GSF Airfilters and brakes

[supermono]

I was going to replace the grubby looking airfilters on my E39 M5 and the brakes will need doing at some point.

I want EXACTLY the same items BMW supply, does anyone know if the german/swedish/french ones are the same? Obviously their prices aren't!

Andy

[Marshy]

Dunno about the items on your M5, but on my older 540i, the bits GSF supply look to be the major brand versions of the OEM stuff BMW sell. i.e. calipers are ATE, discs are Brembo (I think! The box is in the garage) and the pads are Pagid (BMW Pads look identical and are "Jurid" branded).

However, given that I can't get rear calipers for a 540i through GSI/EuroCarParts these days ("too rare" it might just be that M5 kit is the same but more so...

Air Filters I dunno about.

[supermono]

Interesting thanks.

I spoke to GSF and they tell me their air filters are made by "mann". Any idea about the genuine ones?

Andy

[Marshy]

Not a clue about air filters I'm afraid: given as I've only got a "cooking" V8, I only have the one filter and that wasn't expensive even from Herr BMW himself.

[Pickled Piper]

This is a difficult one. No offence to the guys who work at GSF but they always tell you that their parts are Original Equipment level. This is clearly not always the case. Even if the parts are made by the same manufacturers, the OE specifications are always far more stringent.

However, having said that, I do know that the VW / Audi air filters they sell are genuine (in VW / Audi packaging as well) as are the clutch cables I bought recently.

I'm not helping much am I. Personally, with M5 brake parts I would only buy from a main dealer. I'd take the risk with pollen filters etc but would stick to a main dealer for oil and air filters.

pp