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Thread: Some Brake Work Completed on My Car

  1. #1
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    Some Brake Work Completed on My Car

    I finished up some brake work last week on my '91 after finding a small puddle of fluid on the floor. I installed a new E32 master and Jay rebuilt the booster. As mentioned before in other threads, the hardest part was removing the pin holding fork to brake pedal. I finally got the pin out once I figured out how to remove the brake switch. I don't know how many times I was under the dash to remove the booster and it was quite tiring.

    I knew the brakes weren't quite right when I put the car on the road for the first time a few months ago. Pedal was soft and travel was excessive but brakes still worked! Now there is a tremendous improvement in pedal feel and minimal travel, maybe an inch or less.

    So along with new master cyl and booster I also ungraded the calipers using some four-pot Brembos, adapters, and two-piece E92 M3 360mm ECS Tuning rotors. I had some stainless steel braided lines custom-made here in town using a square 'banjo' type of fitting so it could not rotate past shoulder on the caliper. I also safety-wired both sets of bolts on each caliper for peace of mind. This combination of parts weighs apprx 8 pounds less than the stock parts even though the rotors are about 36mm larger in diameter.

    Rotors have the same center bore size but the set screws do not line up with the holes in my early style hubs. I should have drilled my hubs so the new rotors could be bolted to hubs so I may do that later. Caliper and pads keep the rotors in place but I also use long 'studs' to help center rotors when mounting wheels.

    I am very impressed with braking power now but front tires can be locked up if you stomp the pedal hard enough. I will be upgrading rear brakes to compliment the improved performance at the front as soon as I figure out the route I want to go. I was interested in using the M3 350mm rotors but I am not sure if I can made the drum shoes work if the rotor offset is too much compared to stock. And adapters would also be required.




    Last edited by JDP530; 08-01-2018 at 04:06 PM.

  2. #2
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    Nice upgrade, JD!. So what does this upgrade cost (excluding master b/c and booster rebuild) look like vs some of the offerings available on here from some of the fine members?

  3. #3
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    That's great work - and looks aggressive too!
    Timm..2007 E64 650i Individual Sport..1999 E31 840ci Individual Sport..ex owner of 2000 E38 740..1999 E38 740i V8 M62..1998 E38 735i V8..1993 E32 730i V8..1988 E28 518i


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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisFuture8 View Post
    Nice upgrade, JD!. So what does this upgrade cost (excluding master b/c and booster rebuild) look like vs some of the offerings available on here from some of the fine members?
    The ECS Tuning rotors are apprx $700, even less if you catch them on sale, so only about $100-150 more than OEM M3 rotors. Adapters were about $225 with shipping, and calipers were used but in like-new condition at $450/pair complete with hardware and pads, but I replaced pads. Custom lines cost $35 each. So I spent about $1425.00.

    Here are a few more pics:



    Last edited by JDP530; 08-01-2018 at 05:27 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by JDP530 View Post
    The ECS Tuning rotors are apprx $700, even less if you catch them on sale, so only about $100-150 more than OEM M3 rotors. Adapters were about $225 with shipping, and calipers were used but in like-new condition at $450/pair complete with hardware and pads, but I replaced pads. Custom lines cost $35 each. So I spent about $1425.00.

    Not bad for a nice upgrade.

    Would you say that the braking/stopping power is comparable to those of more current BMW cars? I always felt like the brakes on my 8 feels a bit soft and sluggish. It stops but I never felt comfortable being to close to the car ahead of me at highway speeds.

  6. #6
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    I haven't driven a modern BMW, lol, driven my son's C300, and I never drove the E31 before I started working on it so its hard for me to compare to any current models. I've had some mid-level performance cars, currently run a vintage formula continental and I do have some experience running cars on tracks.

    Brakes did work on the E31 when I put it on the road but I knew they weren't right. Pedal was very soft with lots of travel. Now pedal is very firm to hard with an inch or less of travel. I would say the braking is excellent now with very short and quick stops from 60-80 mph and comparable to other performance vehicles I have owned but you cannot just stomp or stand on the pedal without locking up the brakes. I don't know that I would trust anyone else in the car that does not have some experience because brakes do require a bit of modulation to avoid locking them up with the tires I currently have on the car.

    I have driven the car now for a couple of hundred miles and have not found lock-ups to be a problem with the hard braking I have done to find the limits of this set up. I have found it easy to modulate the brakes at any speed where you can feel the limits of adhesion. I am very pleased with the results and look forward to coming up with a solution for back end of car.
    Last edited by JDP530; 08-01-2018 at 05:51 PM.

  7. #7
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    ...very nice and thank you for sharing your work. Another one added to my never-ending to do list of upgrades...but brakes are very important so got to move it up a few notch.
    Last edited by ChrisFuture8; 08-01-2018 at 05:54 PM.

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