DIY Brembo BBK
 

Okay its just a teaser but its coming. You to can have the BBK that you always wanted on your E53 X5. Stay tuned more to come in the months ahead.

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...ot%20E53v1.jpg[/IMG]

Such a tease

Oooh!

Get new brake lines if they are used...
U don't know what the previous owner had them - aka, hanging holding X, etc.

Rob Mack@Brakewarehouse are excellent options
DavidZ sells the Stoptechs lines for the rears, but the fronts have to be Brembo lines due to how it fits..

i was SO excited!
Subbed*

potential cost for this?

I just went from six-o-clock to midnight.

Sub'd

^Also curious about the above cost question. ;)

Nice!

Are you upgrading front and rears?

Sub'd...

Gonna do the fronts first. Rears will be a set of the Porsche calipers. They are an easier retrofit then the front.

Oh yes new brake hoses are a must.

Okay so a few more details of whats being used for the transformation. The front calipers are Range Rover Sport 6 piston brembos. The front rotors are 380mm Range Rover Sport. They carry the same center bore and lug pattern as the E53 X5. I will have more info once I get a few adjustments to the caliper mounts. I promise to include all that it takes to make it happen.

Excellent! This'll e great. What year RR?

2013 and above

Interesting! I thought you were going to be installing the E53-specific kit.

Will this conversion be more cost effective than the kit considering these are late model Range Rover parts?

And have you looked into how compatible these calipers are with the stock brake master cylinder?

Very nice. I found 2010-2013 ones on eBay but none for 2013 and above. I look forward to seeing your progress

For us 4.6is guys our fronts are 356mm if I recall correctly. Do you see a need for an upgrade from 24mm or is this more for the calipers that show braking improvement from a 2 piston to a 6 piston setup?

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

No braking improvement noticable on the streets.....but it sure looks good. Even at 13 yrs old, the 8 piston F /4 Rear always has passerbys coming up for conversations, and at red lights, etc - thumbs up, etc.

Just be weary about your consumables costs as well.....

Two X5 members have done this upgrade in Europe and it works without problems. No need to change the master cylinder.

From those that have performed the upgrade have noticed an improvement in braking. I dont track my X5 so I would imagine that I am not going to see a huge improvement. I'll need to weigh the components but right off the bat the 6 piston brembos are lighter than my 4.6is calipers. The rotors that I spec'ed are about the same in weight to my OE rotors. So once I have all the components I'll weigh them and provide the info. The real reason that I am doing this upgrade is because I want a big brake kit and came across a great price on the calipers.

Yes those rotors for the X5 E53 Brembo kit are very expensive.This is one reason why I went with the Range Rover Sport 380mm factory rotor. Cuts cost substantially.

Nice!

I started looking at RR Sport Brembos because of this thread, and I noticed that pre-2013 Sports have Brembos also. Curious if those will work as well, they might be less expensive and easier to source?

Anyway, really looking forward to see how to get those onto an E53!

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

I just saw the word Brembo when I skimmed the thread.
LOL. did not see the fixed rotor in the pic till now. It's now registering ;-)

Yes you should be able to use the 2010-2013 6 piston brembo caliper. It will require the same degree of modification as the ones that I am using for my upgrade. I just secured my set of calipers from a 2014 model thats all.

Yes I am attempting to make this a low budget Brembo brake upgrade. The fixed rotor is a huge part of controlling the costs initially and for maintenance thereafter.

Just yibber yabbering I suppose.
Brakes are such a huge component of the operation of the vehicle.
If ya're are not starting from new, aside from my already mentioned brake lines - I would also rebuild/replace the seals on the calipers. They are relative cheap and inexpensive....

Looks like there are Brembos on the 06-09 models too. 4-pots only though.

Soooooo...do those rotors bolt right up? If they do then it looks like the caliper carrier is the key to it all? Enquiring minds want to know! :stickpoke :D

Okay, I'm in for some budget big brake love. I was going to pull my nasty old calipers and rebuild them after a sandblasting and painting, but after seeing this, I can't quite curb my excitement anymore. NEED!

Yes more to come when I get to the machining shop next month over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Rotors bolt up with mo problem the Range Rover Sport Supercharged shares the same bolt pattern to the X5 E53.

Awesome info dude!

http://img.pandawhale.com/96617-taxi...Rober-MD3l.gif

Next.....Calipers!:D

Any progress?

too bad i just did my 4.8iS brake upgrade! or i would be in for this too !
still ....... subbed!

