E46 M3 - Brake upgrade thoughts please :)

[jjcodex]

Hi all

I am looking into various big brake upgrades for the E46 M3.

I particularly like the look of the AP and the Brembo, but the Stoptechs are significantly more economic!

Anybody got any experience, and what size etc is the general consensus?

The car does track work reasonably regularly

JJ

[Chessers]

StopTechs are fine, cobine it with braided hoses and uprated fluid (ATE Super Blue or the like) and should be good to go.

[DAN3M]

Yes the stoptechs are a good choice, not long been fitted to the fronts of mine and work very well.

Mine are the st40's 4 pots with a 355mm they are based on older porsche turbo calipers i'm told.

http://www.ca-automotive.co.uk/products-Y2FyX21ha2...

[lee182]

I have Stoptechs on the front of my M5 and they are very good, I also know of others with M5's and CSL running with them and there is nothing but good vibes.

[Rawhide]

Hope not to hi-jack your thread but..

I'm considering buying an E46 M3.. I've just sold my track day car (Audi turbo Elise) but I'd like to do 'ring trips in the M3.

I'm not out to set records but obviously being able to stop is pretty high on my list of priorities. Would a combo of pads, fluid and braided lines make the car fit for purpose?

[jjcodex]

Based on my experience, that will be okay, but the M3s on my trip all suffered from warped discs.

That said, mechanical sympathy is not high on the list of issues.

HTH

JJ

Rawhide said:

Hope not to hi-jack your thread but..

I'm considering buying an E46 M3.. I've just sold my track day car (Audi turbo Elise) but I'd like to do 'ring trips in the M3.

I'm not out to set records but obviously being able to stop is pretty high on my list of priorities. Would a combo of pads, fluid and braided lines make the car fit for purpose?

[dan101smith]

I did a trackday yesterday with a friend in his E46 M3. He has upgraded the hoses and fluid, and also fitted Ferrodo DS2500s - they're not really up to it, or at least they weren't up to Snetterton.

Perhaps the Ring isn't as hard on brakes, but I think he'd be better off with DS3000s instead.

[Rawhide]

dan101smith said:

I did a trackday yesterday with a friend in his E46 M3. He has upgraded the hoses and fluid, and also fitted Ferrodo DS2500s - they're not really up to it, or at least they weren't up to Snetterton.

Perhaps the Ring isn't as hard on brakes, but I think he'd be better off with DS3000s instead.

Did he warp the disks or was it just a case of having to wait for it to cool down.

[dan101smith]

Didn't warp, but there was definite fade there.

[Cheburator mk2]

The Ring is not hard on the brakes as the UK circuits because you have a lot more time to cool them between hard applications - I had standard CSL brakes on my Z4MC and just fitted Carbopads all round and ATE Super Blue. The car stopped fine at the crucial points... I would imagine an E46 M3 to be close, albeit with slightly smaller discs.

P.P. What speed were you doing on the approach to SX, Aremberg, Metzgesfeld, Wehrseifen and Breidscheid in your previous car?

[m12_nathan]

Probably just pad deposits, not warped disks.

[jjcodex]

m12_nathan said:

Probably just pad deposits, not warped disks.

sadly not so, they were checked with a run out gauge on a laithe, and also a thin layer was taken off to double confirm, and the wheel wobble remained. New discs resolved instantly.

JJ

[m12_nathan]

Suprises me, the standard CSL disks are better than the AP disks IMO. Simpsons are now doing an AP brake kit where you use the stock CSL disk, if it had been around when I got mine I'd have gone that route as the caliper is the weak point of the M3 brake system, not the disks.

[Cheburator mk2]

m12_nathan said:

Suprises me, the standard CSL disks are better than the AP disks IMO. Simpsons are now doing an AP brake kit where you use the stock CSL disk, if it had been around when I got mine I'd have gone that route as the caliper is the weak point of the M3 brake system, not the disks.

I was mighty impressed with the standard CSL discs too - mine had 30k miles on them when they needed changing. Not bad, considering the hammering I give them.

It could be useful to other forum members - the Brembo 4-pots as found on the Porsche 928 S4, Porsche 944 Turbo S, Porsche 968 MO30, some Porsche 964s and all Porsche 993s will fit perfectly over the CSL discs using an adaptor. The pad covers the disc perfectly and the difference in disc thickness - 32mm vs 28mm is insignificant and well compensated by the caliper. Considering that the Brembo 4-pots are only about £180 for the pair, the adaptors are around £150 and CSL discs are £320 it could be a worthy DIY option.

Edited by Cheburator mk2 on Tuesday 11th November 11:40