How-to: Cheap brake upgrade

[Shooter]

I shouldn't have read this thread....

Well, now it's done, if any of you 3.0i owners has a set of front carriers to spare, i'd be more than happy to help you get rid of them !
As for discs, i will probably go myself for StopTech USR slotted rotors. I found a supplier here in France who has decent prices. For pads, most probably Axxis ULT, from the US.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Managed to do this little project this afternoon, so a few photos of the change:

Special thanks to ZetaTre for pulling together the info to base this upgrade on

Restored the calipers and coated them red to match what I had before.
Very straightforward mechanics to pull off the calipers, carriers, swop over & rebuild, bleed some clean fluid through
Opted to replace all 4 discs and stick with EBC greenstuff pads that I like as they are a good road pad, silent and low dust
I've only put a couple of miles on them, so barely worn the black coating off yet and it's too dark to get any decent photos.

Few quick along the way snaps:

Original 300 mm discs looking a bit tired

Wheel off - forgive the dirt - see how much road salt is dripping on the floor - I hate UK Winter roads

The new 330mm discs look so much bigger

Fitted - EBC coat the discs so appear all black

Through the wheel looks way better and started to reveal the discs silver surface after a short test drive.

I look forward to breaking them in tomorrow and then reporting if there is any significant improvement. Will post some better pictures larer Also plan to wash the car!!!!

 

[ElegantSpoon]

Looking good

I would have done the calipers in silver

 

[ZetaTre]

It looks great!!!

 

[cj10jeeper]

Looking good

I would have done the calipers in silver

Nargh - silver would have been too 'flat' IMHO. Red was a part of the planned overall effect of the upgrades and is just a small touch I've allowed, on what is a very understated series of external mods (front end, AE, CF decals, custom 108's, etc.)

Quick picture I took this afternoon on the roof of a local centre:

Started to break the discs and pads in and the improvement in performance is simply amazing for such a relative small increase in diameter. Still taking it easy, so yet to see how they work in anger.

 

[Mr Whippy]

What is consumeable cost change like from 300mm>325mm for OE spec discs/pads?

Dave

 

[cj10jeeper]

Sorry - no idea. Stopped using OE pads and rotors on BMW's a long time ago. I use only aftermarket discs, Brembo or EBC and Greenstuff or Axxis pads, for their low dust characteristics. Frankly I doubt they are any different in price as the 325 disks off the E46 Sport is going to be at least as common as the Z4

As a guide EBC expect around £100 each and pads £60 the front set

 

[Curtis]

If anyones interested I should have a complete front and rear setup from the Alpina somewhere. The Alpina brakes were based on the 3.0 I believe but I swapped to AP's and M3 axles at 15k miles.

The Alpina specific parts catalogue is below.

http://www.zed-cars.eu/uploads/engtkROADSTER_S.pdf

 

[cj10jeeper]

Curtis,
The parts cross reference to those of the E46 330, so would give the larger 325mm discs as used on the later 3.0Si
Carriers cross reference to the E46 330 too but the calipers themselves seem unique? Given the carriers, rotors fit then it looks like a straight bolt on set up to me.

In fact gives pretty much what I've just done on the front end

 

[Herminator]

I'd be interested Curtis, if I knew what I'll be doing with my Z4 in a couple of weeks
I bet someone here will be able to give you more for them than I would though, and sooner. :|

 

[Shooter]

Managed to do this little project this afternoon, so a few photos of the change:

Very nice !

Does this mean that you now have a pair of original 3.0i carrier on your hands ?

 

[cj10jeeper]

Managed to do this little project this afternoon, so a few photos of the change:

Very nice !

Does this mean that you now have a pair of original 3.0i carrier on your hands ?

Yes - it does. Calipers and carriers for the OEM 300mm vented disc set up (and I have new EBC pads and the old discs too, not that they should be used)
Someone has expressed an interest, but if you want them PM me with an offer.

