If you're going to install a BBK....
 

If you're going to install a BBK....
Consider you consumables...

On new install, all hooray as I was modding.
On the 1st brake pad change, it was a slight eye opener

Wasn't planning to keep the truck this long but on the second pad change or the 3rd rotor/pad change, it is what it is.....All you guys b1tch about those reinforcement plate bolts. Don't bother asking how much I'm paying for BBK bolt hardware.......

Fast forward final quarter of 2018.
Unexpected sorta forced brake job - I've got a full ~floating~ rotor. No bolts are sheared off but somehow the rotor is loosey goosey from the hat . No Bueno. Need to replace both hat and rotor. So full rear brake job. I'm getting my hands dirty and in reality, I would rather be spending the money on th fronts. Eh, it's just greeenback right.

Sigh. I don't even want to look up the KBB of the truck....as I open up the wallet for BBK consumables.

Grrr. Off my soapbox.

At least the truck look good and still get lots of double takes

Lol. How much are the pads and rotors for the bbk anyway?

Rotors are $550 each on the front. $500 on the rear. the bolts/hardware kit for the front rotors is $210 per corner. Yeap $420 in bolt hardware just for the fronts. The cheapest consumable on the brake job is the Blue Loctite. Pads are much cheaper now with more alot more options for the 8 piston. I think I paid like $300+ per corner on pads back in the days. Not it's like $160'ish.

I'm too p1ssed to even post how much the hat is, but it's basically the cost of a rotor.....

^ouch! My condolences. How many miles are you getting out of a set of rotors/pads? Why are the bbk bolts not reusable?

Will certainly have to keep this in mind as I will be going bbk in the future. Might have to wait until I'm only putting 3000 miles a year on the 4.8... :)

Technically the bolts are one time use.

Stoptech is cheaper, consumables are cheaper and also they include the bolts FWIW...
Cheaper to own across the board.

Mine are Brembs. Even just glancing at them cost me $$

Fug it. What's another $60 bux gonna do in the grand scheme of things. Should I overhaul the parking brakes. NOT that it really was on my honey to do list radar.

I have not really looked at how many miles on pads or discs. Technically I could go a maybe 6 months more on the fronts. I dunno. Brembo calls for 1MM of wear. Stoptech calls for 2mm. I would day I would get 4 years of use - eh maybe 40K miles on them as a WAG.

In my case, it is super extra-ordinary. I don't know root cause as none of the rotor/hat bolts are broken/ sheared off. I suspect a bolt came loose somehow which telegraphed to all the bolts on the hat to be stressed/loose. Right now, one rotor has complete slop against the rotor hat on all 10 holes. I can literally move the rotor N/S/E/W with it on the hat. I don't drive the truck much. But I picked up on the noise when I did. It's pretty bad. When I took the wheel off off to take the rotor off to inspect, the holes have been elongated, and in 1 or 2 areas where the bolt from disc mates to the hat, there is very very little meat left...

Im seeing lots of NYC in the locations. When can we meet & inspect those brakes ourselves :D

CW. Stoptech is def a lesser expensive route to go. I never did look at consumables cost on the install. Approach it by doing the math. However, the 8 piston does look a bit more impressive than the 6. Does size matter ;-/

Damn. Didn’t realize so many people in NYC. We should do an NYC meet up some day.

Jsoto, I’m so happy I did not do bbk lol. I would not be able to rock my 18” snows, and brake jobs feel very Ferrari expensive. Ty for those numbers.

Yeah, but the Stoptech kit rotors are smaller than the OEM 4.8is brake setup. :dunno: I also ask... Does size matter? LOL, apparently it does. :D

I was thinking of retro'ing an F15 X5M brake setup as a cost control measure as opposed to aftermarket BBK. I "think" the consumables are cheaper going that route. Thank you for shining a light on this issue as I agree, I wouldn't have thought about it until that first pad/rotor change. Might have gone through a whole bottle of rum after getting that bill.

I did 8 pot on the e53 his year and hands down my best mod on the car. Makes it much more enjoyable to drive and feeels like a sports car now. Not cheap but worth it for sure. Let’s get a ny meet going I’ll come and can bring my buddy with his martching dinan s2

LOL. You read my mind. After seeing the issue@ hand, realizing that at bare minimum I was going to need a new hat+rotor_hardware kit, and subsequent new friction disc on the opposing side+ hardware, I was cursing up a shitst0rm in my head.

I went back to my consumables order back in 2014 and then punched the same part #'s in google. Everything is all MAP/MSRP. WTF, bolt kits went from $180 to $210. Etc, etc. Eh, blame it on the China steel tariff.

Awwww, but then American steel will be so much cheaper so companies will have to buy it and American companies will be winning! Oh wait, guess it didn't happen that way did it?

That is an expensive bill, I feel for you. Have any idea what caused the problem? Improper torque on rotor hat bolts? No locktite? Bad luck?

I know they look bad ass, but unless you track your X5, is it even worth going to a BBK? I think the factory brakes are quite suffice personally, but then again my other vehicles are a 2000 silverado and I JUST put new pads and slotted rotors on that (and it made a world of difference) and my 850i (which is notorious for bad brakes) so the newer technology of my 2005 seems great but then again I'm not expecting 2018 breaking tech in my 2005 either. Doesnt sound worth the upgrade to me, not in the least.

I wish I knew root cause. Would have at made it easier to swallow with lube....

I checked the other 3 corners and it's fine. All were redone back in fall 2014 on consumables swap. All new bolts/springs/loctite. Really a headscratcher :dunno::dunno: Scary sh1t though, On the front facing side, when you look at the bushing, you can fresh metal where all the bolts move on the rotor hat as the rotor moves.

When you tear it down, you see the elongated holes, really thin metal on some mounts

Not for the faint of heart ! I realize that for the driver@hand, in this case, the wifey, BBK are more *maintenance* that ones does need to keep in check . MONO blanks would be more applicable

CW. These were installed when the car was mine, I was m0dding. $ was not really on my radar. I still remember the 1st pad change. Ran like $700'ish in pads. Finished the pad change and I said to myself , man that sure was one expensive pad change. At least the truck looks nice :rofl:

I would guess the "worth it" assessment would have to be on what you value. Tracking it... obviously the better braking is valuable. Daily'ing it, not so much, if at all. Though they would pay for themselves with the first short stop collision avoided. They look amazing... so again, value is in the eye of the beholder. Or in your case J, the wallet of the beholder. ;)