Thinking of AP Racing Big Brake Kit. - anyone local to Hampshire on the forum?

N

nickw6666

Member
 Hampshire
Hi all,

I've been thinking about an AP Racing BBK for my Imla Red Z4MC.

I live in Hamphire and was wondering if there is anyone reasonably near who'd be willing to meet up so I can have a look and for them to take me for a spin and show me what the BBK can do?

I'm particularly net rested in AP Racing frontvand rear.

As a much cheaper alternative I've also been thinking of the EBC Yellow Stuff pads and Stainless Steel Brake Lines which EBC sell as a kit with uprated brake fluid.

But I'm still keen to investigate the AP Racing BBK as I think it would really be quite a special upgrade to the Z4MC.

Is there anyone in the South reasonably near Andover that has an AP racing BBK and would be happy to meet up?

Cheers,

Nick.
 
Are you intending to track it or is it just for looks?

First stop would be Pagid RS29 pads all round with braided HEL hoses, and decent fluid.

I had 100,000 miles on standard calipers, discs and Yellowstuff/Bluestuff/RS29 pads - and never had a problem on road or track (stay away from Orangestuff though).

If that doesn't suffice for your usage THEN consider a BBK.
 
Yes, it's for track and road.
I've done a few track days with the stock set up and haven't been pushing the brakes that hard.
I've got stock brakes and pads all round and like the look of the EBC kits that provide Yellowstuff pads, lines and upgraded fluid, but I'm interested in the AP Racing BBK.
 
I'm based near Guildford, Surrey and have AP front and rears. I'm struggling a bit for spare time next few weekends but if you're not in a rush you're welcome to try mine.

Full disclosure - they are in my opinion a bit ott for the road. You can forget heel and toe until you're actually using the brakes pretty hard - the pedal travel is minimal before they really do bite. They are very impressive when being properly used, and for me it being a fun/weekend car I don't mind this at all, but it can make daily driving a bit clunky - they take some getting used to after my wife's M135i brakes!
It's also worth bearing in mind it's an expensive kit, both to buy (but I'm sure you've done your own research and know this!) and for replacement parts (performance friction discs are circa 850 a pair for the fronts for instance) and it just becomes a lot of money for ultimately more of a compromise most of the time (on the road) where ultimate performance is not the only requirement.

Horses for courses though - come try them and see what you think! :lol:
 
I've just come back after a 1500 mile hoon including the NC500 where at certains points in the Highlands my Pilot super sports were actually going off but the AP kit was performing consistently throughout. Yes a bit naughty on public roads but I've certainly experienced brake fade on the road with my stock brakes (I live in rural Wales) and the AP's are a fantastic addition.
 
After years of experimenting using different fluids and pads with OEM disc and callipers, I found the best track performance for reasonable money came from EBC Bluestuff pads and ATE TYP200 fluid (which stood up to more abuse than more expensive Motul fluid).
My chief complaint with the OEM setup was a lack of consistency in the pedal feel as the brakes became hot on track days. I didn’t experience fade or judder, just an unpredictable braking effort for a given pedal input. This was despite fitting solid brake bushings, braided lines and additional brake cooling ducts.
Last year, I fitted an AP BBK front and rear, again with ATE TYP200 fluid and EBC Bluestuff pads. I shipped the car to Aus without testing it on the track in the UK. I’ve run it with this set up at Eastern Creek (a high speed track with a long straight and some hard braking zones from high speeds) and Wakefield Park (a more technical track with lots of hard braking but lower maximum speeds), as well as covering a couple of thousand road miles. The brakes are a revelation! There’s no limit to the abuse they’ll tolerate and the pedal response is the same on the first lap and the 20th lap. In fact, my R compound tyres started to go off before my brakes showed any sign of overheating. On the road they rumble and squeak but work well from cold. I’ve coded out the emergency brake assist (that primes the brake servo if the throttle is closed rapidly), and heel and toe is now easier than it was with the OEM setup and readily possible even in traffic.
If you are planning a lot of track use, you’re prepared to spend the necessary money, and don’t mind noisy brakes, I would go straight to the AP setup.
 
Solid response mate. :thumbsup: how did you find eastern creek? Did lots of bike track days there, but never in a car. That main straight is flat chat, how fast did you get before turn 1? Bet your enjoying the car in Oz. :)
 
BMWZ4MC said:
I’ve coded out the emergency brake assist (that primes the brake servo if the throttle is closed rapidly)...
Click to expand...

Do we know to do this now without disabling other braking features? I think it might have been hill assist or wet weather pre-braking that someone reported had been disabled.

OP - how will you know from the passenger seat what the APs are like?
 
Big money difference between an AP BBK versus Pagid, ATE and braided lines so my advice is consider the use of the car - occasional track day or more serious track use, sprints, club sport stuff.

If you really want to get serious and maximise your lap times then no doubt the BBK is the thing to go for and you put up with any downside for road use. Otherwise, as has been suggested, for a modest outlay just go for Pagid pads, updated brake fluid and braided lines.

I was running my E36 M3 race car on Pagid, pads, floating slotted rotors etc and fine for 6 lap races and 3 lap sprints but more than that I would need a BBK.

Good brakes and good driving can shave seconds off your lap time. Not sure of your driving experience but time on the track with a bit of tuition thrown in helps tremendously in getting the best out of your car without spending a fortune.

The law of diminishing returns applies particularly to modifying your car, part of the fun though.

Be interesting to read the outcome
 
Vanne said:
Solid response mate. :thumbsup: how did you find eastern creek? Did lots of bike track days there, but never in a car. That main straight is flat chat, how fast did you get before turn 1? Bet your enjoying the car in Oz. :)
Click to expand...
Eastern Creek is a great track but there’s little margin for error in some areas. I was hitting around 230-235 kph on the start-finish straight and then turn one is possible at over 160kph if you’re brave, but there’s a bump mid corner that upsets the rear of my Zed due to the stiff setup I’m running. My car had been in the country only a couple of weeks and I was running eight year old road tyres when I went there so I was pretty circumspect!
 
MrPT said:
BMWZ4MC said:
I’ve coded out the emergency brake assist (that primes the brake servo if the throttle is closed rapidly)...
Click to expand...

Do we know to do this now without disabling other braking features? I think it might have been hill assist or wet weather pre-braking that someone reported had been disabled.
Click to expand...

Someone reported that the hill assist function had stopped working in their car and blamed coding out the emergency brake assist. However, there was a reply posted that the hill assist is coded elsewhere so cannot be affected and certainly mine still works as previously. It’s hard to comment on the disc drying function in wet weather, I’m not sure how to tell if that still works.
 
That was me it stopped working. Immediately after.

about a week later an ABS sensor flagged up a fault... Replaced and now fully working again. (Sorry should of updated thread)
 
bradz said:
That was me it stopped working. Immediately after.

about a week later an ABS sensor flagged up a fault... Replaced and now fully working again. (Sorry should of updated thread)
Click to expand...

That’s a good update though, nice one. :thumbsup:
 
Question I asked myself was whether I spend 4.5k on ap brakes or 10ish track days (including parts wear and tear). I choose trackdays.
 
[/quote]
Ed Doe said:
I'm based near Guildford, Surrey and have AP front and rears. I'm struggling a bit for spare time next few weekends but if you're not in a rush you're welcome to try mine.

Full disclosure - they are in my opinion a bit ott for the road. You can forget heel and toe until you're actually using the brakes pretty hard - the pedal travel is minimal before they really do bite. They are very impressive when being properly used, and for me it being a fun/weekend car I don't mind this at all, but it can make daily driving a bit clunky - they take some getting used to after my wife's M135i brakes!
It's also worth bearing in mind it's an expensive kit, both to buy (but I'm sure you've done your own research and know this!) and for replacement parts (performance friction discs are circa 850 a pair for the fronts for instance) and it just becomes a lot of money for ultimately more of a compromise most of the time (on the road) where ultimate performance is not the only requirement.

Horses for courses though - come try them and see what you think! :lol:
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the feedback. Some good points made and I've taken it all onboard. I just like the idea of a very strong braking system with much better calipers than the standard sliding calipers, at least no terms of modulation.

Ed Doe - many thanks for offering the chance to see what they're like. Guildford s not too far for me and I'll PM you directly. :thumbsup:

I noticed on a Youtunbe video by 'Sideways Sid' titled 'Should you buy a Z4M' that he drove a contributors modified Z4MC which as Imola Red like mine. This had AP Racing BBK with red calipers which looked great, and they were running EBC Yellowstuff pads.

I'm not looking to create a track weapon but do want and like very powerful brakes for both fast road a light track. I know it's overkill but then look at the Cayman GT4. That has massive brakes and most people will not track them as they are too scared of losing the inflated value etc.

So I think I should try them first and then decide if it's for me. If not I will definitely go for yellowstuff pads and stainless brake lines as the next step.

Cheers all..
 
nickw6666 said:
Ed Doe said:
I'm based near Guildford, Surrey and have AP front and rears. I'm struggling a bit for spare time next few weekends but if you're not in a rush you're welcome to try mine.

Full disclosure - they are in my opinion a bit ott for the road. You can forget heel and toe until you're actually using the brakes pretty hard - the pedal travel is minimal before they really do bite. They are very impressive when being properly used, and for me it being a fun/weekend car I don't mind this at all, but it can make daily driving a bit clunky - they take some getting used to after my wife's M135i brakes!
It's also worth bearing in mind it's an expensive kit, both to buy (but I'm sure you've done your own research and know this!) and for replacement parts (performance friction discs are circa 850 a pair for the fronts for instance) and it just becomes a lot of money for ultimately more of a compromise most of the time (on the road) where ultimate performance is not the only requirement.

Horses for courses though - come try them and see what you think! :lol:
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the feedback. Some good points made and I've taken it all onboard. I just like the idea of a very strong braking system with much better calipers than the standard sliding calipers, at least no terms of modulation.

Ed Doe - many thanks for offering the chance to see what they're like. Guildford s not too far for me and I'll PM you directly. :thumbsup:

I noticed on a Youtunbe video by 'Sideways Sid' titled 'Should you buy a Z4M' that he drove a contributors modified Z4MC which as Imola Red like mine. This had AP Racing BBK with red calipers which looked great, and they were running EBC Yellowstuff pads.

I'm not looking to create a track weapon but do want and like very powerful brakes for both fast road a light track. I know it's overkill but then look at the Cayman GT4. That has massive brakes and most people will not track them as they are too scared of losing the inflated value etc.

So I think I should try them first and then decide if it's for me. If not I will definitely go for yellowstuff pads and stainless brake lines as the next step.

Cheers all..
Click to expand...
Lots of good advice on here as always!

One of the main reasons I bought my bbk was because the standard setup looks awful :?

I've messed around in the past doing pads and fluid, different discs etc on other cars and in the end went bbk, I didn't fancy doing the same on the zed as it just means spending more cash upfront before buying a bbk anyway.

So my suggestion is, if you want it, buy it, if not you'll end up buying it anyway in the future after you've spent 500 quid on an intermediate step :poke: :evil:
 
OP,
I don't know if your car already has any other modifications, but if not, IMHO the first spend should be on uprating the suspension which will improve the balance of the car, thereby making the OEM brakes far more effective. Likewise, fitting solid brake bushings is a very cheap and effective way of giving better and consistent brake feel and pad wear. Brake cooling ducts also improve brake performance.
 
These brakes are some of the best ive experienced.... But.... i ran my stockers on stage 1 supercharger and tracked it, and with all the bits uprated they were excellent..... Also the parts for the AP are actually insanely priced... braking performance if you need it however will quite literally blow your mind!
 
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