Brake Upgrade for 2012 e92 M3 Competition Package

[VikAry]

I am considering upgrading my brakes and want to get some ideas on which brands I should consider and why. I would appreciate any insight as I am new to the car enthusiast world and want to understand the details about this upgrade before investing.

I drive my car ~100 miles per week (2-3 times) and am planning to track it 2-3 times per year.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and thoughts.

-Vikas Arya

[pseto]

Nothing wrong functionally with the stock brakes except they're kinda ugly. Big Brake Kit and Stop Tech are the 2 more common 'upgrades'; not much different in terms of stopping power, but both are 'better looking' with the painted caliper covers.

If you're tracking the car, you'll need track pads to minimize fade, preferably semi-metallic (and not ceramic).

[John in VA]

I've not owned an E9x (yet!), so was waiting for other replies, but figured that M3 + Competition Package = enough braking power, and that a different pad choice would/could make a difference for you. Hawk, EBC, StopTech, Pagid, Performance Friction?

http://www.ogracing.com/car/brake-pads
http://www.bimmerworld.com/Brakes/
https://www.turnermotorsport.com/t-b...ide-brake-pads

[VikAry]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

I drive my car 50-100 miles per week (2-3 times) and will be on the track 2-3 times per year. I'm assuming that track pads come with the Big Brake Kit and are fine even for street driving given that I don't drive a whole lot.

I thought there would be a difference in stopping power between the 1 piston stock brakes and the 6/4 piston Brembo Big Brake Kit. The first and only time I tracked the car in May of this year, I noticed some shaking in the steering wheel near the completion of the 4th time I was on the circuit. That experience made me question whether my stock brakes were sufficient for that application. They do look really awesome which does have some influence on my decision to buy.

John - You are missing out on some serious fun. Hopefully you can get your e9x soon!

[1996 328ti]

Tire compound is the biggest factor when it comes to stopping.
If brakes are fading then it's tie to look at compounds and fluid.

[VikAry]

Do issues with two things (compound and fluid) manifest themselves in the steering wheel shaking under high stress? BWW inspected the brakes before I tracked the car and I haven't had any issues during street driving since the event during the 3rd weekend of May which makes me think that the brakes are fine but they are simply not designed or sufficient to handle the stress of the track.

[Alan]

Do issues with two things (compound and fluid) manifest themselves in the steering wheel shaking under high stress? BWW inspected the brakes before I tracked the car and I haven't had any issues during street driving since the event during the 3rd weekend of May which makes me think that the brakes are fine but they are simply not designed or sufficient to handle the stress of the track.

Did you discuss this with your Instructor that was in the car?

Did you experience brake fade or lack of sufficient braking effectiveness when hot?

[VikAry]

I didn't but looking in hindsight, it would have made sense to. I felt significant shaking in the steering wheel but not sure if I lost braking power because I was able to slow down sufficiently but I had zero confidence in my brakes going forward which took away from the experience.

After doing a crash course on brake kits over the past 3 days and gaining some knowledge (I still feel like I know very little), I'm leaning towards the AP BBK setup because there is enough consensus among M3 and other race car owners that they are on par with Brembo in terms of quality but AP seems to be more "user friendly" e.g. swapping out pads is very easy. The only downside with AP is that they don't come in yellow which I really wanted for my car but I could do a lot with the $2K I'm going to save and red is my second option, albeit not nearly as sweet as yellow.

[John in VA]

The only downside with AP is that they don't come in yellow which I really wanted for my car but I could do a lot with the $2K I'm going to save and red is my second option, albeit not nearly as sweet as yellow.

http://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-caliper-paint
https://www.amazon.com/G2-Temperatur...r+paint+yellow

[Alan]

I didn't but looking in hindsight, it would have made sense to. I felt significant shaking in the steering wheel but not sure if I lost braking power because I was able to slow down sufficiently but I had zero confidence in my brakes going forward which took away from the experience.

After doing a crash course on brake kits over the past 3 days and gaining some knowledge (I still feel like I know very little), I'm leaning towards the AP BBK setup because there is enough consensus among M3 and other race car owners that they are on par with Brembo in terms of quality but AP seems to be more "user friendly" e.g. swapping out pads is very easy. The only downside with AP is that they don't come in yellow which I really wanted for my car but I could do a lot with the $2K I'm going to save and red is my second option, albeit not nearly as sweet as yellow.

I haven't read anything yet in your posts that suggests that you have an issue that requires a BBK. I would start with good pads (Performance Friction, Pagid et al) that have good track/street qualities. First determine if you are going to swap pads before and after your 2-3 events. That will help you choose a compound.

You problem could simply be a pad imprint on the rotor. Did you use your parking brake when you came off track?

[1996 328ti]

Do issues with two things (compound and fluid) manifest themselves in the steering wheel shaking under high stress? BWW inspected the brakes before I tracked the car and I haven't had any issues during street driving since the event during the 3rd weekend of May which makes me think that the brakes are fine but they are simply not designed or sufficient to handle the stress of the track.

What do you mean by high stress? Heavy braking?
I can only relate to my car. Much lighter and less hp.
I would not think brake pad compound or fluid would cause those symptoms.
Could be deposit build up on rotors or more likely suspension issues. Worm lower control arm bushings?
I also had a slightly cracked rotor that would cause the steering wheel to shake under very light braking.