Parking/Emergency brake issue

AMGOODNESS · 08-13-2008, 01:34 PM

Ok so i have been hearing a slight rattle coming from my drivers side rear for the last couple of days. But after a thorough visual inspection of the suspension, brakes, wheel, etc. nothing is loose!

So i jump in the car yesterday for a dentist appointment and i hear the most horribly grinding/squeeling noise ever. i pull over and check it out and again nothing. i go to the dentist and drive back to the office and it is horrible. it must be the right rear brake pads right? Nope I have over 50% of the pad left!

I have a really good friend, this guy can work on anything, take a look at it. At first he sees nothing too. We initially think the brake dust shield is loose and rubbing against the hub. nope it is super tight. so finally he takes off the rear brake disk so we can inspect the parking/emergency brake. when we turn the rear disk it sounds like it is coming from inside the hub. So it is not the dust shield rubbing against the disk or drum, it is not a wheel bearing.

Somehow the retainer spring that holds the parking/emergency brake assembly together came off. there is a self adjusting mechanism in there that keeps the assembly at the proper pressure level when putting the car in park or using the emergency brake. Anyway over time the assembly loosened and eventually started rubbing on the inside of the brake disk hub. the noise was absolutely awful. like a locomotive coming to a stop.

We reattached the spring in the proper location, reassembled the brake system. No noise and as good as new. A $20 dinner and the help of a great friend probably saved me $300. that is assuming the MB guys would have been able to figure it out.

probably a once in a lifetime occurence but if it happens to you, now you know what to do.

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wal · 08-13-2008, 04:02 PM

great info. Thanks for sharing this with us

AMGOODNESS · 08-13-2008, 06:12 PM

dude seriously it was a little crazy. it scared the hell out of me. the idea is to prevent something like this from happening to one of you. i am sure the dealer would have charged me to death.

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08-13-2008, 04:02 PM	#2
wal Almost a Member! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Earth Posts: 57 Drives: AMG-feet	great info. Thanks for sharing this with us

08-13-2008, 06:12 PM	#3
AMGOODNESS Super Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sparks, NV Posts: 613 Drives: 03 CLK 55 AMG, IMCO muffler/Magnaflow tips, KW V1 coilovers, 19" Petrol Metrix Wheels	dude seriously it was a little crazy. it scared the hell out of me. the idea is to prevent something like this from happening to one of you. i am sure the dealer would have charged me to death.

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