It all started when I was looking for Mintex red-box 'dustless' brake pads. Found 2 places that sell them, one sells the pads with teflon shims for $225, the other knows nothing about the teflon shims, but sells the same pads (I gave both places the same part numbers: MDB-1745AF for front and MDB-1552AF for rear) for $97. So I'm saying to myself, $128 for the teflon shims?
I knew the teflon shims were there to minimize brake squeals. I went to BMW and they told me I cannot buy the shims as a separate part. I have not contacted others places to locate these shims. Hopefully when I find them, they will cost less than $128 for a set of 4.
So here are my questions:
Where can I buy these shims separately?
If you have good pads and one of these shims broke, you have to buy new pads just to get the shims? does not make sense to me.
If no one sells these shims, can I reuse the ones on the car now?Are there other ways to minimize brake squeals without shims?
Also, Blue Max mentioned teflon-lined (coated) Mintex pads. Both retailers said the pads were not teflon-lined (coated). Are there actually different Mintex brake pads, with, and without teflon?
I just came in from washing the car, and I can't say enough about these pads. The wheels now always look clean and I spend a fraction of the time keeping them that way.
I mis-typed in my previous post. The pads have a Teflon® backing (not coating) that prevents squealing. To make sure you get the correct pads, contact our buddy Dave at (201) 847-8877. I paid ~ $315 (labor included) absolutely worth every penny IMO.
I had MB and BMW before and the brake dust had always been a sore point.
In 1981, I got asbastos pads for the Benz and they were truly dustless. I loved those.
I'm hoping the Mintex red-box can come close. Just hoping to save a few bucks if I can solve this teflon shim dilemma. Otherwise, I'm prepared to buy from Dave, who has the shims with his pads.
I almost look at this thread as a public service. If I can locate a source for these teflon shims, we can all have squeak-free, 'dustless' wheels for $97, shipping and installation on top. Wouldn't that be sweet?
FWIW, their price difference on a set of four reflects a slight modification that MWW performs on the Mintex rear pads. As I understand it, they take the OEM anti-rattle clip off the OEM pad backer and attach (spot weld) it to the Mintex pad backer.
I went the cheaper route, and plan to change pads this weekend for a CCA school at Road Atlanta. I'll take plenty of digital photos and try to end the E39 M5 rear pad mystery once and for all!!
I have not done anything yet as I still have 60%+ left on my OEM pads. However, I'll need new tires in another 2,000 miles. Now that you've located the shims, I'll probably buy the Mintex from German Auto Parts ($97), the shims from Motor Work West ($10), and change them out when I mount my new tires. $110 is well worth it for dust-free motoring.
If you're doing the same program, please advise if there are pitfalls.
BTW, that's why I love this board, our members are so knowledgable it helps us get the most out of our cars for the optimum cost.
I wanted to clear up the confusion over the Mintex brake pads from Motor Works West and GermanAutoParts.com. I ordered the Mintex pads from both sources and found that the "modified" pads from MWW simply include the teflon pads, there is NO other difference.
The photos show the stock Mintex pads on the left and the "modified" pads on the right.
The "spot welded clips" which were suggested to be a MWW modification on the rear pads is not an issue.
FYI... for those considering the teflon shims at Motor Works West. The Mintex brake pads and the teflon shims that I purchased through them work great, but there are a couple issues that you should be aware of.
I placed two separate orders and Dave/Matt at Motor Works West misplaced both of them. Only after a several follow-up calls did I get the parts. Also, they charged $20 to ship two sets of teflon shims. I made the mistake of not asking for a total with shipping when I placed the order. (The shims were $40 per set) When I questioned the $20 shipping charge, they were very defensive, but admitted that they are not properly set-up for mail order business. Consider this before you take your business there.
Originally posted by Bob Uenaka FYI... for those considering the teflon shims at Motor Works West. The Mintex brake pads and the teflon shims that I purchased through them work great, but there are a couple issues that you should be aware of.
I placed two separate orders and Dave/Matt at Motor Works West misplaced both of them. Only after a several follow-up calls did I get the parts. Also, they charged $20 to ship two sets of teflon shims. I made the mistake of not asking for a total with shipping when I placed the order. (The shims were $40 per set) When I questioned the $20 shipping charge, they were very defensive, but admitted that they are not properly set-up for mail order business. Consider this before you take your business there.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the heads up. After I got the shims from you, I ordered the regular Mintex pads from German Auto Parts. I ordered on Monday 7-1-02, and received the parts today(Tuesday). So at least for shipping, German Auto Parts came through nicely.
Now I only hope that my tech can put the teflon shims and the brake pad together on their own.
There is no application listed for E39 M5s, but prices for both front and rear would total under $100, so I would guess that with CP's parts nos., you should be able to get what you need at quite a nice price. First one to get these from them, please post your experiences.
Originally posted by Need4Spd There is no application listed for E39 M5s, but prices for both front and rear would total under $100, so I would guess that with CP's parts nos., you should be able to get what you need at quite a nice price.
Need4Speed-
I'm not sure about the pricing, b/c none of the M5 cross-compatible models are listed on Bimmerworld's table. FWIW, our E39 M5 uses the same pad and backer shape (which is all that matters when you're going with a non-OEM friction compound) as the following models:
Front: same as E39 540i and E38 7er
Rears: same as E31 840i/850i
The only reason our stock E39 M5 front pads have a different BMW P/N from the E39 540i is b/c the compound is different.
Also, I have received an adhesive-backed shim-type device with recent Mintex orders from www.germanautoparts.com . However, it came only with the Mintex C-Tech (track compound) pads, and not the Red Box (street) units. When I get a chance, I will shoot a photo of it and post here.
Finally, I will be swapping front and rear pads on my Beast in the next few weeks. I will take lots of pix, and will used the Mintex-provided 'shims.' I'll let you all know how it goes!
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