Sprinterstore
All things Sprinter
As many of you know the Sprinters do not come with very good brakes for the class B and C motor-homes. We have solved that issue with crossed drilled and slotted rotors, steel braided brake lines and ceramic pads.
The brakes work fine, it will stop on a dime if it has to. Just has that Mercedes "soft pedal" feel. Too bad you didn't read up in the forums and find that out before you spent all that money! Some people report the aftermarket brakes don't stop as well as the stockers, in fact.As many of you know the Sprinters do not come with very good brakes for the class B and C motor-homes. We have solved that issue with crossed drilled and slotted rotors, steel braided brake lines and ceramic pads.
You are correct, we have been working on solutions for the concerns you mentioned. This is what we have found to solve the braking issues. The crossed drilled rotors dissipate heat and gases created during braking allowing a more positive and even braking. The steel braided brake lines resolve the soft pedal feel by removing the problem with swelling on the OE brake lines. The Ceramic pads handle heat better and decrease brake fade due to extreme heat under heavy braking. We have our brake system on several Sprinters and Fleet use Sprinters and all have reported it is a night and day difference over OE. We know it works.The brakes work fine, it will stop on a dime if it has to. Just has that Mercedes "soft pedal" feel. Too bad you didn't read up in the forums and find that out before you spent all that money! Some people report the aftermarket brakes don't stop as well as the stockers, in fact.
Our steel braided brake lines gets rid of the soft pedal.My 3500 usually runs near max gross weight and I have no complaints about stock braking power, actually pretty impressive. I would like to get rid of the initial brake stroke softness though which is pretty annoying but I think that has to do with the power boost system and not anything at the wheels.
The pedal is soft only on the first brake application and then brake feel is very good on immediate subsequent applications. This is a known quirk of the booster system.Our steel braided brake lines gets rid of the soft pedal.
Yes and then resolved by us. The steel braided lines fix the problem.The pedal is soft only on the first brake application and then brake feel is very good on immediate subsequent applications. This is a known quirk of the booster system.
SS braided lines are a good thing but I'm not sure I understand the relationship to this particular problem. The symptom is that the first brake application seems mushy but any immediate subsequent application is firm (and if the brake is not depressed for a while then the problem repeats.) Are you saying that the OEM rubber brake lines are failing in such a way that they flex upon the first application and then suddenly become firm for subsequent applications?Yes and then resolved by us. The steel braided lines fix the problem.
Rubber lines expand with the first pump, SS lines do not. Booster assist pedal effort not brake pressure. They have no affect on line pressure other than it takes less effort to push the pedal.OEM rubber brake lines are failing in such a way that they flex upon the first application and then suddenly become firm for subsequent applications?
GeneThe first thing I did after purchasing my '07 Sprinter this year was to stop by a M-B dealer and have them bleed the brakes. My other two vehicles are hybreds with regenerative braking. The sprinter made me so nervous I just knew there was air in the lines. After reading this thread I could buy the line about the brake lines expanding but I have a 1981 BMW R/80 G/S with weak brakes but for a reason, it is an on-road off-road bike and locking up the front wheel on gravel or dirt is extremely dangerous. Improving the brakes on that and the take off R80ST has been wide discussed for years but in that time it has been brought out that BMW motorcycle brake line have a plastic lining inside the brake lines to keep them from expanding. I find it difficult to believe that M-B does not make a similar provision for expanding. That being said if I become convinced that they do not I may consider the stainless braided lines.
Gene