Stock E30 brake SUCK - help

[alexbaby88]

All my brake components are in good working order, so please limit your suggestions to brake upgrade options.

Am trying to avoid going to 5 lug due to the relative complication and cost.

Please help, the lack of stopping power in emergency braking situations is shocking!

[Andy325i]

What kind of power are you trying to stop alex?

Have a word with Ian332isport, as I know he is running big brakes on a 4 stud set up

HTH

Andy

[Widge]

Standard E30 brakes don't suck that much, unless you've got more power. I'd up grade your tyres first.

[alexbaby88]

I do have more power and am on good 205/55 tyres, incl goodridge brake hoses.

Any possibility of using the E32 brake servo and master cylinder? I don't track the car but am more interested in getting more BITE when I need to stop in a hurry, for street applications.

[Widge]

How much power?


You either need to go to a Wilwood style big brake kit if you've got loads of power - or just a bigger servo?? Or smaller diamiter master cylinder and some performance brakes. I have used green stuff but though they were no better than standard brakes.

[alexbaby88]

Bigger servo from another BMW? Do you know which?

[Widge]

5 or 7 series of the same vintage??? I'm afraid I don't know mate.

[Turbo-Brown]

If you fit a bigger master cyl, you'll end up wiht LESS bite and a pedal that needs pushing even harder to get the car to stop!

I've got the Wilwood kit and once it's all bedded in, it seems to work great without too much of an increase in pedal travel

[e30_Turbo]

I'd like to think I'm now at the top end of power outputs from a e30 ( RR to confirm soon ) and I run zimmerman cross drilled discs and pagid pads all round and it works fine, although I may need a better qauilty brake fluid as I have boiled mine once or twice

I've seen some good options on german ebay, 312mm discs and 4 pot calipers for about 500euros, so there are kits about.

Only issue with most of the kits that are about is the minimum wheel size which will no doubt mean no more BBS's good excuse to get 16 inch BBS RS's tho

[Jon_Bmw]

I'd like to think I'm now at the top end of power outputs from a e30 ( RR to confirm soon ) and I run zimmerman cross drilled discs and pagid pads all round and it works fine, although I may need a better qauilty brake fluid as I have boiled mine once or twice

I've seen some good options on german ebay, 312mm discs and 4 pot calipers for about 500euros, so there are kits about.

Only issue with most of the kits that are about is the minimum wheel size which will no doubt mean no more BBS's good excuse to get 16 inch BBS RS's tho

Trust though mark, try putting it on a track and stopping from 120mph abuot 3 times in a row Then you'll scare yourself. I agree with what you are saying, I think your setup is fine for the road as how often are you going to be going from 120mph to 30

Alexbaby are you planning on running this on a track or just road use, because its a well known fact that you really need track brake setups to be up to temperature before they work well, and how often do you get yours up to "temperature" round town? Another problem you might find is squeling pads if you use uprated ones when cold.

HTH

Jon

[e30_Turbo]

Trust though mark, try putting it on a track and stopping from 120mph abuot 3 times in a row Then you'll scare yourself. I agree with what you are saying, I think your setup is fine for the road as how often are you going to be going from 120mph to 30

HTH

Jon

To be fair that is what was happening when we were live mapping the first drive on the new turbo, everytime I looked down at the speedo it said 120 and I was giving the brakes some abuse due to the rdbts at each end of the dual carriage way....that's when the pedal started to go soft and you could smell the fluid in the air.....so I agree Jon, fast road they're fine, for track big disk ferrodo pads and braided lines are a must!

[m-dtech]

have you tried draining the system fresh fluid and bleeding it ?

[martauto]

does it make a big difference changing the fluid as my brakes feel like they need bleeding but passed the MOT on efficiency no probs,

They still feel like shit but are there if needed, not a patch on my lads 15 year old corolla,
Any ideas peeps?

Mart.

[Widge]

Weather they pass an MOT or not is irrelevant. They can't fail an Mot for being spongey as long as the brakes still operate ect...
So you could still have air in the system. Are you sure you have bled them properly??
And what sort of power are you talking about, cos if it's just a chip and cammed 325 than I'd say standard brakes will be fine, but if it's a V12 monster then obviously they aren't.

