
XYZ Racing Hollow Rear Brake Kit — Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164 (2006-2011)
SKU: XYZ-BRK-BKR-ME-09-F-REAR
- IncludesRear axle pair (2 discs + 2 calipers)
- PositionRear
- Disc Ø380–421 mm
- Caliper pots8-pot
- Lead time10–15 working days
Fits Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164 (2006-2011)
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Caliper render for this kit:

At kerb weight the W164 ML 280 CDI sits the wrong side of two tonnes, and every one of those kilos eventually arrives at the brakes. Add the 4MATIC driveline, a towbar and a loaded trailer behind the CDI diesel, and the rear axle is asked to do far more than the standard discs were ever specified for. The XYZ Racing Rear Big Brake Kit for the Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164 (2006-2011) answers that with more thermal mass and a hollow-vane disc that sheds heat faster than the factory casting.
This is a rear-axle upgrade built for the way these cars are actually used in 2026: long motorway descents, repeated heavy stops with a caravan or horsebox on the back, and the kind of stop-start town running that bakes a tired original setup. Supplied as a matched pair of rear calipers and rear discs, it lets you match the pad compound to the job: Street for daily commuting and quiet, low-dust manners, Sport for harder road and occasional towing duty with a wider heat range, Racing where the ML works hardest on steep loaded descents.
What this brake kit does for your 2006-2011 Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164
Fit the kit and the first thing you notice on the W164 is pedal consistency. The hollow-vane discs carry heat away from the friction surface, so the rear brakes hold their bite through repeated stops instead of going long and wooden halfway down a pass. That matters on a heavy 4MATIC SUV, where the rear axle contributes real stopping force under load and weight transfer, and where front-and-rear balance keeps the car settled. The three pad compounds let you set the bite to your use: Street pads keep town manners quiet and low-dust, the Sport compound adds heat range for spirited or laden runs, while the Racing compound stands up to sustained high temperatures without glazing. Less fade means more braking confidence with a full boot, a roof box, or a trailer hitched on behind.
About the rear big brake kit
The disc is a two-piece floating design with a hollow internal vane structure that increases the surface area scrubbing heat from the casting, pulling temperature out of the friction face between stops; the ring is offered drilled or slotted at the same price. The package is rear-axle specific: discs, calipers, pads and the brackets to locate them on the W164. The caliper is hollow-bodied as standard, with a Hollow Racing upgrade (no dust cover, rated to 1000C, two-year warranty) for hard track or heavy-duty work. Painted caliper finishes are no-cost, Red, Yellow, Gold, Black or Anodized Black, with a Custom Color in any Pantone for GBP 150 more; premium polished-forged finishes (Titanium, Polished Gold, Polished Silver), candy finishes (Candy Teal, Candy Blue, Candy Red, Candy Orange) and two-tone or titanium centre bells are also available, so the hardware can sit subtle behind the wheels or be made a feature. Pads come in your choice of Street, Sport or Racing compound, each with its own friction and temperature window, so the same physical kit suits a commuter ML or one that spends its weekends towing. It is built as a genuine step up in rear braking capacity over the original Mercedes Benz setup, not a cosmetic swap.
Fitment for the Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164 (2006-2011)
This kit is cut for the Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164 across the 2006 to 2011 model years, fitting the rear axle in 4MATIC form. Confirm your car is the W164 generation rather than the later W166 before ordering, then choose your caliper colour and pad compound to suit. This kit covers the rear axle only.
What buyers also search for
- Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI W164 rear brake upgrade for towing and heavy loads
- W164 ML big brake kit with hollow-vane discs for better heat management
- ML 280 CDI 4MATIC rear brake kit with Street, Sport or Racing pad options
- Mercedes Benz ML W164 caliper colour choices including Red, Gold and Custom
- 2006-2011 ML 280 CDI rear brake fade fix for long loaded descents
Set your pad compound and caliper colour for the Mercedes Benz ML 280 CDI 4MATIC W164 and build yours using the options above.
What’s in the kit
Rear axle kit — supplied as a complete bolt-on assembly.
- 2×Two-piece floating discs — 380–421 mm: you pick the exact diameter with the "Disc size" option
- 2×Lightweight aluminium centre bells
- 2×Forged aluminium calipers — 8-pot
- 2×High-stiffness mounting brackets
- 2×Braided stainless steel brake lines
- 4×High-performance brake pads (1 set)
- 1×Fitting hardware & tools pack
Parking brake: Retains your original (OE) handbrake.
Choosing your spec
Every kit is built to order around the choices you make above. Here is what each option actually changes, so you can spec yours with confidence.
Brake pads — Street, Sport or Racing
Every kit ships with a full set of high-performance pads; the compound is your call.
Street is the right default for fast-road driving — a strong, progressive cold bite with low noise, low dust and long disc life. Sport raises the working temperature and adds bite and fade resistance for hard road use and the occasional track day, while still behaving on a cold morning. Racing is a track compound built for sustained abuse: huge fade resistance and bite once heat is in it, at the cost of more noise and dust when cold. Match the pad to how hard you actually use the brakes — there is no benefit to a race pad that never gets up to temperature.
Caliper grade — Hollow vs Hollow Racing
Hollow is the standard caliper on every kit: a hollow-body forged caliper, lighter than a solid one, fitted with a dust cover and backed by a 5-year oil-leak warranty. For most fast-road and spirited track use it is all the caliper you need.
Hollow Racing is the track-grade upgrade. It runs the same hollow body but without a dust cover (so there is nothing to melt at sustained high temperature), uses a twin-metal piston that isolates heat travelling from the disc to the oil seal, and is rated to 1000°C. Available 330–356mm (rear). Warranty is 2 years on oil leaks and 10 years on appearance. Built for professional racing and repeated track days.

Caliper colour & finish
Painted colours (Red, Yellow, Gold, Black, Anodized Black) are included at no cost. Want an exact match to your car? Custom Color (+£150) paints the calipers to any Pantone code you supply (15–20 day lead time).
Polished Forged finishes are the flagship: a forged caliper given a mirror-polished surface treatment that shifts colour with the viewing angle. Beyond the looks, the polished surface dissipates heat better, resists rust and stands up to the weather. Choose Titanium (neochrome, +£350), Polished Gold (+£300) or Polished Silver (+£250). They look their best paired with a titanium centre bell. Care: clean only with a dilute neutral cleaner or water.
Candy colours (+£200) use a deep candy-paint and polishing process for a mirror-reflection, boutique finish — pick Teal, Blue, Red or Orange (shown below right).


Centre bells
The centre bell is the CNC-machined aluminium hat that joins the disc to the hub. The standard anodized centre bell is included. The Two-tone bell (+£200) adds an anodized accent ring — choose Red, Yellow, Orange, Purple or Silver right here at checkout. The Titanium centre bell (+£500) is a forged titanium bell (bolts not included) that finishes off the polished-forged look.

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