[zeeman335]

Hey guys. I'll be getting my brakes changed soon and had a few questions. I have a 2007 335i coupe with 52000miles

1) Can I change brake pads only or do I need to change rotors as well? The guy that looked at my car said rotors should be changed but for some reason i don't think it's necessary right now.

2) What kind of brake pads are recommended? If I want just the oem BMW pads, where is the best place to buy them for good price?

3) Is there any other part that needs to be change or replaced? Like brake sensors or something? Why do people change them along with brakes?

Thanks in advance.

[Johnny D]

Originally Posted by zeeman335

Hey guys. I'll be getting my brakes changed soon and had a few questions. I have a 2007 335i coupe with 52000miles

1) Can I change brake pads only or do I need to change rotors as well? The guy that looked at my car said rotors should be changed but for some reason i don't think it's necessary right now. You will need to get the rotors checked to see if they are thick enough to reuse. A micrometer is needed, on the rotor itself it will tell you the minimum rotor thickness. I generally always get my rotors "turned" this is where you take them to an auto parts store and they grind a bit of them off until the rotor is fully smooth again with no blemishes. Pads sometimes tend to dig grooves into the rotor during use. If they arent thick enough to turn you will need to buy new ones.

2) What kind of brake pads are recommended? If I want just the oem BMW pads, where is the best place to buy them for good price?

I am currently running Hawks HPS which I bought from Tirerack.com. They are similar to OEM and have a little less brake dust. There are many other brands you can look into. Check out the vendor section here for different pads and prices.

3) Is there any other part that needs to be change or replaced? Like brake sensors or something? Why do people change them along with brakes?

You will only need to replace the break sensor if you have worn them down enough to set of the dash light shows up as a red "break" warning on my car. Not sure what yours is and if you have idrive or not. If there is no warning light you dont need to replace them. Just carefully remove and reinstall on your new pads. I broke one of mine removing and had to replace. It was only $22 from a local parts store.

Thanks in advance.

Hope that helps.

[BKV122]

1) rotors if theres still some meat on them leave them, but if u want all new it doesnt hurt to get new rotors aswell and not worry about it if u plan on keeping the car for a few more thousand miles

2) I buy my OEM stuff from getbmwparts.com very nicely priced, they are located in Maryland and gets to me the next day

3) Yes a sensor is needed too by they get worn as the pad reaches a certain thickness

[zeeman335]

Thanks! this was very helpful...