2009 E92 M3 - Monte Carlo Edition
Discussion
So, after the van had a hissy fit last month, the M3 got some impromptu commuting work. Circa 600 miles in a couple of weeks compared to 1200 in the last 11 months must have been a shock for the old girl but she took it in her stride. It's still such a nice car to drive and I really enjoyed getting a few more miles in. The side effect was getting it more than a little bogging trudging up and down the M1 every day.
The car park lights make it look cleaner than it is...
Soon rectified
Also encourages trips for coffee just to bag a drive...
The extra driving really got me more in touch with the way it drives with the Eibachs fitted. It's noticeably stiffer but not uncomfortably so. The overall feeling is one of greater control and plushness when dealing with the bumps at faster speeds - at slower speeds it's just a little bumpier than stock. The ride height feels more noticable, particularly on really poor undulating surfaces where there's been the odd scrape on the underside. Also, the front splitters have interacted with the road a couple of times when pulling out of sloped junctions or car parks. Best to approach such things diagonally if unsure!
After a decent bit of work, it was back in the garage with the ladies:
Finally, to get fully up to date, it was service time. Items done were oil+filter, brake fluid, plugs and an alignment. The drive home today confirmed the M3 is running nicely. I expect that will be it until spring time - it was quite slippy at the rear and with the various types of crap about it's more of a faff then it needs to be to take it out. I've never sorned it before but I mad do so Jan-Mar this time...
The car park lights make it look cleaner than it is...
Soon rectified
Also encourages trips for coffee just to bag a drive...
The extra driving really got me more in touch with the way it drives with the Eibachs fitted. It's noticeably stiffer but not uncomfortably so. The overall feeling is one of greater control and plushness when dealing with the bumps at faster speeds - at slower speeds it's just a little bumpier than stock. The ride height feels more noticable, particularly on really poor undulating surfaces where there's been the odd scrape on the underside. Also, the front splitters have interacted with the road a couple of times when pulling out of sloped junctions or car parks. Best to approach such things diagonally if unsure!
After a decent bit of work, it was back in the garage with the ladies:
Finally, to get fully up to date, it was service time. Items done were oil+filter, brake fluid, plugs and an alignment. The drive home today confirmed the M3 is running nicely. I expect that will be it until spring time - it was quite slippy at the rear and with the various types of crap about it's more of a faff then it needs to be to take it out. I've never sorned it before but I mad do so Jan-Mar this time...
Edited by horico on Friday 3rd December 22:02
Update time.
Since the service and SORNing over winter, I managed a few drives but there wasn't much worthy of note as I had an annoying vibration at motorway speeds and an intermittent sticking rear caliper. I spent some time considering my options and even posted on here to discuss what might be the best way forward. Like the E46 before it, the E92 does get some bad press for the brakes. They're more than capable of stopping you a few times in standard guise but hard use will see them start to complain and become a bit of a nuisance. For me, this issue turned up on the road - not even on track.
I've read many times that the oem setup with better pads, lines and fluid is adequate but I couldn't convince myself that would be the best route forward. The next option was an off the shelf BBK from the likes of Brembo, Alcon or Stoptech but as I was looking for fronts and rears - that wouldn't be cheap and likely out of my budget.
I did manage a trip to get some breakfast one day mind...
The car sat over winter and on taking it out for a short run, there was a noticable graunching from the rear. The culmination of my research had set my sights on a front and rear caliper set up from the Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifolio. The fronts are 6 pots and the rears are 4 pots vs the E92 single pot items and they will take a similar thickness disc as on the M3. The main selling point of this kit was the fact that they 'should' (read on) work with F80 M3 380mm discs (oem E92 M3 are 360mm) with the addition of a 10mm spacer in conjunction with the adaptors aaaaand the brake balance is within 3% of stock where, for instance, the C63 AMG front calipers are much further away from stock.
Anyway, the search commenced and there were very slim pickings on both eBay and Marketplace. Eventually, I contacted someone breaking a Giulia and a deal was done for the calipers. I believe I got them for a bit of a steal too going on what others were asking for them. They arrived looking a little weathered.
As both form and function were important to me, I got them booked in for refinishing to pretty much 'as new'. They arrived back after a few days and I feared the worse when I got home to see the packaging.
They were very well wrapped inside though.
They looked pretty nice once unwrapped.
They didn't quite survive the couriers though...
I could have sent them back for them to be re-done but I was also offered a touch up kit. In any event, the calipers have a lifetime warranty on the finish so even if the touch up went badly, I could still send them back to be re-finished. I opted to give it a go myself. They turned out pretty well.
