Brake Upgrade E36 M3 3L

[ULTIMA69]

Hi I have just staerted using this car on track days,and its good fun. However even though the car has fast road/track pads it runs out of brakes quite quickly requiring more and more effort for less braking as they get, hot and lacking much in the way of feel. My previous car was a Leon Cupra R with four pot Brembo brakes which were brilliant. Any ideas or relatively cost effective mods? Will any four pot brakes off other cars fit or modify??
Dave

[m12_nathan]

Angus (phatgixer on here) races an e36, he uses the AP kit, might be worth contacting him about options or looking on the e36 section of bm3w.co.uk .

[Jmanr]

The M3 E36 3.2 (EVO)has better brakes (taken from the M5 E34 3.8L),but for this type of use I will strongly recommend the brake kit from AP Racing

[hongkongfooi]

I have heard people ipgrade to evo discs with better pads with 5.1 fluid and goodridge hoses. Allow for about £300 all in.
I have gone for the hoses all round with the fluid, semi race pads all round and a stop tech upgrade on the front with grooved discs and bigger four pot calipers. Pretty good round silverstone recently with no fade! (this was about £1800 all in but to me its an investment) You pays yer monies....

Edited by hongkongfooi on Monday 6th November 11:36

[ULTIMA69]

Thanks for the info, I think I will chase round for best prices on an AP set.
Dave

[oola]

Jmanr said:

The M3 E36 3.2 (EVO)has better brakes (taken from the M5 E34 3.8L),but for this type of use I will strongly recommend the brake kit from AP Racing

Sorry but this incorrect. The only difference between the Evo & 3.0l brakes is the Evo disks are a floating set up.

As above, AP's are the way forward if you have the budget.... a front set of 6 pots will set you back about £1800 + I don't think you can run 17" wheels, so you need new wheels and tyres, so call it £3k! Unless you go for the 4 pots which are cheaper but I doubt have the stopping power of the 6 pots. Personally I went for the Evo disks and Pagid RS-29's, fluid and hoses and spent the money on a decent set of coilovers (KW3's) and some sticky track tyres (Dunlop D10J's).

[aasc]

Are Porsche/Brembo monoblocks an alternative - I've seen some on cars but not sure of the source of adapter brackets & which model etc fits.

thanks

[oola]

aasc said:

Are Porsche/Brembo monoblocks an alternative - I've seen some on cars but not sure of the source of adapter brackets & which model etc fits.

thanks

Yep, you can get 4 pot Brembos off 993 Turbo's and regular 996's, GT3's and Boxster 'S' to fit with the right brackets. You can use E46 M3 disks and get someone to make up some carriers and you're away. BUT, its only really worth it if you pick all the bits up fairly cheaply.

[Jam Rock]

^^^^ that sounds very interesting, i had asked about this on another forum, but people were not so helpful. Have you got any more info on this mate? a serious BBK (AP/ALCON/Stoptech) is well over £1500 for the brake kit alone, add in the fact that you may need to run bigger rims (and therefore tyres) to get the bigger disks, so you are looking at the best part £3000. I run vented evo disks (on my evo) with ferrodo ds pads all rnd. braided hoses and castrol 5.1 fluid, and the brakes are a lot better than before, but not as good as a Big Brake Kit!

cheers

JAM

[oola]

Jam Rock said:

^^^^ that sounds very interesting, i had asked about this on another forum, but people were not so helpful. Have you got any more info on this mate? a serious BBK (AP/ALCON/Stoptech) is well over £1500 for the brake kit alone, add in the fact that you may need to run bigger rims (and therefore tyres) to get the bigger disks, so you are looking at the best part £3000. I run vented evo disks (on my evo) with ferrodo ds pads all rnd. braided hoses and castrol 5.1 fluid, and the brakes are a lot better than before, but not as good as a Big Brake Kit!

cheers

JAM

I don't have any further info unfortunately as I didn't persue. I had spoken to a guy in Germany near the Ring as he said he could make up the mounting brackets to fit the calipers, but not sure in terms of cost. I am sure a UK based automotive fabrication co. would be able to knock some brackets together for you.

[xm5er]

have a look on www.rallydesign.co.uk They stock he wilwood range of bake kits which vary from 4 pot to 6 pot race calipers for BMWs. I dont know anymore about it beyond that but worth a look.

[Jam Rock]

cheers oola,
def worth a look, I am sure i have some video of Tiff doing a M coupe review and he said that the brakes were shit and that the first thing most enthusiasts do is put 911 turbo stoppers on the thing!
will look into this......

[m3psm]

If you fit the 3.2 floating discs, Goodridge braided hoses all round, Pagid Yellow (endurance) pads and Castrol SRF fluid you'll be fine with good brakes from cold and no fade.

I've done 45 minutes sessions at Brands and Donnington with that set up with no fade at all.

APs will give you more stopping power, but for trackdays I wouldn't bother. You could spend the money saved on four more trackdays

Paul

[taffyracer]

If you do have to fit new discs and don't want to go AP then personally I would use either Mintex or Performance Friction discs with uprated pads, decent fluids and some nice hoses as mentioned, that'll be fine for trackday use, anything more and you really will be wanting an AP kit, which are incidentally, absolutely bloody superb