[A_P]

OK so turns out DAVEY that you can the BMW Performance 6 pot brembos for around £800ish new. Caliper online I believe.

Would you consider this?

[idnan]

Doesn't the BMW performance setup use smaller discs than the 335i setup? I remember e92fan saying they weren't much of an upgrade over the standard kit.

[A_P]

http://www.bmminiparts.com/PartDetai...3-415E3EAC67D1

£726 plus vat
£871.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by A_P

OK so turns out DAVEY that you can the BMW Performance 6 pot brembos for around £800ish new. Caliper online I believe.

Would you consider this?

I'd hope not,as I advised Dave to give them a steer.

They look good,no argument there,there good for day - day running,and the odd hoonage around the B roads,and are as good as,if not slightly better than the standard setup (despite smaller discs).

No good for a trackday though,they overheat massively,and that's with upgraded hoses (Goodridge) and upgraded fluid (Dot 5.1,can't imagine it would be better with other fluids).
4/5 laps of the BH Indi circuit,and I was having to pit, to let the brakes cool down!

Hence Dave's thread

Originally Posted by idnan

Doesn't the BMW performance setup use smaller discs than the 335i setup? I remember e92fan saying they weren't much of an upgrade over the standard kit.

Yep,your right,that's why he now run's (or did) AP brakes.

[A_P]

Yea Idnan this is what I thought, As I was led to believe that the Calipers were the same as the ones on the 135i albeit the one'ers ones are a gray ish colour.

Apparently this theory is thrown out of the window because accornding to member over on M3cutters, who are currently in a group buy for this front set up and saying that the 135i caliper pistons are prone to cracking. Where as the BMW Performance uses different pistons and can withstand more abuse.

The members run the set up on track use and they come recommended.

In regards to disc size I do not know im afraid. as I would be running the Caliper with CSL discs which may well be smaller than the 335 set up.

I was actually considering buying this for myself for my ol' bruiser.

[A_P]

Oh what are you for real IAN.!
Ahh man ok well its save up for the AP's or Alcons then. Ill let the wife know she wont be receiving any 4k chanel watches anytime soon.

[A_P]

Guys do you reckon this could be down to cooling? The E46 M3 has very large OE ducts for cooling the brakes. What is the 35d/i set up?

I am torn now.

[A_P]

http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=67110

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by A_P

Oh what are you for real IAN.!
Ahh man ok well its save up for the AP's or Alcons then. Ill let the wife know she wont be receiving any 4k chanel watches anytime soon.

It's ok now,my time of the month has passed!

Anyway,I met a great Guy last yr at BH on a trackday.

He had an immaculate M3 CSL,bog standard with one very important modification.
He was also a very accomplished track driver,and despite our cars having roughly similar power output,I couldn't get anywhere near him,it was getting so embarrasing I pulled into the pits to avoid him lapping me (mind you,I am shite ).

So he offered me a Pax lap,which I readily agreed to,anyway my lap was postponed due to me having to sort the car out,the front wheel nuts had come loose due to the heat from the BMW BBK,and that was despite me torquing them on arrival!

The CSL had the AP brake set up,apparently the M3's,including the CSL have shite brakes,not my words,the CSL drivers.

Get the AP's

[A_P]

Yea mate 100% agree. Its widely accepted as a weak point on the M3's. I always intending on correcting this by purchasing a decent BBK when the front needed replacing.
I am planning on keeping the car and turning into a track wh*re in its later life so the AP brake set up was on always on the cards.

Then Dino decided to do a group buy on the brackets for the BMWP set up. And it came in at well under half price. So i was getting slightly tempted.

p.s on a side note. The induction noise from the carbon on the CSL is bonkers.

[AlanYoro35i]

Originally Posted by A_P

Oh what are you for real IAN.!
Ahh man ok well its save up for the AP's or Alcons then. Ill let the wife know she wont be receiving any 4k chanel watches anytime soon.

LOL wanna GB on the fake china ones?

[A_P]

LOL, why not eh. lol

[AlanYoro35i]

Anyway back to topic,

I know westside90 ( KAV) has a good dealing with Ksport , should i ask if he can get any discount for the kit? or not?

[MEGA]

I do intend to have a chat with the sala at some point about this..

[AlanYoro35i]

Originally Posted by MEGA

I do intend to have a chat with the sala at some point about this..

good for you

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

I can say this.... When I took my E92 to the Ring (running Marcel's old drilled and vented disks, with new cool carbon pads and standard calipers) the brakes were cooked within the first half of the lap.

