Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlasM
Changing to larger rotors and/or different calipers is a non-trivial project.
Pads are the biggest thing that's going to affect your braking performance, that's the main thing you should focus on. Most of my experience with aftermarket brake pads is on other cars. Some pads that seem to be popular around here are Hawk HPS 5.0, StopTech, Performance Friction, and Cool Carbon, among others. I can tell you that if you want low noise and dust, stay away from Hawk HP+. They stop great but are very loud and dusty.
For rotors, the BMW rotors and similar replacements are good. Holes and slots in rotors don't do really anything performance-wise. They can help shed water off the rotors in the rain, but our cars have a feature called Brake Drying where they lightly pulse the brakes when the wipers are on to clear water off the brakes. So holes and slots are mostly a cosmetic upgrade. If you do want one of these, I'd recommend slots over holes, as holes drilled into the rotor can make them weaker. Another option is if you want to reduce weight, you can get Z4 35is front rotors that are the same size as 335i but a 2-piece design with aluminum hats (the part in the middle) that saves a couple pounds each.
You can make the pedal a lot firmer by going with braided stainless brake hoses. Whenever I've put these on a car I've always liked the firmed up pedal. This is more an upgrade about feel than decreasing your stopping distance. The hoses for the 335xi are unique. StopTech makes a hose kit for the 335xi.
You should also go for a higher-temperature brake fluid. If you get too much heat in the BMW brake fluid and it starts boiling, you get a mushy pedal and brake fade. This is more of a concern on the track, but fluid is a cheap way to give yourself an extra safety net. There's a sticky thread at the top of this forum with boiling points of a whole bunch of brake fluids. Of those, a couple good and not-too-pricey options that you can find without much trouble are Motul RBF600 and Wilwood Hi-Temp 570. |
Excellent information! So it sounds like pads is really all I need to start. Dealership just replaced the fluid so I'm good there. I might possibly look at the brake line kit as well. Makes sense anyway.