Pitch Black

I came from a E92 335i to the 535xi and the difference in pedal pressure is killing me. I've been looking at all my options in regards to upgrading my brakes on my 535xi. I'm not excited by the general lack of aftermarket support of the 535xi so I'm debating going custom ( a well planned and thorough custom setup).

The setup goes as follows:

Drilled stock sized rotors (a vendor here sells some)
Wilwood 6 piston and 4 piston calipers for the front and rear respectively
Custom billet caliper brackets
AMS SS brake lines



My questions are:

Has anyone else though of this?

Did I miss the a BBK that fits the Xi?

Is a caliper upgrade really necessary? Can anyone vouch for just brake pad/rotor upgrades?

Thanks in advance. I did a search but I couldn't turn up anything really comprehensive. If you find something tho please share!

-Phil

Pitch Black

No one wanted to do any kind of bbk brake upgrade for Xi??

v_therussian

I've looked into it, but found nothing out there. I've ended up getting driller and slotted Centric Premiums with HPS pads, OEM sensors and kept the lines stock. Works great. OEM brakes fade like crazy in heavy use, even though in daily driving they weren't too awful. These are cooler, so they don't grab as firmly when cold, have to warm them up. When cold they are a little better than OEM, but when hot, they are friggin AWESOME! It isn't a BBK, sure, but I figured cost wasn't worth the benefit.

itz MURDAH

Stoptech makes a BBk for xi models ..

Pitch Black

See V thats what I was thinking. I didn't think a BBK was truly worth it.

I believe our front brake rotors are 320mm which are a respectable size. Therefore, going with cross drilled rotors and pads should see some kind of upgrade. I wanted to know if anyone wanted more clamping power while stil being able to use a 17 or 18 inch rim.

I will look into Stoptech. I checked out Modbargains online and I didn't think they did. Then again I wasn't sure either. I think I'm just mad at how bad the 535xi offerings are vs the 335i's

itz MURDAH

here's the part numbers http://extranet.soleniuminc.com/Cent...6&m=31&mm=2803

yeah because your previous car was an i not xi .. even the 535i has more options than the 535xi, we are limited to certain brands and products :/

Edit: The link shows the part numbers for my car 2006 530xi, not sure if its the same specs as the 535xi?

sachal007

nvm


http://www.jdmhub.com/index.php?rout...duct_id=170416

Pitch Black

I ran into those.

However, KSport does not do their homework. A member on here was interested in coilovers for their Xi and upon asking KSport about fitment, the KSport rep was not aware of the Xi's differences in suspension tolerances.

Thus I won't spend 4600+ on a product from a company that does not ensure fitment to each unique application.

I'm either going Stoptech if I like their application or custom. Truth be told, I just want responsive brakes that don't fade so rapidly.

v_therussian

Honestly, bro, its no M5, so just try the drilled/slotted rotors with some better pads. I'll tell ya, materials alone on performance rotors and pads will improve your stopping distance and pedal feel significantly. And when you go from a solid rotor to a slotted and drilled one, you'll see a LOT of difference. The only thing you have to remember, optimal operating temperatures are not as easily reached on vented rotors, so you'll have to warm them up. Also, you have to be sure to bed them in properly when you get them installed. And lastly, just from my own experience, my hindsight tells me I should have spent the extra couple of hundred on R1 Concepts rotors, instead of the Centrics. But still, the Centrics are plenty decent - I've had them for about a year and a half now and they are working just fine. I think one of them warped, which is the reason I'd go with R1's next time around. Unfortunately, drilled and slotted rotors cannot be shaved, can only be replaced. But it's not so bad that it bothers me at all. In normal driving it isn't even noticeable - only under heavy braking, when I'm really tracking it.

So to conclude, I recommend you save your money for something else, and just try out the R1's with some semi-racing compound pads. Tap Michael @ Acute Performance - he's got the best deals and he knows a GREAT DEAL about this stuff (he tracks some of his cars regularly and uses the products he sells ).

Pitch Black

True its not an M5. I was looking to get it in the neighborhood of 450hp but I may even nix that idea. Thanks for the input V. I will look into the R1's.