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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

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Panta Rhei
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by Panta Rhei » Sun May 17, 2020 2:42 pm

BTZ461 wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 10:09 am Doing this atm. Five week lock down finished, so moving on. Z4M front discs paired with 335i calipers, for the rear OE race drilled discs but retaining the original calipers and handbrake pads. Using 335i sensors to the front with low dust pads (front and rear).
Amazing!
I have 2 questions:
braking lines stay as the are? I have 3.0si 2007
and as you said I also need, apart from M3 CSL discs and 335 calipers, brake pads sensors from 335i?

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Panta Rhei
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by Panta Rhei » Thu May 28, 2020 8:20 am

Any news on your brakes swap?

CHUCKNADO
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by CHUCKNADO » Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:24 am

Hello all. As this 11 year old thread is still going I thought if add my 2 pence worth. :!: :D

I have bought an e46 hub to size up disces for the brembos off an F series bmw. Cailpers bolt up fine of course but finding discs was always the issue.

However i may have come across a cheaper option that the csl discs ( £350 odd, the last time i checked ) by using ones off of a Vauxhall Insignia. They are 30mm thick and 338mm in diameter. That is only 2mm off the discs designed for the calipern on the F Series. 2 things you need to do to get that to work...
1 enlarge the centrebore to 79mm
2 space the caliper out about 2mm with washers.

It does appear that you don't need to cut the pad down but i have not tested this yet.

For rears I'll be looking at the 330 calipers and carriers and either e88/82 135i discs at 324mm which have a height of 77mm or the 320mm ones from the x3 but they have a hight of 79mm which may be too much

The park brake: in another forum I have seen either some kind of lining i side the disc... or... cutting the shoe off and welding a 330i shoe onto the base of the original. This was for an e36 but the principle is the same.

Ill update accordingly

Many thanks
C
Edit: apologies to anyone who read that and could not make any sense from it... Ive now run it thru the spell checker.
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BTZ461
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by BTZ461 » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:41 am

CHUCKNADO wrote: Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:24 am I have bought an e46 hub to size up disces for the brembos off an F series bmw. Cailpers bolt up fine of course but finding discs was always the issue.
My conversion see previous pages has stalled 'cos life in the way. However the chance to purchase front and rear Brembo calipers (Blue) from F30 2013 excite me again, Have CSL Z4M discs 345x28, will this work at the front with the brembo as a straight bolt on kit? and what disc etc do we need to make the brembo caliper work at the back? Aware of the difficulties etc with the handbrake, don't mind reasonable cost to make it work. All advice taken on board, thanks for reading Bill

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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by BTZ461 » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:43 am

Panta Rhei wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 8:20 am Any news on your brakes swap
Life gets in the way Panda Rhei, getting excited again, read below.

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Panta Rhei
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by Panta Rhei » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:11 am

I will stay with 335i calipers + Z4M front rotors. No need for enlarging the centrebore or spacing the caliper out by 2 mm.
:D

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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by Jembo » Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:04 pm

Love seeing this thread revived... helped me immensely with my old 3.0 :thumbsup:
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by BTZ461 » Sun Nov 22, 2020 5:37 pm

Thank you guys. It may be yet another rabbit hole that perhaps is not worth thinking about :lol: Life is already complicated enough. But they are a handsome caliper, and would look good behind the Arc8 rims. Wait, maybe the new koni shocks (also waiting to be fitted) may cause a colourway clash?
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rays545i
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by rays545i » Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:43 pm

Hi
Been reading this thread very interesting
Just to confirm
I have 2.2
So 286mm vented front
280mm solid rear

For me to upgrade to
300mm vented fronts
294mm vented rear

I would need
Front carriers only
Rear carriers and callipers

That’s the same setup as 2.5si and 3.0

Thanks
Bmw history

E85 2.2
F11 520d
E84 2.3d
E36 323i loon
E60 545i
E39 535i
E36 323i coupe
E39 523i
E30 318i lux
E36 320i loon
E30 318i

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kis
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by kis » Tue Dec 01, 2020 3:52 pm

I think so!

Prob a good idea to replace hoses as well? And obviously, you'll need new brake discs :wink: don't forget those :rofl:
Since you're there, I'd recommend you refurb your calipers, might as well if you're there doing the whole system anyway. Would save you a job, they start to bind around around now anyway... at 15yrs or so old. My OEM N/S front calliper started to bind slightly last year. Think the rears aren't so susceptible.
My E85 Z4 3.0i SMG

BMW Family History (past and present):
1 Series - E87
3 Series - E46 Coupe, E46 M3, E90 (x3)
4 Series - F36, F82 M4
5 Series - E34 (x2), E39
7 Series - E32
X5 - E53, E70
X6 - E71

Bmwforachange
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by Bmwforachange » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:51 pm

Hi rays545i,

I have calipers, carriers, discs for sale on this site (somewhere). They are from front of e85 3.0. if you're interested. Cheers mark
E85 3.0i 2005 maldives blue.

casadefadi
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by casadefadi » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:04 pm

I have been attempting to install the 330i 325mm front brake on my 04 2.5l 5speed with no luck.

Here's the problem I am facing:
Rotor: EBC Front Slotted Brake Rotors - Pair (325x25) https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ebc-parts/f ... 5/usr1002/
Brake and carrier: 57/25 off of an E46 330i I believe

The carrier is interfering with the rotor and knuckle and doesn't event mount on the knuckle to begin with.
So it's clear that I have the wrong carrier, but does anyone have any recommendations and if I am even on the right path here?

thanks,
FG
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Mr Tidy
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by Mr Tidy » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:13 pm

I don't know what parts were fitted to the E46 in the US but in the UK it was only the 330i and 330d that came with the bigger front discs. If the same was true in the US then I suspect the carriers you have didn't come off a 330i.

Hope you find a solution. :thumbsup:
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kis
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by kis » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:18 pm

Well from what I can tell the calliper (57/25 stamp) and the disc (325mm) is correct.
Are you sure the calliper carrier is the correct one? Can they fit over the calliper like this:

Image

It may be a good idea to remove the brake disc and try fit the carrier and brake calliper without the disc in the way (as a test fit). That may help you align things better?
My E85 Z4 3.0i SMG

BMW Family History (past and present):
1 Series - E87
3 Series - E46 Coupe, E46 M3, E90 (x3)
4 Series - F36, F82 M4
5 Series - E34 (x2), E39
7 Series - E32
X5 - E53, E70
X6 - E71

casadefadi
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How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

Post by casadefadi » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:40 pm

kis wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:18 pm It may be a good idea to remove the brake disc and try to fit the carrier and brake caliper without the disc in the way (as a test fit). That may help you align things better?
kis, it's really weird but interesting at the same time because they fit together as you mentioned above but do not fit on my Z4 knuckle. There's no doubt I have the wrong carriers (see images below) but I am just trying to figure out which ones I need at this point.

thanks,
FG
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