325i Brake Upgrade

Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:43 am

Hi
New year project

1986 325i brake upgrade. Got the car new in 1986 for my wife, left it sitting in grass for a few years, the tin worms got to work on it. for filling a promise to my other half that one day i would put the car back to as new condition as possible i have just finished a total bare metal respray and complete mechanical overhaul car was down to just a body shell. Having driven modern cars for the last few years with super powerful brakes she finds it difficult to stop the car (not used to pushing the brake pedal hard.) Im looking at a Willwood big brake kit from Rally Design about £500 has any one got any input on this kit or similar kits and what difference it makes to the 325 braking, The car is only used on the road.

Thanks

Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:58 pm

If its a road car then I would rather stay with single piston type calipers
A bigger servo will obviously be the easiest way to lighten up the pedal, unless your wife is driving faster than the speed limit on most roads I doubt there would be much need to upgrade the discs/calipers

Thu Jan 01, 2015 1:36 pm

This, 4 pot pistons on the road are just too much, they are very off/on from my experience with the WMS kit. Don't get me wrong they stop the car on a 50 pence piece but as Dan said above.

Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:36 pm

DanThe wrote:If its a road car then I would rather stay with single piston type calipers
A bigger servo will obviously be the easiest way to lighten up the pedal, unless your wife had is driving faster than the speed limit on most roads I doubt there would be much need to upgrade the discs/calipers

I have always found the brakes to be crap since new, had it back to BMW several times when new to no avail. A lot of brake fade particularly on a downhill slopes. I had an e21 with 2 pot calipers that would stop perfectly in any conditions, you state a larger servo do you know of one that would be a direct fit.

Thanks

Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:24 pm

Ive never done it myself but I have sold the E34 twin servos to people for this very purpose. Pads are a hell of a lot better nowadays than they were when the car was new, I usually buy textar when possible and you cant go wrong with Brembo discs.
Can you post a pic of the master cylinder/servo area? Its a possibility you may have the crappy split system faff they were fitting at the time

Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:37 pm

Other options worth looking at are fitting Goodridge or HEL braided brake lines. Combined with good modern dot4 brake fluid it should help a bit with the brake feel.
My fluid of choice is ATE Super blue

Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:47 am

DanThe wrote:Ive never done it myself but I have sold the E34 twin servos to people for this very purpose. Pads are a hell of a lot better nowadays than they were when the car was new, I usually buy textar when possible and you cant go wrong with Brembo discs.
Can you post a pic of the master cylinder/servo area? Its a possibility you may have the crappy split system faff they were fitting at the time

Thanks, I do a picture later today

Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:37 am

Kos wrote:Other options worth looking at are fitting Goodridge or HEL braided brake lines. Combined with good modern dot4 brake fluid it should help a bit with the brake feel.
My fluid of choice is ATE Super blue

Done the hoses fitted HEL. Also did a mod to the brake linkage to take as much play out as possible between the pedal and m/c that improved things a lot. Need to be very exact on the adjustment or the brakes stay on a bit when the system gets hot.