 

[Shooter]

OK, in case that "someone" has no more interest in them, i do.
I'll get back to you with an offer (only problem will be the shipping to France...).

 

[Curtis]

I'd be interested Curtis, if I knew what I'll be doing with my Z4 in a couple of weeks
I bet someone here will be able to give you more for them than I would though, and sooner. :|

I'm not in any rush, I have to check out what I have anyway. It should all be there but it's been over two years since I swapped it all so who knows! I'll let you know.

 

[cj10jeeper]

So for the first time since the upgrade I tried my handbrake in the drive and well it didn't have one... I could have stopped the car better by putting my foot on the ground outside the door

So set about adjusting it in the recommended way. Remove a wheel bolt, find the adjuster by revolving the wheel and then click it until the wheel won't rotate then back off 9 clicks. Oh sure p*ss around with a screwdriver down a 2" bolt hole flick the adjuster wheel round uncertain if it's getting tighter or looser. Well it's functional now and will overcome the auto on tickover, but I'm not happy with the result and it was cold and getting dark. Anyone a better method? Perhaps take the wheel off to ease access??

 

[ZetaTre]

Isn't that the most absurb way to adjust a parkind brake??!!!

Well, the Z4 is actually MUCH MUCH easyer than the Z3: at least there is right-left cable equalizer. It took me a solid 3 hrs to fix the parking brake on the Z3 as it was keep pulling to one side or the other...

Maybe cutting a slot in the shield to gain access from the rear could have made it easyer...

 

[cj10jeeper]

Isn't that the most absurb way to adjust a parkind brake??!!!

Well, the Z4 is actually MUCH MUCH easyer than the Z3: at least there is right-left cable equalizer. It took me a solid 3 hrs to fix the parking brake on the Z3 as it was keep pulling to one side or the other...

Maybe cutting a slot in the shield to gain access from the rear could have made it easyer...

Yes - it would have. Other cars have slots in the rear cover plate, or exposed adjusters to work with. This is just devious. :thumbsdown:

On a more upbeat note the discs are now somewhat bedded in and for a mere 25mm diameter increase (yes I know as a percentage it's a lot bigger and the greater leverage and much bigger calipers and pads, etc) the improvement in braking performance is quite outstanding. On a longer run I've consistenly ended up overbraking and having to 'lift off' as I was falling 10 to 20 metres short of traffic lights even from fairly low speeds. It's like someone is increasing the braking effort I'm applying to the pedal. Some way to go yet before I ask them to truly deliver and I can feel if the front to rear balance is right (it shoudl be as it's identical to the newer 3.0Si), but a seriously worthwhile upgrade

 

[Shooter]

Done mine !
So, i got the brake carriers from cj10jeeper (thanks again, man !), originally from his 3.0i, then i got 300 mm slotted rotors from EBC and Redstuff pads, and everything just fit perfectly.
This setup still fits in the original 16" rims of the 2.5i.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Done mine !
So, i got the brake carriers from cj10jeeper (thanks again, man !), originally from his 3.0i, then i got 300 mm slotted rotors from EBC and Redstuff pads, and everything just fit perfectly.
This setup still fits in the original 16" rims of the 2.5i.

Cool - glad you got it all done

 

[RichardG]

Hardest part of this upgrade is tracking the parts down, I have spent the last 2 days trying to find to find 330 calipers and come up lacking, I did manage to find one set at a breakers, 'how much are they' I asked, 'don't know' was the reply 'the boss is in hospital can you ring back tomorrow when we've had a chance to ask him' phoned back the following day '£50 a corner' they told me, 'great I said, can you send them to me' 'don't know we'll have to ask the boss and he's still in hospital'.

Then to cap it all the company I'd ordered the disc's and pads through phoned to me say they rears were out of stock and had no idea when they would have some, have now resigned myself to replacing like for like be it with EBC components.

I might look at doing it again later but go the whole hog and look at multi piston calipers. :!: