Brake/rotor?

[eurogreek1]

Has anyone tried going to brakes plus for new pads and rotors? I always see these places in Denver but not sure what kind of quality/work they do!

[e70msportmia]

Can't say that I have, however I am doing my own break job soon at 55K and will replace both pads and rotors. Looking to get some cross drilled slotted rotors.

Good Luck!

[SlickGT1]

Cross drilled are for ricers. OE or go home.

But seriously if you looking for performance, dont do drilled.

[ard]

Originally Posted by SlickGT1

Cross drilled are for ricers. OE or go home.

But seriously if you looking for performance, dont do drilled.

Man after my own heart!

Slotted for superior track performance, combined with longevity.

Plain if you just drive an SUV around.

[Lambeau]

Originally Posted by SlickGT1

Cross drilled are for ricers. OE or go home.

But seriously if you looking for performance, dont do drilled.

Completely incorrect. There's a reason my M6 and other high performance cars use drilled rotors.

Do the pads/rotors yourself. It's an easy task. You'll get more satisfaction in ownership if you do simple things like this yourself.

[ard]

Originally Posted by Lambeau

Completely incorrect. There's a reason my M6 and other high performance cars use drilled rotors. .

Cross drilled AND slotted rotors, for car that are no SPECIFICALLY designed for such (and as I recall there is only one car made that has such rotors ) are for ricers. Slots and holes do the same thing.

Drilled rotors (my turbo has them) look cool, and do work- but the price you pay with reduced life for track duty just make them uneconomical and unnecessary. You get the same service with slots, for 99.9% of the pop.

Taking a car with solid rotors, and putting holes in them, does NOT improve the brake performance unless you are racing. You get less mass (weight) but lose swept area and thermal mass. Those are trade OFFs....The only benefit it avoiding outgassing of the pads at super high speeds and aggressive braking. And you can get that with slots too.

Its like nitrogen in tires: people take the smallest truth (race cars use it, they go fast) and expand it into a universal truth.

Because fast cars have brake systems with holes in rotors does NOT mean putting holes in rotors improves YOUR brake system. (Lets leave out the fact that drilled rotors have become a design element that may in fact be one reason they put it on the M6)

So when I see someone with drilled rotors on an otherwise stock sedan, I dont necessarily think 'ricer'... uneducated comes to mind as well.

[lt2mc]

What good timing, I am getting ready to replace my fronts (@65k), and I have a few questions; 1) Is my break service message based on actual wear or is it a milage based warning? Mine says I have ~600mls before replacement. 2) I am looking at mid level EBC parts, any recomendations? Thanks in advance.

[gregg3gs]

Originally Posted by lt2mc

What good timing, I am getting ready to replace my fronts (@65k), and I have a few questions; 1) Is my break service message based on actual wear or is it a milage based warning? Mine says I have ~600mls before replacement. 2) I am looking at mid level EBC parts, any recomendations? Thanks in advance.

Post a picture.

But, there are two, or rather three messages that will pop up.

You most likely have the "it's time" to check your break system message.
There is also an orange icon and red icon that indicate break pad ware.

A thing to know (if you are not a bmw guy, or new to bmw) is that there is one pad sensor on front axcel and one sensor on rear axle. Not like other german cars that have independent sensors for each pad.

[rcasey]

Originally Posted by lt2mc

What good timing, I am getting ready to replace my fronts (@65k), and I have a few questions; 1) Is my break service message based on actual wear or is it a milage based warning? Mine says I have ~600mls before replacement. 2) I am looking at mid level EBC parts, any recomendations? Thanks in advance.

I have used EBC pads on several other BMWs, they were two wheelers. Having had a good experience with EBC, I bought new ATE rotors and EBC 'Red Stuff' pads, doing the fronts only at 48K. The switch to Red Stuff was to Eliminate the dusty OEM pads.

Break in procedure was my normal 'drive it using light braking' for the first few hundred miles.

I had smooth braking for about 4,000 miles and noticed in very short order, increasing juddering. The problem grew worse over the next 2,000 miles. Much worse.

My shop is well equipped and I had used very good quality digital gauging to measure lateral run-out after installing the rotors and upon measuring the rotors at 6K miles found significant wear resulting in a variation in rotor thickness. I had the local Midas shop resurface the rotors and all was good for a few thousand when the juddering returned.

I ultimately replaced the rotors with Bosch rotors and Akebono Euro pads, and 12K plus miles later no problems. A week a go I serviced the rear of the vehicle with new Zimmerman rotors and Akebono pads.

I can not state that the EBC Red Stuff was the specific cause of the accelerated wear I experienced, but there was some incompatibility between the pads and the ATE rotors.

To do the work your self, you must have an E-18 female Torx socket, and a 7MM male hex adapter for your ratchet wrench.

There is only one wear sensor on front of the vehicle, on the left hand side and they are NOT reusable, as they self destruct when prying them from the inside pad.

I have no business interest in any of the vendors mentioned.

Ciao,
DC

[lt2mc]

Thanks rcasey, I will look into the europads before I commit to buying any parts. Good heads up on the wear sensor also, I would have bought two for the front. gregg3, I wil see if I can get a picture of the service alert I am receiving, I am assuming I have about a month (600mls) before i need to do the work.