Freightliner Sprinter Brake Calipers

This review is for brake calipers front and rear for 2005 Sprinter 3500 (with 285 mm rotors). These calipers are a good value if you plan to sell your Sprinter soon and let the next owner deal with maintenance headaches. They would have been a perfect replacement were it not for two issues: my largest complaint is that the bleed-valve internal threads were never re-machined. Not just in one caliper, but in all four calipers that I received. Because of prior rust (or being media-blasted) the bleed valve threads are somewhat loose in the holes unless they are completely tightened. There is enough slop that when you crack the valve open for bleeding, brake fluid immediately starts leaking past the threads and soon dripping down the caliper and wherever gravity takes it from there. This when cracking the valves open between 1/16 and 1/8 of a turn. These threaded holes should have been re-machined but weren't. This resulted in a considerable amount of brake fluid leaking down the outside of the calipers and making a mess, getting on the brake pads (which require removal to properly clean), and a puddle on the ground despite having attached a bleeder hose. The 2nd complaint is the poor paint-job. Due to engine problems my Sprinter sits parked on the street next to my house. Despite just sitting there, all of the Centric calipers have a patina of rust on them. They were nice and shiny when they arrived, but whatever coating was applied by Centric seems to have dissolved from just sitting there. Hmmm. Maybe all of that brake fluid that leaked past the bleed valves took off the paint? If properly painted and baked, though, the paint would have resisted being washed with brake fluid.