[Lordschleife]

If you want more bite then run Ferodo ds2500 pads

I'd also recommend braided hoses and Castrol SRF fluid (pricey!)

If then they're still not good enough for you, think about forking out for a big brake upgrade

Bear in mind whatever brakes you have the tyres need to be good enough to transfer the braking force to the ground.
Shit/cheap tyres will lock up/cause the ABS to cut in sooner, stickier tyres will shorten the braking distance.

You'd be amazed at the difference a set of r-tyres can make (though make sure you're running good fluid with them or it'll boil in no time)

[Andy325i]

Hi Robin is the Castrol SRF a race fluid or for road use?

Andy

[Bob_S]

I will confirm tyres make a HUGE difference in brake performance..
on a wet road I missed a junction just after I fitted toyo's on the front I slammed on hard and they did not lock up on standard 1.6 brakes and stopped pretty damn fast too to the point I had to peel myself off the screen.

My suggestion is to find some grooved/drilled vented disks and a set of good road pads. I know this will improove the braking aswell

[Lordschleife]

Yes SRF is a race fluid, but it can be used on the road.
The important thing with brake fluid is the wet boiling point, as after a short time in the car it'll have absorbed moisture.

I've found that fluids such as castrol super, and ATE blue etc are fine when new, but a few months down the line quite easy to boil.
So they are an option if you dont mind replacing your fluid fairly often

As for fast road pads, I'm running Pagid fast road at the mo, and they dont really seem to have much more bite or stopping power than std pads, they should be more resistant to pad fade though.
The guy wanted more bite which is why I suggested ds2500, they've got a higher friction co.eff than most road legal pads

[martauto]

Hi Widge,
Its only a 316 (carb) auto , and I have not worked on the brakes at all. Sounds to me a change of fluid/bleed will do it the world of good, as I dont know how old the fluid is.
Cheers mate, Mart.

[E30BeemerLad]

think it is also worth checking if there is any slack on the big old bar that runs from the pesal box to the servo end of things, could be some adjustment needed there to tighten things up and remove any slack/ unnecessary travel.

[Widge]

Hi Widge,
Its only a 316 (carb) auto

Sorry mate, that comment was aimed at alexbaby88 - cos he said he had more power. Just over haul the system mate, maybe do to 2.5 vented front discs and claipers and rear calipers if you can be bothered.

[martauto]

Not really worth it Widge, but looking at the full system (overhaul) seems to be the way to go, new pads shoes and fluid wont go far wrong.
Also check out that wassin big bar Lee.

Cheers Lads, Mart.

[fuzzy]

im running relatively high power for an e30 and i dont find a problem with the standard calipers but have uprated the discs with ebc drilled/grooved items with matching ebc redstuff ceramic pads on the front and greenstuff pads on the rear.theyre fine for the road but i havent tested them on the track yet.

[Demlotcrew]

How many miles has the car done?

Andrew

[alexbaby88]

Thanks for ll the suggestions which I will try to take in. I already have some cross dilled discs all round along with braided goodridge brake hoses.

Can some one suggest some online sites to purchase the Ferodo ds2500 pads?

Cheers,
alex

[Lordschleife]

The zone shop has the front ones, be warned they're not cheap though, and dont always have the initial bite for the 1st second or so from cold, after that they're great though.
They'll also squeak quite a bit, but you have to remember they are a road legal trackday/race pad

When I bought mine I got them (front and rear) from demon tweaks, had to phone them though
Front fittings FCP303H/rear FCP296H

balancemotorsport seem to do em too
http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/pp/B ... _cars.html

http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/pp/B ... _cars.html

Use this procedure to bed them in
http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

[alexbaby88]

Top Man!

Cheers mate.

The zone shop has the front ones, be warned they're not cheap though, and dont always have the initial bite for the 1st second or so from cold, after that they're great though.
They'll also squeak quite a bit, but you have to remember they are a road legal trackday/race pad

When I bought mine I got them (front and rear) from demon tweaks, had to phone them though
Front fittings FCP303H/rear FCP296H

balancemotorsport seem to do em too
http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/pp/B ... _cars.html

http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/pp/B ... _cars.html

Use this procedure to bed them in
http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm