Good braking

[chu346]

Not long aquired a 318i and the front brakes lock up too easy compaired to my motorsport, what do I need to do to sort this? The car has solid discs on the front no abs and drums on the rear

[tezk]

Softer tyres maybe?

Is one wheel locking more than the other? Maybe one of the calipers has seized and so the other wheel is doing all the work, hence the locking?

[MrDazzle]

Problem's not really with the brakes, it's locking up so they obviously work to some extent!

Over inflated tyres, stiff/seized suspsension, shit tyres, seized caliper on one side, ham-footed driver;)

[HairyScreech]

you have abs on your sport?

[chu346]

Both wheels lock together.

The motorsport has abs.

I had the same problem with my first 316i

[billgatese30]

try being smoother in your appliaiton of the brakes/and or get better tyres and ensure they are inflated correctly

[chu346]

try being smoother in your appliaiton of the brakes/and or get better tyres and ensure they are inflated correctly

That's not the problem.

Any other advise guys?

[Martinaston]

Drive slower

[Martinaston]

The cars lighter, try it with three passengers.

[Simon]

What wheels/tyres?

[someguy]

I've a similar problem with my 316, I'll put some better tyres on it when I get the chance!

My one doesn't lock up all the time though, only when the roads are damp.

[Morat]

GF's Golf does this due to crappy and usually under-inflated tyres. The brakes themselves are fine, its the lack of traction that is the problem.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Have to say I had an Astra as acompany car last year with that new fangled abs rubbish. When you get back in a car without it, the braking force feels totally different.

It may be as simple as changing your driving style to suit a non-ABS car. I used to lock my cabby up from time to time from trying to brake too rapidly.

I used the engine brake more effectively now and brake more smoothly.

[MrDazzle]

If you engage the ABS when you brake normally, you ain't braking properly...

[chu346]

Drive slower

Yeah right!

The cars lighter, try it with three passengers.

I ain't got that many friends

What wheels/tyres?

15" bbs/nankangs I had avons on the old 316i

My one doesn't lock up all the time though, only when the roads are damp.

This is in the dry, my dads old e36 318is locked up easily in the wet, i'm glad he got rid of it.

It may be as simple as changing your driving style to suit a non-ABS car. I used to lock my cabby up from time to time from trying to brake too rapidly.

I never engaged the abs on the motorsport so why should it lock up on this car?

I used the engine brake more effectively now and brake more smoothly.

Sod that why should I have to? I want at least the same performance as a 325i if not better.

I'm concerned that if I go through the trouble of upgrading the brakes they will still lock up and I shall be wasting my cash

[Jon_Bmw]

Erm am I missing the point. If your brakes are locking evenly all round and not tearing you off to one side of the road then the brakes are fine. Sort the tyres and I can almost guarentee thats your problem. Brakes that you can lock up are good brakes its the tyre and perhaps suspension setup that needs sorting.

[Martinaston]

Do you mean the brakes don't do much as you apply pressure and then all of a sudden just lock, or they lock as soon as you go near the peddle?

Do you have the right springs all round?
Are the back brakes working?

[someguy]

If they're locking up already, upgrading them will probably make them even more likely to lock up.

If the wheel locks up, it's because the brakes have stopped the wheel with more force than the tyre can transmitt to the road. That's why locking up in the wet happens first, there's less grip therefore the tyres have less traction and are more likely to lock up. (I hope that makes sense)

So if locking up is your problem you probably best to look at your tyres, wider/sticker tyres'll probably help in the dry.

The reason you might be locking up may also be related to the hardness of the brakes. If you're used to a car with a soft brake pedal and jump into something where they're rock solid you'll lock up without even trying.

[drewjak]

have you checked the brake lines for kinks in them, the metal pipes could have been messed with and damaged slightly,or the flexi pipes could be kinked somehow, check the pipes to the rear are`t damaged underneath and causing all presure to the fronts,are the back brakes adjusted right up causing all the pressure to go to the fronts?
are the front discs and pads ok? pads could be buggered and causing them to grab .

[drewjak]

have you checked the brake lines for kinks in them, the metal pipes could have been messed with and damaged slightly,or the flexi pipes could be kinked somehow, check the pipes to the rear are`t damaged underneath and causing all presure to the fronts,are the back brakes adjusted right up causing all the pressure to go to the fronts?
are the front discs and pads ok? pads could be buggered and causing them to grab .

[320Touring]

Nankangs are called "ditchfinders" for a reason.

locked up mine in the wet and took the sump off the car.

buy some new tyres.

I have Proxies on the front now and it doesnt lock up unless breaking extremely heavily on loose surfaces

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Drive slower

Yeah right!

The cars lighter, try it with three passengers.

I ain't got that many friends

What wheels/tyres?

15" bbs/nankangs I had avons on the old 316i

My one doesn't lock up all the time though, only when the roads are damp.

This is in the dry, my dads old e36 318is locked up easily in the wet, i'm glad he got rid of it.

It may be as simple as changing your driving style to suit a non-ABS car. I used to lock my cabby up from time to time from trying to brake too rapidly.

I never engaged the abs on the motorsport so why should it lock up on this car?

I used the engine brake more effectively now and brake more smoothly.

Sod that why should I have to? I want at least the same performance as a 325i if not better.

I'm concerned that if I go through the trouble of upgrading the brakes they will still lock up and I shall be wasting my cash

I just found that in a more modern set up with ABS, braking required less effort.

When I got back in my car, the response wasn't so good, so instinctively pressed the pedal harder..

The tyres do sound like the problem here..

[keri-WMS]

To reduce the front locking you can:

1) - Check / upgrade the rears! Fit grippier rear pads etc...
2) - Brake more progressively, shifting more weight to the front = more front grip.
3) - Fit stickier/wider tyres.
4) - Fit a heavier engine in the front!
5) - Check / upgrade your front shocks. Knackered shocks = no grip (separate issue to spring rate / ride height).
6) - If you've got pads that work suddenly better when hot (EBC Greens) then either OEM/normal pads or even EBC Reds would help as they are both smoother/more predictable in operation when cold.
7) - Check your front tracking / suspension geometry, if these are out you'll lose grip.
8 ) - Fit softer front springs.
9) - Fit lighter wheels (15" BBS's are ok though)
10) - Buy a car with ABS.

[ShakeyC]

If the tyres are correctly inflated with reasonable tread no matter what brand they are the cars should pull up straight and true. If its not pulling to the side and just locking up i would say something in the suspension is a miss, bushes or damping/shocks possibly wearing out as that is a common issue on many types of cars.