Brake Caliper Upgrade or not? Advise needed....

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Moderator: martauto

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tangoed
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:27 pm

Having used the track car (e30 325i) for the first time at a track day last saturday, everything went well but for the horrendous brakes.

Couldn't really push the car hard and didn't have much confidence in them, resulting in me having to get on them a lot earlier than I wanted, and after 3 laps they were fading badly.

Looks to be running the standard setup bar drilled discs on the back! Strange idea!

Will the standard setup be up to the job if I get some drilled front discs and race pads or is a big brake kit my only really option?

Don't have thousands to spend, so would be interested if there's info on a cheap big brake setup, or i'm looking at about £140 for discs and pads.

Thanks in advance....
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Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49358
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:21 pm

How thick are your front brake discs? I come across many way below the minimum thickness, full of cracks, and their owners blissfully unaware.
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harry_p
Engaged to the E30 Zone
Engaged to the E30 Zone
Posts: 5313
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: norfolk

Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:22 pm

Decent discs and proper race pads, and calipers in good working order should be fine for a 325i. It's often easier to get the brakes to work properly on a dedicated track car because you can use a proper pad.

Don't discount ducting either, if you have the space, pipes from the valance to an adapted dust shield behind the disc can make a big difference.
cheers,

harry
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