Yes I have some progress and updated pictures that I will upload in the days to come. I got new mounting plugs installed at my friends machine shop and the calipers now fit perfectly on the original BMW X5 caliper mount. So now I just need to source some longer caliper bolts, new pads and hoses and I am ready to install. I should have all this together in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.

:thumbup:

Looking forward to your results!

I am so excite

Subed

Damn, might have bought an X5 just in time. Interested to see finished product and get updates on full cost for the conversion.

It has been many days comrade.

Yes it has but it's just that some other priorities take place before this extra curricular project. The newly machined calipers are sitting in the same box on my garage floor just as I left them from unpacking the X5 from the thanksgiving Florida trip. Be patient I'll get the latest shots up to witness.

He's been busy packing and shipping parts to me in the most unbelievably efficient way possible! :wow: Man! So nice! Thank you! :thumbup:

Yes Jae was one of those priorities. Glad that you got in good order. I also had to ship out the Eisenmann exhaust that I sold and that required some good packaging for the shipping journey. Now that this is done I will get some pictures up of the modified calipers for the next phase of this DIY BBK upgrade.

Man that's one huge upgrade. I think my little 3.0 would lose acceleration trying to spin these things up hahahhaha.

There's a set of 2010-2013 sport calipers on eBay for $799 right now. And one set of your red ones for $4700:wow::wow::wow:

So here is some Friday eye candy for everyone. I am currently getting new brake pads and hoses to complete the kit and then ready for on vehicle installation. Enjoy

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1032.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1030.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1028.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1010.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1009.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1008.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...S/IMG_1007.jpg[/IMG]

Can you say MASSIVE stopping power?

Or how about EXTREME stopping power?

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Brake Porn for sure! :D

Mike

Yes I believe I will be able to stop this X5 and any freight train attached to it:D

:drool:




That is all.

Sploosh

That's so awesome! Is all you had to do was enlarge the caliper bolt holes and machine up a threaded insert for them?

I had to press out the original inserts, then machine a new set of solid inserts, press them back in and drill the solid inserts to mach the holes of the caliper mounts on the spindle. I used the bolt of the original BMW calipers and got a 12mm longer ones to align the calipers correctly.

I will do a complete write up on the caliper upgrade once I install them on the vehicle to complete the process.

Assuming OE brakes are balanced, and when you slam on them ABS kicks in, bigger brakes won't be worth the cost unless tires are included that do not skid as easily. Very similar to increasing HP/TQ and then burning the tires off instead of getting traction.

I changed to slotted/drilled rotors, stainless front lines, higher boiling point fluid and left it at that even though that is mostly feel good stuff. I'm not going to bigger tires (staggered 87s) and already have sticky tires. Needs to pass the value equation of cost verses benefit, doesn't in my circumstances.

redliner... for most, I think this mod is mostly about aesthetics. Myself included. I think most willing to do a BBK on one of these is probably running fairly wide and grippy tires as the vehicle is usually going to be a 4.6 or 4.8.

I'm definitely game if the cost is "reasonable." As you said, reasonable (or valuable) will have to be evaluated on an individual basis.

Likewise, I did the same mods (DOT 5.1 synthetic) on my 4.4 with stock sized rubber. The brake fluid flush and stainless lines at all four positions did give me a firmer pedal feel and improved braking response for the pedal pressure applied.

Mike

I am simply doing this as an aesthetic upgrade because I simply do not like the way the front brake calipers look on the X5. Now my only real cost outlay so far for this project is the cost of the calipers and the donor hub spindles that I used for the measurements and fitment. My X5 is going to need new brakes in the next 3 months so I decided to do this upgrade in this timeframe. I would have needed new rotors, new pads, hoses and fluid to flush the lines. So once again its just to outlay for the calipers and $50 for the used spindles.

I'm in the same boat where I'll need to refresh my brakes sooner than later. I have the 3.0 so I wanted to upgrade to the is anyway, this is just even better.

Not trying to be a Debbie Downer. Big Brembo brakes look great! Just mentioning that if shorter stopping distance is the goal there are other considerations.

With the 6 pistons to even out pressure on the bigger pads, with slotted rotors and street pads, I'm sure you will notice that at least initial bite is better--comforting as confirmation your brakes are going to do their job. Should take less pedal pressure for same slowing rate.

Great project!

