average reliability ratings from JD Powers and C.R., this is why they cut corners everywhere they can. Doesn't mean I don't like the car, it is what it is.

So with that said, why do you think Pagid,Juridor Textarpads are better than Porterfield, Akebono, Satisfied, Mintex, Hawk?Look at tires, some MB cars (same extact model),come off the assembly line with Michelin, some with Conti, which is better? Does that mean Conti is better than Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear, Kuhmo?

My first MB was a W201, the A/C died in the middle of August. It was made by Mitsubishi. They wanted me to wait a full month for an A/C part. I called up the zone office and said if it's a Mitsubishi part, can't you just go to the Mistsubishi dealer and get it. They argued but eventually did it as the alternative was a lemon law claim because my car would have been out of service for 30 days and qualified. Ironically, it was in about 12 times for the throttle linkage warping under the CA desert heat and it went the way of lemon law anyway. BTW, it had Textar pads from the factory, my previous C230 had Pagids and my newest C230 has Jurid (since that's what Brembo uses and Brembo calipers wereused that year). I can tell you the Jurid pads dust the least, as good as Porterfield.