[Tate325xi]

Originally Posted by hookah66

From my limited knowledge, I do not see any major changes in the configuration of the Ate floating calipers. From my 2002 e46 328xi to 2009 e93 328i convertible, the basic set up of the floating calipers, the rotor and the pads are identical. Just make sure the parts are specific to your built year, there is major variations between the production lines. So you must to furnish your VIN number prior to ordering any brake components. The bolts that retain the floating calipers require good torque to loose them, you must do on a lift in order to get the appropriate leverage, and make sure you torque back to the spec's without any anti-sizing compounds, for these are high tensile bolts. The rotors are designed for eazy pop out for they are retained with just one single torx. I guess it is common practice to change the rotors for those who track. You do not have to change the rotors if it is not scoured, not pitted or uneven worn. Mine are approaching 47K and I do not get any fluttering or shimmering at all. You need at least a 1/2 socket drive with deep sockets whenever working on any of undercarriage components. A 3/8 drive socket will not give you enough force to loosen high tensile bolts.

I don't have access to a lift, do you think it can be done with a breaker bar on jackstands? And what size of breaker bar do I need?

[obert]

Great DIY

I am getting ready to put new pads on my 335xi

I have not hit the wear sensor so I don't think I will need to replace the sensor ?

I am getting some from the seller for free so I will have them

[hookah66]

Originally Posted by Tate325xi

I don't have access to a lift, do you think it can be done with a breaker bar on jackstands? And what size of breaker bar do I need?

no pun intended... I am a 63 years old Asian man, weighing 135Lbs and I did not have any difficulties taking apart all four floating calipers with standard 1/2 inch drive torque and socket wrenches. First, I doused all the parts to be taken apart with brake cleaner spray, then I sprayed with liquid wrench (wd40 will do too). You are gonna to have ground clearance problems if you do not use lifts. Using wheel jacks, make sure you have a second stationary stand too. Can you rent either an air impact wrench? or may be an electrical one? Impact wrenches are like magic; any hard bolts will be loosened effortless.

BTW, you do not have to remove the caliper units, you just loosen the aluminum shear pins that hold the floating calipers, unsnap the anti-rattling springs, compress the pads, and your floating calipers will come out very nicely. You need to loosen the high torque bolts to remove the caliper unit if you intend to replace the rotors. I have seen e46 fanatics doing this in the field before the start of a "track" event.

Theoretically if the tips of the sensors are not worn, you can re-use them; but in real life most likely you will break the metal clips when you yank them out, and once its flimsy metal clips are bent it is almost impossible to snap back in place again. I just replace them with new ones, one for the front driver side and one for rear passenger side. Use a strong flashlight and a thin flat head screw driver to guide the metal clips so it will snap in place.

Since the the sensors are snapped unto the indentation of the pads, beware that some aftermarket brands are not truly made for BMW, so the sensors will not snap back firmly. I had very bad experience with EBC and Centric. Akebono on the other hand, was like a custom made to fit the oem ATE calipers, from its nicely machined back, riveted anti squeal shim and a very deep and nicely shaped pocket for the sensors to be snapped in.

[ozzy1]

It's not my first rodeo with pads but changed my fronts and seems put bit too much brake quiet. I think they hardened a bit before i put them in as well. Didn't realize it when I was putting everything together but ended up with pads rubbing a bit. Mpg dropped 20-25% right after the change. Took about 500 miles to clear(didn't want to take everything apart since i diagnosed it)

Moral of the story, be careful how much brake quiet you put on the pads.

[Pittsburger]

I used a breaker bar to get loose the 16 mm caliber bracket bolts out. I also used jack stands, but had to raise the car as far as I could and even then I had very little clearance, but just enough to get a small rotation and had to rotate the 17 mm socket 1/6 or 1/5 so that I could get more of a turn (your 1/2 socket is square, your socket is pent or hexagon...geometry is fun) to break the bolts off.

Based on what I read here, tomorrow I will check that bolts are secured at 81 ftlbs and that I grease the guide pins.

Awesome Dyi, cheers.

[tkash]

Very informative, bump for love

[Bigtimekegger]

Wow. Your calipers look clean.... Canadian winters.

