Brake maintenance

Hi Folks,

CBS in my car is indicating I'm within 2000 miles of front brake maintenance, the other day the car was in for service (mechatronic sleeve/trans oil pan gasket leak, all covered under CPO warranty) and they checked it for me. It will need pads and rotors.

I will take it to my indy, my question is if I go to something besides OEM, do I need to replace front and rear at the same time, or can I do just the pads/rotors on the front? Rears have almost 10K left according to the CBS.

Dealer quoted me $820 for just the front service (pads/rotors/misc bits). I figure I can get a full install with Stoptech or similar upgrade for not much more than that, but hate to waste the miles left on the rear brakes.

I suspect going non-OEM would require all around replacement to make sure the braking remains balanced front/rear. Is that right? Ideas and thoughts?

So long as you change both sides of the front ie, rotors, pads and sensors, braking should be fine...but if the rear rotors have also worn out, I'd do all 4 rotors, pads, sensors etc.

Did all 4 corners on my Volvo S60 T5 a few years back...what a difference.

Originally Posted by andrew b

Ideas and thoughts?

With BMW parts, you're assured of performance. Are you unhappy?

Fronts only OK. One side, not other, not OK.

Agree with CALWATERBOY, if staying with OEM (or equivalent) doing one axle at a time is fine. Its when you change the brake performance characteristics significantly that you want to think seriously about doing both axles at the same time.

Other thing is you mentioned your car is CPO. Unless you have a significant reason to move away from OEM brakes, why give the dealer any wiggle room to deny a CPO claim in the future? i.e. if you had an issue they could blame on the brake pads or rotors if they were aftermarket. Not saying not to go aftermarket, but know why you want to.

BTW...don't know if Insurance law in USA is similar to that in UK ie 'Uberrima fides'...of the utmost good faith.

In other words...if you change the breaking spec from that previously informed eg OEM ... like fitting different types of rotors / callipers etc...you had better advise your motor insurer, for if a claim arises... your insurance is voidable.

Thanks all.

Right now looking at a full kit from Turner Motorsports spec'd with OEM rotors and Stoptech pads, which they assure me have the same bite/feel of OEM pads but less fade and a little better stopping. Also putting in braided stainless steel lines.

My indy shop advised me to order the full kit, and to do just the fronts and do the rears later.

For anyone looking, best prices I found online were the kit at Turner (includes OEM rotors, stoptech pads, sensors, and fluid) for $588 shipped, or a full OEM kit (pads, rotors, sensors) from Bimmerzone for 489 shipped. The Turner kit with OEM rotors and Axxis pads was about the same price as the OEM kit from Bimmerzone.

Sounds like a good plan.

Update: After looking at several different kits and such on different sites, had it narrowed down to the Turner Kit with OEM (Centric standard) rotors, StopTech Street performance pads, front and rear sensors, and stainless steel lines added as an option. A good deal, except for the high shipping charges. Also included an extra liter (for total of 2) of brake fluid, since a brake fluid flush is due in December. Added a $6 wheel pin tool for mounting wheels since I griped about not having one last time I pulled a wheel. Total ended up being around $748 shipped, $71 of that being shipping charges.

EAS has a Stoptech Kit with better rotors (Stoptech performance slotted, which are a $66 upgrade in the Turner kit. Turner uses Centric/StopTech rotors), the lines, pads, sensors. $765 shipped, without the 2 liters of fluid or wheel tool.

Then decided to see if I could put the parts together cheaper myself on Amazon. Went to the Stoptech and the Centric sites (since I don't always trust Amazon on fitment) for part numbers, and using that info was able to find the Stoptech pads (front), Centric performance high-carbon rotors (a step up from the OEM ones they make), and sensors. All sold and stocked by Amazon, $414, free shipping (Super Saver, not in a hurry for this stuff).

Still needed rear pads, stainless steel lines, and fluid (and my wheel hanger). Went back to Turner, and got that stuff there for $241 (shipping was only $11).

Bottom line, on the way are: Stoptech Street Performance pads, front and rear sensors, Stoptech Stainless Steel Brake Lines, Centric High Carbon rotors, 2 liters of ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid, and the Wheel Pin Tool, for a grand total of $655.

My indy charges about 1.5 hours per axle, so I will be able to do front and rear for about $955. Dealer quoted me $822 to do just the fronts, no performance upgrade parts or stainless steel brake line upgrade.

Pleased that I managed to get the StopTech pads and the better rotors for less $$. Could have done OEM rotors and something like the Axxis Metal master pads for even less.

Part numbers for the Stoptech/Centric bits:
Brake Discs High Carbon Rotor Front 125.34093 2
Brake Discs High Carbon Rotor Rear 125.34080 2

Brake Pad Electronic Wear Sensors Fr 2/07:RWD Front 116.34046 1
Brake Pad Electronic Wear Sensors Rear 116.34034 1

StopTech Street Performance Pad FR Part #: 309.09180
StopTech Street Performance Pad R Part #: 309.11700

currently our insurance here in the US is not like wales, but who knows what the future holds for us here. Maybe we can all be made to purchase government car insurance too! As far as I can tell any product you purchase in the US meets some type of government regulation for its application and I doubt that any insurance company would deny your claim by saying your brakes were not purchased from the dealer, other wise they could state in the policy that any work done on your vehicle that was not performed at the deal would void your insurance

Now if you left the pads out of the calipers and drove and had no brakes when you hit that tree that might be another issue.

Hondo

why don't you try to consult to the professionals

Andrew b
You do know that new BMW pads don't dust much and Stop Tech will dust like hell?
I changed mine recently to Cool Carbon pads all around no need to change rotors since well above spec and my pads still looked like new. I could not stand to clean the wheels every week because of dust. If you get the Stop Techs just know they dust as bad and the old OEMs do but the new OEM pads are 90% less dust with good modulation and cold bite performance you now enjoy...

Originally Posted by fun2drive

Andrew b
You do know that new BMW pads don't dust much and Stop Tech will dust like hell?
I changed mine recently to Cool Carbon pads all around no need to change rotors since well above spec and my pads still looked like new. I could not stand to clean the wheels every week because of dust. If you get the Stop Techs just know they dust as bad and the old OEMs do but the new OEM pads are 90% less dust with good modulation and cold bite performance you now enjoy...

I did hear that the new BMW pad doesn't dust nearly as much. Talked with a couple guys I know in our club, one just went to the Stop tech Street Performance and listening to them trade notes it sounded like they were about even - we'll see. I do think the StopTech pads have better stopping and fade resistance, but again....we'll see

I also talked with a Turner rep and his opinion was the stoptechs will dust less than the old pads (they categorize them as "some dust"), but might have more than the new ones. Old ones were "heavy dust".

Front rotors are definitely out of spec and will need to be replaced with the pads, not sure on rears, but I bet they will be, since when I got the car 16 months ago the CBS was reporting the same wear left on front and rear. I don't think whoever had it drove it enthusiastically. Interstingly, after me driving it for about 8 months, it went from 10K front / 10K rear to 4K front / 12K rear. Now it's at 2K front, 10K rear.

Anyway, we'll see...hopefully I won't regret the StopTech pads.