E92 brake upgrade?
Discussion
I have been putting alot of thought into this recently and I would like some input from you kind gents.
1) Full AP upgrade.
2) Just upgrading the calipers/pads while keeping the OEM discs.
3) Fluid and pads.
What would be the best direction to head? I will be looking at tracking my car more this year and after a pedal to the floor moment at the 'ring last year it became obvious that the brakes, although fine for road use, are just shy of bks on track.
I have looked into the full upgrade but at £2500 it is currently a little rich for me.
Would I be correct in assuming that, like the E46, the OEM discs are essentially good but hampered by crappy calipers?
Has anyone just upgraded the pads and fluid? If so, how much of a difference did it make and what combination did you use?
I am especially curious about point 3 due to the fact that that a chap from MSV told me they had experimented with different fluid and pads and had found no decernable difference to the standard setup.
Cheers,
Pete
1) Full AP upgrade.
2) Just upgrading the calipers/pads while keeping the OEM discs.
3) Fluid and pads.
What would be the best direction to head? I will be looking at tracking my car more this year and after a pedal to the floor moment at the 'ring last year it became obvious that the brakes, although fine for road use, are just shy of bks on track.
I have looked into the full upgrade but at £2500 it is currently a little rich for me.
Would I be correct in assuming that, like the E46, the OEM discs are essentially good but hampered by crappy calipers?
Has anyone just upgraded the pads and fluid? If so, how much of a difference did it make and what combination did you use?
I am especially curious about point 3 due to the fact that that a chap from MSV told me they had experimented with different fluid and pads and had found no decernable difference to the standard setup.
Cheers,
Pete
My mechanic (a VAG specialist) has just fitted the 6-piston brake kit from the BMW Performance range; (see page 2)
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
markbmw said:
My mechanic (a VAG specialist) has just fitted the 6-piston brake kit from the BMW Performance range; (see page 2)
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
I have all ready asked BMW and their response was, frankly, unbelievable. They claim the M3's brakes are powerful enough and will not offer the BMW performance upgrade. They did, however, put me in contact with the local AC Schnizer dealer. £5000 for a front BBK http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
I had the same feeling about improving the brakes without changing everything:
This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
bher said:
I had the same feeling about improving the brakes without changing everything:
This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
Thanks for the link. What pads did you choose in the end? Yellowstuff?This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
bher said:
I had the same feeling about improving the brakes without changing everything:
This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
You don't have to change it that often, I have dot5 in and change once a year but that's me being analThis is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
krallicious said:
bher said:
I had the same feeling about improving the brakes without changing everything:
This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
Thanks for the link. What pads did you choose in the end? Yellowstuff?This is what I did
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=WD91...
The pads are larger and the car is now fade free (on track) but at the price of a noisy (really) squealing in city use.
I don't know if I need to change the fluid because once you start with high performance liquid you need to change them every 6 months to avoid troubles (could someone confirm this?)
As english is not my mother language I quote this also"For the European-spec M3s, BMW seems to already list a set of "Sport Brake Pads" part # 34112283764 (front) and 34212283366 (rear). The info is available on the BMW parts catalog at realoem, at least for the E90 M3 LCI and only for the European spec cars."
Well you can spend money fiddling about with pads and fluid etc etc. Ultimately, for track use most BMW brakes are seriously compromised. Those big cast iron calipers are great for retaining heat, cooking pads and fluid and generally providing crap peformance once you get a move on. You will be forever fiddling once you start to track the car regularly.
Do the job once and fit proper big brakes, you will never look back, AP's or Brembo's, whatever takes your fancy. Yes, they are expensive, guess why.....they work. I fitted AP's to my E30 M3, which is an nth the weight of an E92 and have never looked back. No brake trouble since and that was 3 years ago, just great pedal feel and massive stopping power.
If you need to further justify the cost, just consider how many track hours you may have to give up if the car can't be driven because the brakes are toast, really, really frustrating having the car sitting in the paddock with toasted brakes, while everyone else is out on track.......oh for that one off purchase...... :-))
Do the job once and fit proper big brakes, you will never look back, AP's or Brembo's, whatever takes your fancy. Yes, they are expensive, guess why.....they work. I fitted AP's to my E30 M3, which is an nth the weight of an E92 and have never looked back. No brake trouble since and that was 3 years ago, just great pedal feel and massive stopping power.
If you need to further justify the cost, just consider how many track hours you may have to give up if the car can't be driven because the brakes are toast, really, really frustrating having the car sitting in the paddock with toasted brakes, while everyone else is out on track.......oh for that one off purchase...... :-))
markbmw said:
My mechanic (a VAG specialist) has just fitted the 6-piston brake kit from the BMW Performance range; (see page 2)
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
These are no good on the E92, sorry.http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
markbmw said:
My mechanic (a VAG specialist) has just fitted the 6-piston brake kit from the BMW Performance range; (see page 2)
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
Believe it or not, the standard E9* M3 brakes are better when used with the correct pads, lines and fluid than the 'BMW performance brakes'. These were a budget offering from Brembo for the 1 series, not an E9* M3.http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/owner/accessories_enqui...
I think they retail at about £1000, pretty good value. Of course if you can get them trade they'd only cost about £600..!
If you want a real improvement, go for purpose made APs, Stoptech, Brembo Gran turismo, or Alcon.
Edited by Mr Bimmer on Wednesday 20th April 12:37
RLK500 said:
Well you can spend money fiddling about with pads and fluid etc etc. Ultimately, for track use most BMW brakes are seriously compromised. Those big cast iron calipers are great for retaining heat, cooking pads and fluid and generally providing crap peformance once you get a move on. You will be forever fiddling once you start to track the car regularly.
Do the job once and fit proper big brakes, you will never look back, AP's or Brembo's, whatever takes your fancy. Yes, they are expensive, guess why.....they work. I fitted AP's to my E30 M3, which is an nth the weight of an E92 and have never looked back. No brake trouble since and that was 3 years ago, just great pedal feel and massive stopping power.
If you need to further justify the cost, just consider how many track hours you may have to give up if the car can't be driven because the brakes are toast, really, really frustrating having the car sitting in the paddock with toasted brakes, while everyone else is out on track.......oh for that one off purchase...... :-))
+1Do the job once and fit proper big brakes, you will never look back, AP's or Brembo's, whatever takes your fancy. Yes, they are expensive, guess why.....they work. I fitted AP's to my E30 M3, which is an nth the weight of an E92 and have never looked back. No brake trouble since and that was 3 years ago, just great pedal feel and massive stopping power.
If you need to further justify the cost, just consider how many track hours you may have to give up if the car can't be driven because the brakes are toast, really, really frustrating having the car sitting in the paddock with toasted brakes, while everyone else is out on track.......oh for that one off purchase...... :-))
I have been there and done that with previous cars; trying everything to avoid splashing out on a BBK... Nothing I tried gave satisfactory results, and the money I spent trying to save money ended up being more than if I just splashed out on a BBK (not to mention how many TD's ended early as a result)
I remember fitting very expensive Castrol SRF fluid, braided steel brake lines, pagid track pads on OE discs and calipers (320bhp MR2 Turbo, BH Indy Circuit) Brakes didn't fade, fluid didn't boil but by lunchtime the discs were destroyed
A BBK really is the absolute best solution if you want to do regular TD's and not have under-performing brakes ruin your fun.
Do buy a reputable brand tho' (AP, Stoptech, Alcon, Brembo) - Don't ever skimp on brakes, they are a bit important!!!
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