New guy looking for brakes...
 

Hey guys- my 07 328i is about to need front brakes and I'm looking to save a little bit of cash on the parts. Could anyone steer me in a direction to find the best value for good brakes for my car? I appreciate your time. Look forward to learning from you all.

getbmwparts.com. They package the brakes by axle. The front axle kit includes OE Pads, rotors, grease and wear sensor for $345.

I just ordered rotors, pads, and sensors for all four wheels for my wife's X3 (Zimmerman rotors, Akebono ceramic pads) for $460. $345 an axle is a lot more.

You are correct but I know the OE parts and have been happy with them. I have used aftermarket rotors that had a tendency to warp. Once burned......

If you want BMW parts, getbmwparts.com is a great source. If you want equivalent parts but a cheaper price, you can go to oembimmerparts.com. I think front rotors, pads, and sensor is something like $252.

I think you are crazy trying to save money on brakes. There are so many other things to take a chance on and try to save some money on...

Saving money in important on everything including brakes. Why get boned if you don't have to. If OEMbimmerparts are equivalent to OEM to OE parts why not get them?

I hardly think that paying 70 to 90 bucks more on a brake job to get BMW brakes is getting "boned". Especially when you spread that difference over the life of the brakes. Who are you going to get to certify your aftermarket brake parts are equivalent in function to BMW brakes??

There are lots of aftermarket choices and it only takes a little time on this forum and others like it to find there are many knowledgeable people who think there are any number of aftermarket choices that are even better than OEM.

OP, I suggest you check in the E46 forum. At this point many more E46s than E90s have had brake jobs done and there are more diy experiences and DIY'ers on the E46 forum than on the E9x forum.

I have an E46 with 182,000 miles, the wife has an E90 328 - a 2009 with 75,000 miles and I've done brake jobs on both cars myself in my garage.

I go to OEM Bimmerparts for my rotors. Max sells the good stuff and has free shipping. Brake rotors are heavy (so free shipping is a plus) especially when you buy 4 at a time. Max is in Texas, and I usually get my parts with free shipping to New Jersey in about 2 days.

I get Zimmerman Rotors, they have a zinc coating which keep the factory alloy wheel from sticking to the metal hub. Not to mention you don't get rusty rotor syndrome 5 months after installing the rotors. I have mine for about 2 years and edge and hub of the rotor still looks new.

I go to the dealer for pads. I like factory pads because I like the BITE when you press the brake pedal. (I get 20% off parts at the dealer with the club membership).

Just FYI - the E46 crowd in general prefers to buy from OEM Bimmerparts. We've used enough of his parts to know we're getting the good stuff, and if something isn't right, Max will step in and make it right.

Hope this helps!!

Whatever you do, stick with the bmw branded brake pad recipe. You wont find yourself posting :
Why does this XYZ branded brake pad have crappy cold bite?
Why does this XYZ branded brake pad moan when I press the brake pedal?
Why does this XYZ branded brake pad squeal like a pig when I press the brake pedal?

If you want to save money, get any decent brand rotors with hubs coated in zinc like another poster said, zimmerman, centric rotors, etc

Ive had e39/e46/e90/e83 in the family mostly DIY maintenance.

I guess it would be nice to know if the OP is happy with the braking performance up to this point...and does he currently have BMW brakes, or another combo??

I'd recommend that you check out StopTech Brakes for your BMW . Their rotor and pad replacements are perfect for enthusiasts who's rotors/pads are nearing the end of their service life.