Another disappointment was the finish on the piping. BCS said that this did sometimes happen and again, they could take them back but I opted to sand carefully and touch up.
Finally they were ready to go on.
But not before a coating of C5.
Since the service and SORNing over winter, I managed a few drives but there wasn't much worthy of note as I had an annoying vibration at motorway speeds and an intermittent sticking rear caliper. I spent some time considering my options and even posted on here to discuss what might be the best way forward. Like the E46 before it, the E92 does get some bad press for the brakes. They're more than capable of stopping you a few times in standard guise but hard use will see them start to complain and become a bit of a nuisance. For me, this issue turned up on the road - not even on track.
I've read many times that the oem setup with better pads, lines and fluid is adequate but I couldn't convince myself that would be the best route forward. The next option was an off the shelf BBK from the likes of Brembo, Alcon or Stoptech but as I was looking for fronts and rears - that wouldn't be cheap and likely out of my budget.
I did manage a trip to get some breakfast one day mind...
The car sat over winter and on taking it out for a short run, there was a noticable graunching from the rear. The culmination of my research had set my sights on a front and rear caliper set up from the Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifolio. The fronts are 6 pots and the rears are 4 pots vs the E92 single pot items and they will take a similar thickness disc as on the M3. The main selling point of this kit was the fact that they 'should' (read on) work with F80 M3 380mm discs (oem E92 M3 are 360mm) with the addition of a 10mm spacer in conjunction with the adaptors aaaaand the brake balance is within 3% of stock where, for instance, the C63 AMG front calipers are much further away from stock.
Anyway, the search commenced and there were very slim pickings on both eBay and Marketplace. Eventually, I contacted someone breaking a Giulia and a deal was done for the calipers. I believe I got them for a bit of a steal too going on what others were asking for them. They arrived looking a little weathered.
As both form and function were important to me, I got them booked in for refinishing to pretty much 'as new'. They arrived back after a few days and I feared the worse when I got home to see the packaging.
They were very well wrapped inside though.
They looked pretty nice once unwrapped.
They didn't quite survive the couriers though...
I could have sent them back for them to be re-done but I was also offered a touch up kit. In any event, the calipers have a lifetime warranty on the finish so even if the touch up went badly, I could still send them back to be re-finished. I opted to give it a go myself. They turned out pretty well.
Another disappointment was the finish on the piping. BCS said that this did sometimes happen and again, they could take them back but I opted to sand carefully and touch up.
Finally they were ready to go on.
But not before a coating of C5.
So, as above, the original plan was to go with OEM rear discs and F80 front discs. I got them ordered along with the brackets (and 10mm spacers) from Freakyparts - which came with custom braided HEL lines; I also ordered some RBF660 fluid. Now, research suggested that the normal sized pad would leave quite a noticable rust ring on inside of the front discs but if you use pads from a Mustang GT500 then as these are wider top to bottom - they sweep more of the disc. For reference, I got Yellowstuff DP4013R's for the front and DP42326R. I know there are likely a better pad choice out there but trying to identify the correct front pad elsewhere was harder than expected so I went with the EBC's.
Unfortunately, when it came to fitting, the calipers fouled top and bottom on the F80 discs, even with the spacers fitted. This image is with both spacers and 3mm worth of washers fitted! To make it work, the caliper would need to be spaced even further out which would mean the outside of the pad wouldn't be on the disc by some distance and there would be a massive section of disc not being swept on the inside - more so than was acceptable.
I quickly ordered the E92 M3 discs after the old ones were mocked up and it looked much better.
All was done today and I got a couplf of pics of the finished article.
I think the yellow goes perfectly with the Monte Carlo Blue and you have to look closely to notice the fronts could do with being a little larger, disc-wise. The pedal feels nice now, with gradual travel all the way along although it does start off a little soft. There is a little squeek at slow speeds which I'm hoping will go once they're bedded in.
Overall, I'm really please with the results.
Unfortunately, when it came to fitting, the calipers fouled top and bottom on the F80 discs, even with the spacers fitted. This image is with both spacers and 3mm worth of washers fitted! To make it work, the caliper would need to be spaced even further out which would mean the outside of the pad wouldn't be on the disc by some distance and there would be a massive section of disc not being swept on the inside - more so than was acceptable.
I quickly ordered the E92 M3 discs after the old ones were mocked up and it looked much better.
All was done today and I got a couplf of pics of the finished article.
I think the yellow goes perfectly with the Monte Carlo Blue and you have to look closely to notice the fronts could do with being a little larger, disc-wise. The pedal feels nice now, with gradual travel all the way along although it does start off a little soft. There is a little squeek at slow speeds which I'm hoping will go once they're bedded in.
Overall, I'm really please with the results.
While having the brakes fitted, the car was due an annual service, despite just turning a smidge over 1500 miles since Dec 21 so i opted to have the rod bearings done. I supplied ACL bearings which saved £300 on the bill as the OEM ones were quite expensive despite the ACL's being regarded as an upgrade. I didn't thing they actually looked that terrible personally.
This is at 51k miles on a 2009 car with at least the last 30-35k or so done with owners that let the car warm up before giving it the beans. The image doesn;t show them in the right order as the garage didn't photo them as they came out unfortunately.
This is at 51k miles on a 2009 car with at least the last 30-35k or so done with owners that let the car warm up before giving it the beans. The image doesn;t show them in the right order as the garage didn't photo them as they came out unfortunately.
horico said:
So, as above, the original plan was to go with OEM rear discs and F80 front discs. I got them ordered along with the brackets (and 10mm spacers) from Freakyparts - which came with custom braided HEL lines; I also ordered some RBF660 fluid. Now, research suggested that the normal sized pad would leave quite a noticable rust ring on inside of the front discs but if you use pads from a Mustang GT500 then as these are wider top to bottom - they sweep more of the disc. For reference, I got Yellowstuff DP4013R's for the front and DP42326R. I know there are likely a better pad choice out there but trying to identify the correct front pad elsewhere was harder than expected so I went with the EBC's.
Unfortunately, when it came to fitting, the calipers fouled top and bottom on the F80 discs, even with the spacers fitted. This image is with both spacers and 3mm worth of washers fitted! To make it work, the caliper would need to be spaced even further out which would mean the outside of the pad wouldn't be on the disc by some distance and there would be a massive section of disc not being swept on the inside - more so than was acceptable.
I quickly ordered the E92 M3 discs after the old ones were mocked up and it looked much better.
All was done today and I got a couplf of pics of the finished article.
I think the yellow goes perfectly with the Monte Carlo Blue and you have to look closely to notice the fronts could do with being a little larger, disc-wise. The pedal feels nice now, with gradual travel all the way along although it does start off a little soft. There is a little squeek at slow speeds which I'm hoping will go once they're bedded in.
Overall, I'm really please with the results.
That set up looks superb; fantastic colour too and as you said, goes really well with the car Unfortunately, when it came to fitting, the calipers fouled top and bottom on the F80 discs, even with the spacers fitted. This image is with both spacers and 3mm worth of washers fitted! To make it work, the caliper would need to be spaced even further out which would mean the outside of the pad wouldn't be on the disc by some distance and there would be a massive section of disc not being swept on the inside - more so than was acceptable.
I quickly ordered the E92 M3 discs after the old ones were mocked up and it looked much better.
All was done today and I got a couplf of pics of the finished article.
I think the yellow goes perfectly with the Monte Carlo Blue and you have to look closely to notice the fronts could do with being a little larger, disc-wise. The pedal feels nice now, with gradual travel all the way along although it does start off a little soft. There is a little squeek at slow speeds which I'm hoping will go once they're bedded in.
Overall, I'm really please with the results.
Bet they're good stoppers too!
I've got said similar small squeak at low speeds too; only happened since I fitted new OEM discs/pads onto the rear of my F31 (has the 370mm/345mm M Sport discs/blue Brembo calipers etc)
I'm wondering if its the handbrake shoes; so going to do a bit of driving/braking with the handbrake on slightly and see if that beds them in a bit better; if not I'll have to get my pal to fettle them for me
d_a_n1979 said:
That set up looks superb; fantastic colour too and as you said, goes really well with the car
Bet they're good stoppers too!
I've got said similar small squeak at low speeds too; only happened since I fitted new OEM discs/pads onto the rear of my F31 (has the 370mm/345mm M Sport discs/blue Brembo calipers etc)
I'm wondering if its the handbrake shoes; so going to do a bit of driving/braking with the handbrake on slightly and see if that beds them in a bit better; if not I'll have to get my pal to fettle them for me
No idea. I'm just hoping it goes soon. EBC say on their website that it may happen for a while while bedding in. Let me know how you get on.Bet they're good stoppers too!
I've got said similar small squeak at low speeds too; only happened since I fitted new OEM discs/pads onto the rear of my F31 (has the 370mm/345mm M Sport discs/blue Brembo calipers etc)
I'm wondering if its the handbrake shoes; so going to do a bit of driving/braking with the handbrake on slightly and see if that beds them in a bit better; if not I'll have to get my pal to fettle them for me
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