Calipers bolt spacing
- Thread starter Alemito
- Start date
Best I can tell the rears are 76.3mm msd with a Vernier. 3.0 SI coupe.
Cheers Liam32
Yep I’m looking around for options. currently on 286mm fronts (2.5i) with warped rotors, would have liked to go up to 345mm/Alfa 159 calipers but the ///M discs are too damn pricey for me.
Now i’m looking at e46 330i/d 325mm fronts and 320mm rears, and though i really despise the stock caliper look at the front, there seems to be no viable alternative... what have you guys done?
Yep I’m looking around for options. currently on 286mm fronts (2.5i) with warped rotors, would have liked to go up to 345mm/Alfa 159 calipers but the ///M discs are too damn pricey for me.
Now i’m looking at e46 330i/d 325mm fronts and 320mm rears, and though i really despise the stock caliper look at the front, there seems to be no viable alternative... what have you guys done?
e46 fronts will be fine. The rears will cause you handbrake problems AFAIK. So the easiest option is e85 3.0 rears (I think 294mm from memory) with the e46 330 fronts (325mm).
If you want to do complicated, there are numerous options out there. I think Liam22 is selling a big brake set up for the fronts on the buy and sell. A lot of e46 owners also go down porsche bbk. Think some of the newer bmw models are compatible with the fronts as well (spacers and modifying may be required). Rears aren't as easy I don't think, so not much I've seen for rear upgrades.
Take a look here for the old thread. See the last few pages (14, 15) for some of the updates (probably the stuff you're interested in).
If you want to do complicated, there are numerous options out there. I think Liam22 is selling a big brake set up for the fronts on the buy and sell. A lot of e46 owners also go down porsche bbk. Think some of the newer bmw models are compatible with the fronts as well (spacers and modifying may be required). Rears aren't as easy I don't think, so not much I've seen for rear upgrades.
Take a look here for the old thread. See the last few pages (14, 15) for some of the updates (probably the stuff you're interested in).
I covered some of the options here - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1755842&i=59kis said:
Last option I missed at the time was E9x 335i/d 348mm discs/single pot calipers, which I'd go for over the 330i e46 325mm setup.
Unless you can make your own brackets, I think something that bolts right on is going to be waaaay cheaper than making something else fit.
Cheers kis
According to this https://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532140:
"320mm vented rear brakes
If you find a E46 330i, you might also want to consider a full brake setup off this car: it would give you 325mm in the front and 320mm in the rear and it would be a bolt on swap...
Alternatively, 320mm rear vented rotors can be sourced off of an X3 (any model, old or new). As noted below, the X3 might not be able to provide you a full front and rear swap: the front calipers are the same as the E46 330i, but the caliper carrier has a different p/n.
In summary, 320mm vented rear rotors can be sourced from the following cars:
E46 330i All
E83 X3 All
320mm can be used only with 325mm front as you don't want to have your rear rotors bigger than the front. Although many variables go into calculating brake bias, the disk size ratio of a 325mm front - 320mm rear conversion is similar to what the 3.0i has so it should be fine. However such a brake setup was never chosen by BMW as a setup for the any Roadster.
Another note regarding 320mm rear brakes. In this case too they have a different protection plate (as for the 325mm front rotors setup), and in this case it gets in the way of the bigger rotor. Once again, removing the plate is not as practical as you have to remove the parking brake assembly and likely the wheel hub. To fix the issue I would personally just bent the plate of the way... Sometimes I agree with the saying that "is something doesn't fit, your hammer ain't big enough”.”
So I assume they’re a bolt-on for the e46/e85 chassis?
Cheers Jakg
I’ve read everywhere that e90 348mm rotors won’t fit a Z4 though.
kis said:
According to this https://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=532140:
"320mm vented rear brakes
If you find a E46 330i, you might also want to consider a full brake setup off this car: it would give you 325mm in the front and 320mm in the rear and it would be a bolt on swap...
Alternatively, 320mm rear vented rotors can be sourced off of an X3 (any model, old or new). As noted below, the X3 might not be able to provide you a full front and rear swap: the front calipers are the same as the E46 330i, but the caliper carrier has a different p/n.
In summary, 320mm vented rear rotors can be sourced from the following cars:
E46 330i All
E83 X3 All
320mm can be used only with 325mm front as you don't want to have your rear rotors bigger than the front. Although many variables go into calculating brake bias, the disk size ratio of a 325mm front - 320mm rear conversion is similar to what the 3.0i has so it should be fine. However such a brake setup was never chosen by BMW as a setup for the any Roadster.
Another note regarding 320mm rear brakes. In this case too they have a different protection plate (as for the 325mm front rotors setup), and in this case it gets in the way of the bigger rotor. Once again, removing the plate is not as practical as you have to remove the parking brake assembly and likely the wheel hub. To fix the issue I would personally just bent the plate of the way... Sometimes I agree with the saying that "is something doesn't fit, your hammer ain't big enough”.”
So I assume they’re a bolt-on for the e46/e85 chassis?
Cheers Jakg
Jakg said:
I’ve read everywhere that e90 348mm rotors won’t fit a Z4 though.