Which brakes do I buy?

Psbuckley

Member
03 Dodge 158” 3500 15” steel wheels

Looks like it’s time for brakes but see that there are several names thrown around - Bosch, Meyle, Brembro...
what is the significance for me and this vehicle? Do I need to remove a wheel to verify a caliper manufacturer?
Need some help here!!!

Thanks in advance!
Pete


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BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
Yes, the best bet is to verify caliper manufacturer and dimensions. The calipers will likely be different dimensions if not different manufacturers front to back. It’s never a bad idea to take one of your old pads for comparison at the parts counter, I’ve definitely run into issues before.
 

220629

Well-known member
I can't answer your questions as to what is best. Service situations vary.

Eg.
Michelin tires are a great choice if you put lotsa miles per year on a rig. If you own an RV that spends time in storage the mega miles advantage may not be worth the price because the Michelins will age out before wearing out.

My experience with brakes on my living in the northeast rust belt Sprinters is that pad and rotor wear/longevity isn't the major factor. Usually a caliper or other failure rears its ugly head before all of the associated parts hit their best possible wear longevity.

Europarts SD can supply what you need without first removing parts for comparison. They have different offers of brands, and I assume relative quality. I have had good results using their pad/rotor/shipping kit choices.

If you go the local parts store route don't cheap out on the rotors. Been there. Done that. Haven't been tempted since.

https://europarts-sd.com/
 
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cian128

Well-known member
I can't answer your questions as to what is best. Service situations vary.

Eg.
Michelin tires are a great choice if you put lotsa miles per year on a rig. If you own an RV that spends time in storage the mega miles advantage may not be worth the price because the Michelins will age out before wearing out.

My experience with brakes on my living in the northeast rust belt Sprinters is that pad and rotor wear/longevity isn't the major factor. Usually a caliper or other failure rears its ugly head before all of the associated parts hit their best possible wear limits.

Europarts SD can supply what you need without first removing parts for comparison. They have different offers of brands, and I assume relative quality. I have had good results using their pad/rotor/shipping choices.

If you go the local parts store route don't cheap out on the rotors. Been there. Done that. Haven't been tempted since.

https://europarts-sd.com/

do auto parts stores have reman calipers available usually? I have not yet done brakes on mine.

on my other northeast rusty cars its easier just to replace pads rotor caliper on every brake job and know it is good

otherwise the caliper will for sure seize and wear only one pad and side of rotor and you will have to do it anyway
 

220629

Well-known member
do auto parts stores have reman calipers available usually? I have not yet done brakes on mine.

...
I've had good service from NAPA rebuilt calipers. I don't know if they have a good/better/best choice of brand/companies on the rebuilds.

I imagine there are other good sources.

:cheers: vic
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
Second on NAPA being a reliable source for rebuilt calipers. Other parts houses couldn’t even tell me what brand the rebuilt calipers were
 

Psbuckley

Member
I’m going to ask this question a slightly different way because I don’t think my original question was phrased to reflect what I was really looking for…
Are there significant differences in the various caliper manufacturers that lock you in to a particular brake pad? I assume there are not differences, I but the euro parts SD.com website packages things in such a manner that it makes me wonder.

Again, thanks much for sharing your knowledge!


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Cheyenne

UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
I’m going to ask this question a slightly different way because I don’t think my original question was phrased to reflect what I was really looking for…
Are there significant differences in the various caliper manufacturers that lock you in to a particular brake pad? I assume there are not differences, I but the euro parts SD.com website packages things in such a manner that it makes me wonder.

Again, thanks much for sharing your knowledge!


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The pads are NOT interchangeable between the makes of caliper.

Is that what you where asking?

Keith.
 
Didn't I read somewhere on this forum that the T1Ns used the same pads for all caliper types, I guess not.

I ordered my front rotors, pads and sensors from Europarts as a kit.

When I replaced the rotors and pads last month I noticed a small hole in the dust boot.

From my own experience, the quality of aftermarket remanufactured calipers is horrible, and since I still have the original MB calipers, I opted to just replace piston boots and seal myself.

Once the caliper was off I used compressed air to push out the pistons, which were clean and unblemished.
The seal and boot were a bit tricky to pop back in, but the whole job was not that difficult overall... and I got to keep my OEM calipers.

Just have a few cans of spray brake cleaner to remove any grit from the caliper before you do anything.
 
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I bought two rear calipers for my 06 2500 recently from Europarts SD with the MB emblem on them. These are rebuilt and are half the price of the dealership, around $120 each. I would challenge anybody to look closely at these and the ones from a dealership and see any difference. I still need to get these installed so I can return the old ones to Europarts SD for the core charge.

Thanks Europarts SD for being in my area and always having what I need when I need it.
 

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