Originally Posted by
TostitoBandito
Absolutely nothing wrong with the OEM BMW brake pads. They last a long time and are fine for the street. There's obviously tons of aftermarket options as well, at varying degrees of aggressiveness. The OEM pads will have the best cold bite, the least noise, and will probably last the longest.
For rotors, get blanks (not slotted or drilled). Both Zimmerman and Meyle are fine. Pagid is probably fine too, though I know less about their rotors and more about their pads. They all make quality stuff, and there likely isn't much difference in those $40-60 rotors. They'll all be at least as good as the "Genuine BMW" blanks for like a quarter of the ridiculous price. I don't recommend slotted rotors for street-only cars because they can add extra noise, and drilled rotors are pointless except for looks and they can crack.
Steel brake lines are up to you, but it's not a big deal to do them if you're already planning on flushing your brake fluid or rebuilding calipers. The only tricky part can be seized connectors to the hard lines. One of mine can now only be turned by vise grips because it got so mangled breaking it loose. As for any noticeable difference, I doubt it since you're also replacing fluid and bleeding the system at the same time, and all three of those things probably contribute a bit to feel. As do the new pads and rotors. Obviously, if your existing lines are damaged or compromised in any way and need to be replaced, you may as well put in steel lines. If your lines are ok, then there's no harm in leaving them alone.
If you're going to be disconnecting brake lines, I strongly suggest rebuilding the calipers at the same time, or at least replacing the guide pins/bushings with OEM parts. It's not that bad to do (plenty of guides online), and will save you massive headaches involving seized calipers in the future. Especially recommended if the brake fluid hasn't been changed in a LONG time (probably has high water content) or if you live someplace prone to rust. Gives you a chance to get everything nice and clean before putting back on with your new pads and rotors as well.
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