Brake makeover

[mbonanni]

Okay, I am reusing this thread for a new topic.

I am doing a brake makeover. This is for my DD so it does not have to be super high performance. I am looking to do a most of the brakes, but not all. ABS sensors seem expensive (ordering from pelican parts).

So far I have

front/rear brake sensors
front/rear caliper rebuild

I plan to do rotors and brake pads. Which rotors and which pads? anything else you guys reccomend?

[shoguncro]

its written on your calipers who is the manufacturer

and yes thats all you need, maybe you need a new piston but you can not know until you disansemble your old calipers

[mbonanni]

Thats what I assumed, I shoulda checked first. but it was like 35 degrees outside. haha

thanks

[mlytle64]

no, that is not all you need.

you also need the guide pin bushings(2) or a guide pin boot..depending upon which brand of calipers you have. these are rubber wear parts just like the seal kit you listed.

[mbonanni]

I tried to look but could not fond a name. whereght have to xlean it. will it be? I m

[jlevie]

The rear calipers will be ATE. The fronts, depending on where the car was built could be either. You have to look at the front calipers to figure out which you have. The upper diagram on http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...21&hg=34&fg=05 shows girling calipers. The noticeable difference is how the calipers mount to the carrier.

[mbonanni]

Thank you.

Mostly thank you for that website, will help a lot.

[mlytle64]

a few pic of process for you. i just did a front set today.
crusty old seals


piston out


piston in with new seal


new seals, guide pin bushings, brake hose

[SkiFree]

Something else to consider if you don't want to worry about the rubber guide pin bushings....go with brass. You can find them from just about anybody specializing in BMW parts.

[mlytle64]

i would not put the brass ones on a street car. unless you do monthly maint on the brakes. there is nothing to keep dirt/crap out of the bushing..which gets in and binds up the pin.

i had them on a race car once...but that car got the brakes gone over every weekend.

nothing to worry about with the rubber bushings. they last as long as the caliper seals do and require no maint other than a little grease when you change brake pads.

[SkiFree]

^^Interesting, that makes logical sense to me, never put much thought into it I guess.

[mbonanni]

thanks guys!

I still need to figure out which caliper I have up front. /:

[mlytle64]

look at the diagrams on realoem.com, then look at your calipers. the pics i posted are of the ATE fronts.

[jlevie]

i would not put the brass ones on a street car. unless you do monthly maint on the brakes. there is nothing to keep dirt/crap out of the bushing..which gets in and binds up the pin.

i had them on a race car once...but that car got the brakes gone over every weekend.

nothing to worry about with the rubber bushings. they last as long as the caliper seals do and require no maint other than a little grease when you change brake pads.

A month? I would not drive a car with brass guide bushing on the street more than a week before cleaning and relubricating the guide pins.

I ran brass bushings for a while on the race car but found that they didn't work any better than fresh rubber bushing. The hassle of cleaning and lubing the guide pins after each track weekend wasn't worth it. Now the car has rubber bushings, which get replaced each year when I rebuild the calipers.

[mbonanni]

I hate ATE rears which someone posted and Girling fronts.
Kinda sucks, the Girling guide bushing rebuild kit is more expensive at $30 a piece at Pelican Parts.