E30 brakes are brilliant!!!

Post Sat May 14, 2005 9:52 am

Seen lots of comments about how cr*p E30 brakes are - whats the problem? - I have 320i, drum backs, no ABS, and I reckon the brakes are brilliant. I don't do track days, just fast(ish) road work. Standard brakes stop well, don't fade, good feedback. Have fitted new pads/discs, new flexi hoses and fluid. I think perhaps some people forget some basics on 15 year old brake systems, i.e. 1) Flexi hoses soften up and expand more when old=soft pedal. 2) Self adjusting rear brakes seize up=more pedal travel 3) Old brake fluid hydroscopic, absorbs water= spongy brakes. If you sort out 1,2,3 and have decent tyres, E30 brakes are perfectly adequate for road use, IMO.

Post Sat May 14, 2005 9:54 am

Treeman612 wrote:Seen lots of comments about how cr*p E30 brakes are - whats the problem? - I have 320i, drum backs, no ABS, and I reckon the brakes are brilliant. I don't do track days, just fast(ish) road work. Standard brakes stop well, don't fade, good feedback. Have fitted new pads/discs, new flexi hoses and fluid. I think perhaps some people forget some basics on 15 year old brake systems, i.e. 1) Flexi hoses soften up and expand more when old=soft pedal. 2) Self adjusting rear brakes seize up=more pedal travel 3) Old brake fluid hydroscopic, absorbs water= spongy brakes. If you sort out 1,2,3 and have decent tyres, E30 brakes are perfectly adequate for road use, IMO.

Well i don't know what brought on your mini brake rant,but i completelty agree

Post Sat May 14, 2005 9:59 am

I think a big problem is the brake pedal, not the brakes themselves. I do track days and a bit of racing and I haven't had any problems. I do have slotted rotors (standard size) and upgraded pads but that is all. Like you said I think they are definately ok for road use.

I could always use better brakes though

, on most cars.

Aston

Post Sat May 14, 2005 10:42 am

i have managed to give my 325i touring major brake fade when pushed. not spongy boiling fluid brake fade but overheated pad brake fade.

that's with ATE power disks and mintex m1144's on the front and with all new febi bilstein rear disks/ pads.

that said, i was pushing it, i do have more power and also the weight of a tourer. mine does have ABS though... could this affect things?

Post Sat May 14, 2005 10:56 am

secret to not get brake fade

brake hard and late

Post Sat May 14, 2005 10:57 am

Richy325iTouring wrote:secret to not get brake fade

brake hard and late

I always brake late,a mix of bad eyesight and not paying attention!
Maybe thats why I don't get brake fade then...........

Post Sat May 14, 2005 11:05 am

I went out two nights ago and gave it a hard session. first off a load of donuts then off round the "track". first I melted the clutch (mostly from the donuts I'd imagine) then coming up to a 90degree left whereI stomped on the brake and got almost nothing... Not impressed with these forodo pads I fitted, I thought they'd be at least as good as the standard ones which I've never managed to fade, at least not that badly. so I reckon a set of pagids are well in order.

I can deal with the spongyness but I ain't happy when they fade like that!

Post Sat May 14, 2005 12:13 pm

hoshy, were the ferodo pads the "target" range? i had some of them in a 205 1.6 gti and managed to cook them a treat! really naff imo. took them off and fitted some maxtorq jobbies, much better!

Post Sat May 14, 2005 5:30 pm

i think the brakes are okay and i have read the threads saying they are crap. I think people have been spoilt with modern systems that react to a lighter touch on the pedal. you just have to press them harder to get the same effect which annoy a lot of people.

john

Post Sat May 14, 2005 8:03 pm

mine are pretty good......

Post Sun May 15, 2005 10:59 am

gareth wrote:hoshy, were the ferodo pads the "target" range? i had some of them in a 205 1.6 gti and managed to cook them a treat! really naff imo. took them off and fitted some maxtorq jobbies, much better!

/prepares for a slap

I got them from Halfords...

/runs

lol. the pad warning light had started coming on so I thought I'd be sensible and change them straight away. turns out they didn't have warning sensors so now the lights is on all the time. and only came with two bolts. and they're shite. so all in all I learn't my lesson.

noticed that I need to change a hose too so I'm gonna get some pagid pads as they seems highly rated here. May put on the 325i calipers and disks first though.