Noob Questions: 001 of 100 - Big Brake Kits on a '06 330ci M-Tech ZHP (e46)

[AProudSailor]

Noob Questions: 001 of 100 - Big Brake Kits on a '06 330ci M-Tech ZHP (e46)

:hi Sooo, I'm fairly new to ZHP Mafia, and mechanical performance mod's in general.

This question pertains to Big Brake Kits (BBK's) as I have just started digging into this topic regarding equipping my Sparkling Graphite Metallic '06 330ci M-Tech ZHP (e46)?

My primary concerns are low-dust, high-performance, cost and of course suitability for FAST highway driving..

Here's what I've been steered towards so far..
StopTech ST40 Brake Kit, 332mm Diameter (83.148.4600.52 or 83.148.4600.54)
.51 = Black caliper / slotted rotor
.52 = Black caliper / drilled rotor
.53 = Black caliper / slotted rotor with Zinc plating
.54 = Black caliper / drilled rotor with Zinc plating

My follow-on questions are:
Any real differences on slotted/drilled?
Zinc-plating?
Does no one produce a quality black or dark-colored rotor?

I'll welcome any advice and experiences, good or bad, to help me make the right decision!

[mimalmo]

Are you talking about the rotor hat being black? The only black rotors I've seen on cars are carbon ceramic.

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/multimedia/photo_gallery/8068824+w1400+h1050+st0/0712_15z_1400x1050+2009_chevrolet_corvette_ZR1+car bon_ceramic_brakes.jpg

[wsmeyer]

There's a wealth of info on braking over at e46fanatics:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=598402

Zinc plating keeps the metal from rusting. It immediately comes off the braking surface and will leave the slots/holes and hat black which most people think looks nicer.

If I were doing a BBK it would be this in the front:

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0l/Braking/Big_Brake_OEM/ES2215444/

and just the OEM drilled in the rear:

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0l/Braking/View_All/ES2137046/

William.

[danewilson77]

You should snap the e90 conversion set while on sale.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-ECS_Big_Brake_Kit/

Go with pbr ultimate ceramic pads.

Go with slotted, zinc coated.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[zj96sc]

Unless you're doing very very heavy track work or have the cash to spend, I don't know that a BBK is really the best bang for your buck at this point. You likely won't improve stopping distance, if anything a moderate improvement in fade resistance after repeated heavy applications.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I'd agree with that. If you'll be using the BBK on the streets only, I think you'd be perfectly happy (and pleased) with the OEM set up. And you'll save a bunch of money by staying OEM.

My comment, of course, assumes a street setup only. If you'll be doing it for other reasons, then carry on.

[AProudSailor]

Well, I do plan on doing a bit of racing on the highway (between speed traps, of course!), but I've been told that I'm hell on brake pads since I can't drive slow.

Also, the OEM brake dust is really starting to irritate me.

[mimalmo]

Lots of brake dust is common on performance brakes.

[AProudSailor]

Seems like a reasonable price for both, now if I can just find a way to like the yellow housing..

[AProudSailor]

BTW, I'm currently deployed in the Middle East, so I've got nothing better to do in my free time than to plan my upgrades and stockpile tax-free cash :)

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Well, I do plan on doing a bit of racing on the highway (between speed traps, of course!), but I've been told that I'm hell on brake pads since I can't drive slow.

Also, the OEM brake dust is really starting to irritate me.

Can't argue about OEM brake dust.

And if you plan to drive fast, then I can say that big brakes are helpful. In my younger days, I used to drive fast. I realized that I could drive faster and longer with the BBK (because I knew that my brakes would stop me in a shorter distance than OEM).

Good luck with finding the right kit.

[Hornung418]

Honestly, this isn't a worthy upgrade unless you are going to be doing a lot of track work or an FI kit is going in. I was doing a lot of reading regarding brake bias, and believe it or not, we need more bias in the rear of the car. Don't have the time to post up all the specs, due to class and what not, but if you change the bias to far from spec, then you could run into serious problems under hard braking stability if you don't know what your doing.

BUT, if you do know what's up, then by all means, go for it.

[zj96sc]

Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, there are no concrete numbers to prove BBKs shorten single stop stopping distance by any substantial amount if at all. If your current brakes can activate your ABS from any speed, which they can (unless something is wrong with them), that is physically the most deceleration your vehicle can undergo.

BBKs increase your fade resistance meaning you can stop that hard more times, not necessarily stop harder once. This is really only needed on the track. In fact there are opinions out there that in single panic stop situations, BBKs underperform stock because they need some heat in them to really bite. There is also a lot of contention that BBKs do not modify the system in unison and wind up with an improper brake bias leading to downright dangerous handling under braking (as hornung mentioned). BMW thought about the brake system proportions, power, bias, and chassis dynamics particular to the E46 a lot harder than Brembo or Stoptech did, this I guarantee you.

I'd also advise you to keep the racing on the track and leave highways for reasonable driving, but that's my Safety Sam opinion.

But like I said before, if you've got the cash and giant yellow calipers make you happy.....by all means!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

This comes from the brakewarehouse:

Where can I find test data on stopping distances?

At the speeds that stopping distance is generally measured from (60 to 70mph), the test is primarily testing the tire's grip on the pavement. As delivered from the manufacturer, nearly all vehicles are able to engage the ABS or lock the wheels at these speeds. Therefore, an increase in braking power will do nothing to stop the vehicle in a shorter distance. For this reason, we do not record stopping distances at this time. The Brembo systems will show their greatest advantages when braking from higher speeds, or when tasked with repeated heavy braking. The increased braking torque provides for maximum deceleration at speed, and the ability to absorb and quickly dissipate the intense heat generated during repeated braking insures that the braking system will perform at the same high level each time.

http://www.brakewarehouse.com/brkewrhsefaqs.asp
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They seem to suggest that, if you are looking at 60-70mph data, there isn't much difference between brakes. At higher speeds, though, they would argue that brakes will make a difference in stopping distance.

Of course, this is a company selling aftermarket brakes, so take it with a grain of salt.