I'm looking at the brakes of my 580E and the discs look like the ones in this illustration. I think mine is the serial number before sn 16270319. but the part number for the disc is the same up until the wet type discs. Can anyone tell me just how worn the disks can be before they're too thin. I measured mine at 3/8". They look like they should work but I'm not sure if the operating mechanism will run out of travel and then not apply the brake very well. I just can't find this info in the service manual or anywhere I've looked. I did find that new ones are .439 inch thick.
If you have doubt about the brake disc then you should replace them. You can find aftermarket ones online fairly cheap.
Thank you Coy. It's just that they could have been replaced relatively recently and the ones I found are $64 each. I would like to prove to myself that I need to spend that much. The wear compared to new thickness ranges from .017 to .064. That doesn't seem like much. The reason for inspecting them is that more often than not the brakes L or R will lock up and I can release it easily by going to neutral in the power shuttle. I read that the mechanism that spreads against the discs, the one with the balls and ramps can have broken return springs which causes sticking but my springs and ramps and balls look great. Is there a known condition that can cause sticking?
New lining is 0.187" thick (36/1000")
Check your actuators and the balls in them they could be hanging up.
The E in my fleet had a grabbing brake, that would sometimes stick. The gear oil leaking on the 'dry' frictions was to blame. They were not soaked, but oil in the box was noticeable. New frictions were not any thicker than the old ones, and solved the problem immediately.