I talked to my buddy who is a BMW master mech at the dealer here- he worked for my Indy before that. Really a good guy.

He said that the X5's master cylinder is balanced in an 'X' configuration wherethe front left is 'connected' with the rt rear and vice versa. This allows the master cylinder to send the rt amount of fluid/pressure across the chassis so that one wheel- or set of wheels- will not be out of balance with the others. Pretty smart. Of course, this is not done on the basis of future brake upgrades, but to balance out the system as it wears pads and rotors at different rates front to rear.

I did jut put six pots on my X5 and it is very firm. The pad surface area over my previous StopTech 4 calipers is very big even though the rotors are the same size.

Nice. Its time for you to provide some pictures of the eye candy and take the pressure off of me.

Dirty wheels. :(

I leave for S Fl this week as well. Maybe it'll be warm enough there to wash them. :whistle:

Ah your keeping board members in suspense.

That is hydraulic pressure which is balanced per design.

My reference is to the balance or imbalance of friction generated by pads against rotors and the grip of associated tires from wheel to wheel.

Ahh. I see. So basically, whether you put on big brakes, have worn OEM, or you've just redone the stock brakes, tires are what's doing the work. Shitty tires very well could mean shitty stopping distance whether we have ginormous brakes or the OEM- at least the first time.

Perfectly sensible. :thumbup:

Look at it this way--if you can slam on the brakes and the ABS kicks in, to decrease the stopping distance anything significant, increase the grip of the tires.

Assuming braking activates ABS:
1) Current brakes, slotted rotors, high friction pads and stainless brake lined results in more stopping power sooner, some decrease in stopping distance-- low expense.

2) Bigger brakes, bigger pad surface area results in more stopping power sooner and some decrease in stopping distance--greater expense.

3) Bigger brakes, bigger pad surface and greater traction tires results in more stopping power both sooner and ongoing and greater decrease in stopping distance.

1 and 2 will deliver similar results.

Exactly, by bringing bigger brakes into the equation you are potentially moving the weakest link in the friction chain down to the tires and their grip or lack thereof to the pavement.

Commercial airliner brakes are designed to such a standard as to be able to lock up the rubber and create so much heat as to blow the tires out. This is to create as much braking/stopping forces as possible to effect an emergency stop in as short a distance as possible.

Once you maximize the braking forces at the pads and rotor you're moving on down the stopping chain to the next weakest link.

But yeah, I'd put bigger calipers on if I had the opportunity and the budget for it.

I upgraded my 4Runner to the Tundra brakes for a nice easy DIY stopping upgrade.

Mike

Tires by their nature are *always* the weakest link to performance no matter the brake system, engine, or suspension. It *all* gets done through 4 little patches of rubber.

:iagree:

Look spot on - impressive they are more or less a direct fit. Are they off the later Range Rover?

Definitely looking at doing similar to mine at some point. I've got a set of Mclaren AP 4 Pots lying around I can probably utilise with a suitable disc. All I need to do is fab up a couple of brackets and make a couple of lines up.

Some of it is just braking feel too. The stock x5 brakes feel like crap even with new quality components when compared to multipot brembos. Sure it stops, but it feels weak. Similar idea to installing a catback.

The set of calipers that I sourced came off of a 2014 Range Rover Sport

Which are these? And which disc do you use?

996 caliper and you can use your current rear disc.

Thank you for the info.

996 rear right?!

And this will work without adapters?

Yes 996 rear calipers. You will have to get a set of caliper mounts made to work with the 996. I am using a set of mounts from the Stoptech ST22 BBK

I think it will be difficult or near impossible to get this mounts without buying the calipers from stoptech..:(

I don't have the part numbers with me but you can purchase caliper mounts from stop tech. Once you have them you will have to make some minor adjustments (align them to your rotor) and install the Porsche calipers.

Do you know If there are any other brake calipers for the rear that will fit with a taller disc?

The problem you run into with a taller disc is the accommodations for the integrated parking brake shoes. The disc hat is extremely deep to accommodate them. I like using BMW parts for the brake upgrade so that its relatively easy to get replacement discs etc. I found a number of bigger discs that I would have considered but they could not accommodate the parking brake structure.

Thank your for sharing your knowledge and experience!

I‘m quite sure I will let the rears oem. The pricing of the adapters will be more than I spent for the brembos in the front...

Picked up my kit was wondering if anyone knows dementions on where to redrill after pluging holes

Any updates? :dunno: