What upgrade kit will work with my 14" BBS?

[monoblanco]

Or do I necessarily need to switch my wheels to 15"?

[KenC]

You need bigger wheels to fit anything larger than stock brakes.

The e30 stock system is better than most people think. Is there a reason you need an upgraded brake kit?

[monoblanco]

My stock brakes just don't inspire a lot of confidence. Twice so far I have needed them to work the best and they just did not stop the car. I ended up with the nose of my car on the emergency lane.

Note that I do not even drive crazy. Sometimes you just need to stop because the person in front of you did. This is LA driving I'm talking about.

Lucky for me I do not venture to LA that often.

[KenC]

You need better pads or something then. The stock e30 system can outbrake nearly every car on the road.

I'd recommend turning your rotors, rebuilding the calipers, installing stainless lines, doing a full fluid flush, and get some better pads.

Most e30 track cars use the stock components. If you're still unable stop after a brake refresh, you need to either pay better attention or stop tailgating.

[bmwguy325is]

My stock brakes just don't inspire a lot of confidence. Twice so far I have needed them to work the best and they just did not stop the car. I ended up with the nose of my car on the emergency lane.........

Most e30 track cars use the stock components. If you're still unable stop after a brake refresh, you need to either pay better attention or stop tailgating.

With simple upgrades the E30s brakes will work great. Dont use cheap crap you get on sale at auto zone. Never ever pad slap a brake job. When you do the brakes grease the caliper slides and free them up. Follow if any any bedding procedure the pad make recommends. Try some high end pads like ferrodo hawk or even EBC. When I do brakes I never turn rotors I get new blanks every time. I run stock brakes with slotted rotors and EBC/porterfield set up. I can lock all four wheels up at 20mph if need be.

Oh and as mentioned every good race car driver looks ahead. Plan ahead for the random stop.

[Bearmw]

Tires and suspension have a lot to do with how quick you stop as well. I would suggest "blueprinting" the stock system like was mentioned above and do the same with your suspension/tires and see how that works for you.

[monoblanco]

Yes BearMw I am planning for a suspension overhaul in the next few weeks. This is why I started looking into brakes.

My pads were changed fairly recent, but I'm not sure what pads were used as replacements so I will go ahead and replace them.

KenC, when you say rebuild the calipers, does that mean pulling the caliper apart and replacing something? Or just greasing the slides?

I will definitely replace the lines.

BMWguy325is I will look into both EBC and Porterfield parts.

Thanks everyone.

[jlevie]

My stock brakes just don't inspire a lot of confidence. Twice so far I have needed them to work the best and they just did not stop the car. I ended up with the nose of my car on the emergency lane.

Note that I do not even drive crazy. Sometimes you just need to stop because the person in front of you did. This is LA driving I'm talking about.

Then you need better pads and may need new rotors and brake system rebuild or repair. While the OE pads make a lot of dust and will fade under track like conditions, they have excellent cold bite and are more than able to lock up even r-comps on all wheels if the system is working properly. And there are other pads that provide more performance than the OE parts.

A worn master cylinder that has a slight leak, a bad booster, obstruction in the brake system, etc., will also result is less than optimal brake performance. There there is the choice and condition of the tires.

The major advantages of a BBK are the greater surface area of the rotors and thus more rapid cooling and the greater thermal mass. Those are important in track duty, but no so important on the street.

[straight6pwr]

i used to think the current brake system on my e30 had something wrong with it causing weak grab. then one day i was driving and accidentally hit the brake pedal with my left foot...i nearly broke my face on the steering wheel. right foot = weaksauce (from being used to lightly press the brake and gas)

[Roysneon]

Can you lock up the wheels with your brakes as is? What wheels/tires are you running? If you can't lock up the front wheels (make them slide), then there is something wrong. The only real performance reason to upgrade further than pads is to combat brake fade, which can also be done with pad choice to an extent. Just choose pads based on their intended heat range of use.

[einstein57]

Good tires will make a bigger difference then big brakes for a panic braking situation. And you'll have a much better tire selection with 15" wheels then with 14".

[KenC]

Rebuilding the calipers involves replacing the piston seal and guide bushings (if they're Ate).