Re: E30 Brakes

[Mike Orth <ORTHM@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Kurt,
Glad to hear that you're taking your car to the track.  I got about 1100
track miles on my E30 so far this year and have noticed that these cars
go through rear brakes very quickly.  I had one set that only lasted a
day.  However, they have worn equally.  It sounds like the  left rear
caliper may not be sliding freely.  Make sure you check this out.

The Performance Friction pads seem to survive ok.  They require more
effort than some other pads, but with the lifetime warrentee from
Autozone ;-), I'm willing to make that trade off.  I may try some Hawk
Blues after I kill off my current set of PFs.

As for your questions....

> 1.  Are stock E30 calipers sturdy enough for the occasional driving school?
>         (I plan to do about 2-4 per year)
>
I have yet to have any problems with them.  Any comments from other E30
drivers???


> 2.  If so, should I try rebuilding these myself or should I purchase rebuilt
> calipers?
>
That depends on your time/money situation.  Rebuilding isn't a big deal,
just take your time.  I would recommend replacing the rubber brake lines
either with fresh OEM ones or get stainless lines.


> 3.  Since Performance Friction does not make rear pads for my car  (yet?),
> what would be a complimentary rear pad?
>
I've had trouble finding other pads to use for the rear, but at $20 per
set, I just bring a couple extra sets to the track. Current set is from
Raybestos.  We'll see........


> 4.  What brake improvements can I make that will still allow the stock 14" rim?
> 5.  What improvements are available if I move to a 15" or 16" rim?
>
Get more air to the rotors.  I added ducting to bring air right to the
center of the rotor.  I cut a hole in the backing plate to allow the air
to have a straight path to the center of the hub.  I guess you could
upgrade to E30 M3 parts or some combination of VW rotor and a caliper
from something else (the details escape me at the moment).

In general, I have found these brakes to be very good once you get more
air to them.  Try different pads, but realize that some compounds will
start to eat rotors.  Life is a series of trade offs......

Have fun,

Mike Orth
Tarheel Chapter

------------------------------