That said, there is a big difference between 'a few track days' and 'the Nurburgring.' We might all go straight from nothing to Nurburgring, but that doesn't mean we should be. It might be that my setup is perfectly adequate for Croft, or Knockhill. I basically agree with Phil, in that actually for day to day motoring my setup is more than adequate.

It's worth noting that when we went to the 'Ring, the ambient temperature was 38 degrees, so the cars were struggling to cool everything really and IAT's were high.

Always happens to newBs as they don't brake properly. I could always do two consecutive laps on the 'Ring with these brakes, and Tony also drove them (to compare them to his APs with track pads) and said they're not too bad. The 'Ring is actually not too hard on brakes as there are lots of stretches where you don't need to brake much (if you know the circuit) and where the brakes can cool down. On the GP circuit or Hockenheim for example that is much worse, and with the stock setup you'll always have braking problems there.

Still, if you seriously track your car you'll always want a BBK. But the good ones are never cheap as fabrication and R&D are expensive. Before going with the Performance Friction BBK that I have now I also did some research - the AP kit is the least expensive one on the market, and you only need the front set really. Combine it with (better) PFC discs and you have an excellent setup that will not disappoint you.

Other (but more expensive) alternatives are Brembo (355mm, the 380mm is too large for most wheels), StopTech (which is what Alpina uses on their B3 GT3 model) or Performance Friction. A friend of mine has the Brembo set and it's excellent, and for myself I'm more than happy with the PFC set. I don't know anyone personally who runs the StopTech BBK but considering Alpina uses it and sport auto in their supertest were positive about it I wouldn't hesitate with it either (although the PFC kit is IMO the technically most advanced one of all three with the monobloc design and the 4 pads per caliper).

I personally know someone who bought the K-Sport kit and was very disappointed with it. Lots of noise and vibration and the braking performance was worse than with the stock ones. He threw them out in the end and went with Brembo.

The BMW Performance is not a good idea on the 335d either as it is designed for lighter cars and uses smaller discs than the stock setup (338mm instead of 348 IIRC). Tony tried it out and they were shot within one afternoon at the 'Ring.

Personally I would only consider a BBK if you really want to track your car regularly. It only makes sense if you go with a good set, and these are quite expensive.

Just my 2c, hopes it helps your decision process.

Alpina_B3_Lux

[A_P]

Nice write up B3, this post and ones posted earlier have definately swayed me off the BMWP. Never knew the Stoptechs were run by Alpina, makes in interesting proposition.

Think I will wait untill the need arises and get an AP kit. A_P for AP.

What you gone do Mega?

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

Originally Posted by A_P

Nice write up B3, this post and ones posted earlier have definately swayed me off the BMWP. Never knew the Stoptechs were run by Alpina, makes in interesting proposition.

Only on the B3 GT3, not on the normal B3 Biturbo (which uses the stock 335i brakes).

Alpina actually tested three brake sets for the GT3 (AFAIK), among them also the PFC set that I have installed on my car (which is also the reason why I have custom painted calipers in blue...). They chose StopTech in the end because they were less expensive and could continue using the stock brake pad sensors (which is not possible on the PFC set as they have one pad per caliper).

Alpina_B3_Lux

[alpina527]

Originally Posted by A_P

Nice write up B3, this post and ones posted earlier have definately swayed me off the BMWP. Never knew the Stoptechs were run by Alpina, makes in interesting proposition.

Think I will wait untill the need arises and get an AP kit. A_P for AP.

What you gone do Mega?

BMW tested the BMW Performance brakes on the 1 series M and were left disappointed. They might be made for BMW by Brembo, but they're made to a budget.

They ended up fitting standard E9* M3 brakes which performed much better

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

Originally Posted by alpina527

BMW tested the BMW Performance brakes on the 1 series M and were left disappointed. They might be made for BMW by Brembo, but they're made to a budget.

They ended up fitting standard E9* M3 brakes which performed much better

They're certainly better but still not ideal. If you want to track an M3 or 1M you will still need better brakes.

Alpina_B3_Lux

[alpina527]

Originally Posted by Alpina_B3_Lux

They're certainly better but still not ideal. If you want to track an M3 or 1M you will still need better brakes.

Alpina_B3_Lux

Yes very true.