Anyone having brake issues

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.
 

chromisdesigns

New member
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.
 

Sprinterstore

All things Sprinter
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.
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. :cheers:
 

4wheels

Well-known member
My friend has 07 Sprinter with over 300k now . He used to be a big fan of drilled rotors and aftermarket pads , he tried them all and he does not buy cheap stuff. So now he buys only OEM BREMBO brakes . They are proven and not known to any problems. I do not see any issues with OEM brakes . I do not think any aftermarket brakes can do a better job than Brembo brakes . I vote for OEM:2cents:
 

smiller

2008 View J (2007 NCV3 3500)
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.
 

Sprinterstore

All things Sprinter
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.
Our steel braided brake lines gets rid of the soft pedal.
 

smiller

2008 View J (2007 NCV3 3500)
Our steel braided brake lines gets rid of the soft pedal.
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.
 

Sprinterstore

All things Sprinter
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.
Yes and then resolved by us. The steel braided lines fix the problem.
 

smiller

2008 View J (2007 NCV3 3500)
Yes and then resolved by us. The steel braided lines fix the problem.
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?
 

BC61

Member
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?
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.
 
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calbiker

Well-known member
$1400 is a bit pricey when $320 (from Europarts SD) can do the job just fine.

Haven't had any problems stopping my Winnebago.
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Well from my limited experience fixing brakes on the 903 (NCV3) using OE parts tends to eliminate much of the "soft" pedal feel when wear is detected.

Ostensibly attention should be paid to sticking calipers and wear on the rotor and hardware. In many cases mismatches of aftermarket and OE stuff only make this worse. Caliper frame pins that exhibit wear or in fact the caliper slider bushes gone slack can all cause the initial wear take up to create lost pedal movement; detected of course as a "soft pedal" feel during initial braking effort.
From what I see most of the complaints are when owners simply "pad slap" a DIY brake job on when rotors and sometimes calipers should be changed. Plus of course a brake flush! And dare I mention it this universal propensity to compress the caliper piston(s) without opening the bleed screw and expelling filthy fluid, which is then forced up and back into the brake ABS brick!
Of course none of you guys do that do you!!!
The aftermarket doesn't help (need I mention it) with limited parts availability and the likes of "The House of Cardone Crap" when the only real solution is an new Brembo caliper outright from an MB parts source at $275 a caliper.
Of course all this now doubles the budget for brakes!
And that lessens the money available for beer and skittles, so pad slapping is the preferred option!
And that's the way it is!:rolleyes:
Cheers Dennis
 

smiller

2008 View J (2007 NCV3 3500)
Again, the symptom (in my case, and I think most cases) is that the pedal is soft only on the first application, then quite firm and very acceptable afterwards. If the problem was expanding brake lines or air or anything else to do with the hydraulic system itself then the soft pedal would be consistent, or put another way brake lines to not harden and trapped air does not disappear on every second press of the brake pedal. The problem then reappears after the brakes have been idle and behaves exactly the same way each time. The issue seems to clearly have to do with some peculiarity of the brake booster function. Perhaps it is designed that way ('it's not a bug, it's a feature!), I dunno.
 

HighPockets

Active member
The 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
 

Haasman

New member
Noticed same problem after picking up our new 2015 3500 "camper".

Had the brakes bled twice under warranty, had the Service Manager double-check and although he agreed with me, said this is typical for the later Sprinter van series.

Further they disconnected the booster from the brake pedal and tested the braking system and said it was fine.

I continue to petition Mercedes that to gain an effective brake pedal feel. I have to double-pump the pedal to get a solid brake pedal. I let them know that this is dangerous and at minimum does not breed confidence in an emergency braking situation.

On another forum, someone claims Mercedes is well aware of the problem and there is a service bulletin on this. Searched but couldn't find it.

Haasman
 
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lindenengineering

Well-known member
The 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
Gene
Your hybrids have full power braking systems operating by HP pump and accumulator with high pressure stored in the system !
They work like the old Range Rovers, some medium duty trucks and the famous London Transport AEC Routemasters; plus lots of aircraft!
With respect you are not comparing eggs to eggs!
Rather comparing a Rolls Royce to a Mercedes Sprinter which may I remind you is a commercial vehicle not a Ghost or Phantom super luxury high speed heavy car!
Dennis
 

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