[JohnnyPesce]

Hey everyone looking for some advice. My rear brakes on my 2007 328xi are due I dont want to have BMW service my car I would rather do them myself. I'm looking for some great pads that have a good bite, dont squeel, low dust and not too pricey. If I do replace the pads do I have to also replace the brake pad wear sensor for each wheel? Does anyone have any suggestions or advice where to buy all of this???? Thanks

[ajm8127]

Originally Posted by JohnnyPesce

good bite, dont squeel, low dust and not too pricey

That's a tall order, but sounds like a ceramic pad to me. I've used Hawk's HPS pad before, but never their ceramic one. They are a trusted company so you might want to look into them. I installed Wagner Thermo Quiet pads on my girlfriend's Accord, they seem to perform up to her expectations, albeit they may squeak slightly now and then in the morning as she backs out of the parking spot at her apartment. I believe this is due to a layer of oxidation (rust) forming on the rotor overnight. She complains but I told her I have never heard of stainless rotors.

[obert]

There is one sensor for the rear and one for the front. I would go with hawk pads to.

I found a good deal on front and rear OEM style pads with front sensor on here so you might want to look around on here first

[ajm8127]

I thought the sensor had to be replaced only if it was worn down, causing the computer to indicate the brake pads need changed.

rockauto.com has the sensors for a reasonable price.

Also when I do pads without doing rotors, I check the rotor for grooves or other defects, and if none are found, I refinish the surface using this tool:

http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c1=6

New rotors have a surface finish that enables proper bedding in of the pads to the rotor. This tool will resurface old rotors to allow proper bedding in.

[EDIT] See this post about the sensors:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=649608

[obert]

Originally Posted by ajm8127

I thought the sensor had to be replaced only if it was worn down, causing the computer to indicate the brake pads need changed.

rockauto.com has the sensors for a reasonable price.

Also when I do pads without doing rotors, I check the rotor for grooves or other defects, and if none are found, I refinish the surface using this tool:

http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c1=6

New rotors have a surface finish that enables proper bedding in of the pads to the rotor. This tool will resurface old rotors to allow proper bedding in.

[EDIT] See this post about the sensors:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=649608

Yeah you don't have to replace the sensors if they are still good but I have heard of people breaking some clip on them when they pull them off. So I would have one just in case and they are not that much money.

[bimmer14]

Originally Posted by JohnnyPesce

Hey everyone looking for some advice. My rear brakes on my 2007 328xi are due I dont want to have BMW service my car I would rather do them myself. I'm looking for some great pads that have a good bite, dont squeel, low dust and not too pricey. If I do replace the pads do I have to also replace the brake pad wear sensor for each wheel? Does anyone have any suggestions or advice where to buy all of this???? Thanks

Simply put, you will not get the same bite from a ceramic pad as you had with the OEM pads. You have to prioritize what you want. If your looking for bite, go with semi-metallic pads...if you are willing to sacrifice bite, you can go with a ceramic pad and greatly reduce dust.

How a brake pad feels on a Honda Accord compared to there OEM pad is NOT indicative of how it will perform on a 3 series BMW when compared to the BMW pad. Honda brakes have no where near the bite of a BMW.

Also, if the sensor doesn't need replaced, my question would be why are you replacing pads?

[bimmer14]

Originally Posted by JohnnyPesce

Hey everyone looking for some advice. My rear brakes on my 2007 328xi are due I dont want to have BMW service my car I would rather do them myself. I'm looking for some great pads that have a good bite, dont squeel, low dust and not too pricey. If I do replace the pads do I have to also replace the brake pad wear sensor for each wheel? Does anyone have any suggestions or advice where to buy all of this???? Thanks

Simply put, you will not get the same bite from a ceramic pad as you had with the OEM pads. You have to prioritize what you want. If your looking for bite, go with semi-metallic pads...if you are willing to sacrifice bite, you can go with a ceramic pad and greatly reduce dust.

How a brake pad feels on a Honda Accord compared to there OEM pad is NOT indicative of how it will perform on a 3 series BMW when compared to the BMW pad. Honda brakes have no where near the bite of a BMW.

Also, if the sensor doesn't need replaced, my question would be why are you replacing pads?

[ajm8127]

Originally Posted by bimmer14

How a brake pad feels on a Honda Accord compared to there OEM pad is NOT indicative of how it will perform on a 3 series BMW when compared to the BMW pad. Honda brakes have no where near the bite of a BMW

All I said was the Wagner Thermo Quiets that I installed didn't dust much, didn't really make noise at all, offered a decent initial bite, and didn't cost much. I figured the OP might find that interesting seeing as that is exactly the qualities he wanted in a brake pad.

The stock BMW brakes are not that different from any other sliding pin caliper vented disc brake setup.

[bimmer14]

[QUOTE=ajm8127]

Originally Posted by bimmer14

The stock BMW brakes are not that different from any other sliding pin caliper vented disc brake setup.

Lol...easy...

I wasn't criticizing you.

To put what I was saying another way..if I'm not mistaken (I could be), doesn't the Honda come with a ceramic pad (OE)? If so, it would explain a lot. Every Honda/Acura I have ever driven (we owned several Acura sedans, and we have family who own an Accord) have good brakes, but they are much softer than BMW brakes, which are "grippy" (relatively speaking). I was simply trying to say that how they feel on your honda, relative to the OE, doesn't reflect how they will feel on a BMW, relative to their OE. In fact, they will probably feel more like Honda brakes. If you were to put a ceramic pad on a BMW (instead of a semi-metallic) you will lose a noticeable amount of initial bite. If you don't believe me, read the dozens of other forums on this topic.

Everyone wants a low dust, long lasting, good bite, low price...etc, etc. but finding one that is "5 Star" in all categories just doesnt exist. Ultimately, you must make some choices.

That said, I have noticed that the Axxis Metal Masters that I put on my E90 330i have comparable bite to OE (with a relatively inexpensive drilled/slotted rotor), and seem to be less dusty than OE.

[ajm8127]

I didn't realize you were comparing the compounds of the OE Honda and BMW brake pads. I thought you meant because the brakes were on a BMW, they were automatically superior and incomparable to stock Honda brakes, which is what prompted my response about the stock systems being of a very similar construction. I agree with your post.

Originally Posted by bimmer14

Everyone wants a low dust, long lasting, good bite, low price...etc, etc. but finding one that is "5 Star" in all categories just doesn't exist. Ultimately, you must make some choices.

This is true, and I have heard good things about the Metal Masher pads. However, I wouldn't say the Thermo Quiets don't have good initial bite.

If the stock BMW pads are semi-metallic (this explains the dusting), they will definitely feel different, but like you say, you can't have everything.

What type of pads are the Metal Mashers?

[bimmer14]

They are a semi-metallic pad. I have noticed less dust than the OE pads. Also, with the slotted/drilled rotor, the bite and action seems similar to OE pads/rotors, but cost less...right at $300 for the rear and $350(ish) for the front with shipping (including sensors).

[EAS]

Cool Carbon FTW- we love them on our cars, good bite, easy to modulate, low dust and rotor friendly plus low/no noise and good life.