[toicy4ya]

Something i came across that might be helpful. DIY Video for Brake Pad, Brake Sensor and Rotor Replacement on an 06 e90,

[335iaz]

Just did this on Saturday .. .word of advice ... access to air compressor and tools is a major ++++++++. Using an impact wrench, the bolts holding on the caliper bracket came off in a cinch! (replaced the rotors)

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by hookah66

Kudos to Mr.5 for a fantastic write up. Just did my rear pads (waiting for my fronts) on my '09 e93 and here are my two cent contribution:
I am a 62 years old fart and I did it in one hour 15 min, if I managed it you certainly can do it. I used simple tools: you need a 7 mm Allen 3/8 socket, small & big pliers, small hammer, flat head screw driver, 17 mm 1/2 inch socket for wheel lugs and a torque wrench. For supplies I used ordinary Centric posiQuiet semi metallic, synthetic high temp brake grease and non chlorinated brake cleaner, one can per wheel. Spray clean the calipers and the rubber of the piston prior to pushing in the piston. Open the fluid reservoir. Use light hammer to gently tap the spring back into the slot of the floating caliper. Did not and do not recommend taking the carrier part out of wheel hub unless you are also replacing rotor. Look carefully for the shiny worn parts of the old pads, and only dab those points of contact with the high temp synt brake grease on the new pads. DO NOT USE any gluey stuff such as CRC or Permatex. German floating calipers are not designed for that, note that the oem pads are NOT COATED with that gluey gunk. NEVER use any anti-seize compounds on the threads of high tensile bolts (bmw oem bolts are rated high tensile strength), otherwise you will induce "creeping" and premature failure of the bolt will occur. Be careful to lubricate the shafts of the shear pins only, but not the thread part. Looks like the shear pins threads were coated with LocTite. Watch out for the brake sensor (passenger side) it got a tiny small metal clip that can get twisted or snapped off. Otherwise just follow the instructions as posted by Mr.5. I only removed the shear pins of the floating calipers not the 16mm high tensile bolts of the carrier part. The Centric posiQuiet pads are so smooth compared to the OEM pads, now my bimmer glides to a velvety stop. No squeaks at all. You must immediately "bed in" the new pads. Have fun.

Good advice Hookah. One thing I had to go off and get in the middle of my job was a SYRINGE at Walgreens. The kind used for baby medications. It was on sale so I bought two. I sucked a bunch of brake fluid out of the master cylinder because I did all four wheels and didnt want brake fluid leaking around my engine compartment.

Edit: Oh and I had to replace the rear sensor which was worn down (mine is pre-May 2010, not sure how it works on the later models). Looks like BMW pulled off a brilliant move here: Rear brake pads $81, new sensor $41, (about a 33% increase in parts price) AND you have to pull the wheel liner off to get at the connection to disconnect the old sensor and add a new one, AND there are about four clips you have to disconnect and reconnect to remove the old sensor wire, so this adds around ten minutes shop time if you are not doing it yourself.

[dbcat1]

Thanks for this...especially for the detailed photos!

[GIHON]

Very good introduction. Well, it is better to let the professional people to change it. The ceramic brake pad generally could running for 50000-80000 km. Qingdao Gihon Auto Parts Co.,Ltd is a very good brake pad manufacturer. Their brake pad raw material is import from USA, the friction dust is import from Japan. There are a lot of people in USA and Canada using it. I use the brake pad in my car too. If you want to know more info, please add my skype summerxu888

[Quasimodem]

Hope this helps.

[Ajarmstrong89]

I used this as a guide when i did my brakes this weekend! Thanks for the post. Everything went real smooth

[Boomer6]

GREAT POST!!!

[Kruz]

sub

[GoRomeo]

Guys I changed my rear pads and rotors over the weekend on my 330i. One issue that backed me up for a bit was the fact that one rotor was hard to come off from the hub since this was the originals. I forgot that the car has to be in N neutral and no ebrake in order to spin rotors and hit them with a hammer. One sucker will not come off till i realized i had to change from P to N neutral. Also, another tip is that if your sensor comes off in a complete piece u dont need to replace it. I did not have to since mine sensor came off really easy and unbroken. This saved me from removing the back panel. Last but not least, make sure you use sand paper to remove all the grim from bracket and greese the edgesthat holds the pads along with pin sliders. I also used CRC quiet. My brakes are like NEW again. Saved myself about $800.00 oh.. man this feels good. Hope this helps..Cheers!

[ska///235i]

Here’s my experience on changing Pads & Rotors. Hope this could help others.

