M3 Rotor Warpage

["C. Craig Eller" <cceller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Matt writes concerning his 95 ///M3:

"My problem which I am sure is common was severe rotor warp. Aside from
spending big bucks on some Alcon setup, can any of you offer some advice
on how to eliminate this problem in the future."

Matt, there's lots of things you can do, some of them don't involve
spending any money.

(1) Did you use your cool down lap for cooling down?  Stay off the
brakes and coast around the track during the cool down lap.  I also like
to take a couple of slow laps around the paddock just to make sure.

(3) Did you instinctively pull up the parking brake when you stopped? 
This acts like a "heat sink" and allows part of the rotor to cool down
faster than another.  A sure recipe for warping.

(3) There are also braking "strategies" that will reduce potential rotor
warpage. These involve braking later and harder which allows you to get
off the brakes quicker.  You should discuss this with your instructor
and follow his/her advice on this issue.

If none of this works, you may want to invest in the European two piece
floating rotors that come stock on the Euro version ///M3.   The design
dissipates heat better than the U.S. stock ///M3 rotors.  They are a
standard BMW part and are available at your dealer although you can
probably get a better deal from Stephen at flbearcub@domain.elided .  More
aggressive solutions involve brake ducts that attach to the rotor
backing plate (see Turner Motorsport), but these are generally only
necessary for racing applications.

Good luck.

Craig Eller
BMW CCA Everglades Chapter
E36 ///M3

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