• Put car on 4 jack stands (see separate DIY on how to properly jack your car up on to stands). Make sure to loosen your wheel lugs before the car is up.
• Open the brake reservoir cap (less pressure when sitting the pistons back).
• (Optional) Suck out some brake fluid from the brake reservoir with a turkey blaster….will flush brake fluid after the brake job since the car is already on jack stands with wheels off (Separate DIY).
• Take off wheel and first thing you want to do is spray some PB Blaster (lubricant) to the wheel hub where the rotor sits on and also spray some to the two bolts that holds the caliper bracket. This will make things easier later.
• Loosen the 6mm hex from the rotor, but keep the bolt on so that the rotor stays in place. I slide a hex key into the edge of the rotor where heat vents and against the caliper so that the rotor will not move when you’re trying to loosen the 6mm hex bolt (This will prevent the rotor from turning when you’re trying to turn the hex bolt).
• Take off the clip from the caliper.
• Take off sliding pin plastic covers and use 7mm hex socket to remove the caliper pins. An extension bar might be needed in some tight areas behind the rotor.
• Slide the caliper off, I had to use a screwdriver to pry the pads against both sides of the rotor (Warning! If you’re not replacing your rotors, be careful not to damage your rotors). Do not pry on the piston boot.
• Ones the caliper is off, I highly recommend hanging the caliper with ropes/hooks etc. You don’t want to put stress on the brake lines and this will also allow you to have more space to work on the brackets. You want to hang it as high as you can and away from the bracket without stressing the brake lines.
• The caliper brackets = the fun part: Do not use the Metric size; instead use the SAE size for a better snug on these bolts. I believe 18mm for the front and 16mm for the rear so find the SAE equivalent for those sizes. You will only have enough room to remove these bolts from the caliper side. This is why you want to hang the caliper to give yourself plenty of space. Be careful not to strip the bolts (use more PB Blaster on the bolts if needed).
• Remove the 6mm hex from the rotor, then remove the rotor from the hub…hammer the surface of the rotor and be careful not to hit the hub (use more PB Blaster if needed).
• Remove the old pads from the caliper and sit the piston back (I used a C clamp). Remember that the reservoir cap was left open; you shouldn’t have to use too much force when sitting the piston back.
• Now just clean the necessary parts/areas (use brake cleaners and sandpapers).
• Same process for other 3 wheels/brakes. Also replace the 2 brake sensors and install everything back (see below for more details)
• Remember to close the brake reservoir cap when you’re done.


Other notes:
• Putting back on the bracket bolts; be very careful when you torque these bolts. The front bolts are twice as big as the rears. I made the mistake of over torque one of the rear bolts and it broke. You want to properly torque them to the steering knuckle but don’t over torque. A short torque wrench is ideal for the rear (no more than a foot long). Here are the specs: Front bolt = 110nm/81ft lbs Rear bolt = 65nm/48ft lbs
• Anti-seize the bracket area where the pads sit on (the area where the edge of the pads sit/move on).
• Anti-seize the hub area.
• Use brake grease (not anti-seize) on the sliding pins.
• Use brake quiet behind the pads.
• Don’t forget to put the plastic dust covers back on for the sliding pins.
• There will be a lot of brake dust that you’ll be breathing in, use a mask unless you want your lungs to look like your wheels lol.
• If this is your first attempt, give yourself plenty of time to do this job. Don’t expect to finish in 3-4 hours; it could take 6+ hours…Good Luck!

[Raymeister]

Can you tell me where I can purchase brake parts for a 2007 335i coupe rotors and pads what would you suggest/ brand and material for all 4, something definitely with minimal dust, and good stopping ability like oem and what is a good price range. Thanks:

[glachhman]

Great DIY

[Cmarchandpr]

I just changed my brakes and i tried reseting the brake indicator and it won't reset. I'm thinking because I accidentally broke part of the plastic cover of the front brake sensor. I just broke the plastic. thats it. I can't reset neither the rear brake sensor only and the rear sensor its fine.

I did not replace the rotors, just the pads. The rotors still have enough thread.

Any advice??

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Cmarchandpr

I just changed my brakes and i tried reseting the brake indicator and it won't reset. I'm thinking because I accidentally broke part of the plastic cover of the front brake sensor. I just broke the plastic. thats it. I can't reset neither the rear brake sensor only and the rear sensor its fine.

I did not replace the rotors, just the pads. The rotors still have enough thread.

Any advice??

You have to replace the sensor with a new one; it is a consumable part.