YES!:rolleyes:

randy, many people have upgraded to 325/8 front brakes (you need calipers, brake carriers and rotors for the 325/8 ). i'm in the process of doing this myself. it will be fine. in fact, it'll be better than fine, you'll have vented rotors in the front :) this is basically the same setup as the 325/8s (vented front, solid rear) and the same as the later year 318ti's (they finally went vented in ... 98 i think). nothing to worry about.

post pics of the chair mod if you would!
 

let us know how the chair mod performs and by all means post pics! :evil_lau:

that was too funny aceyx, you brightened my ****ty day (see brake forum post "e-brake cable wearing through brake hose - neato!" for why i'm having a ****ty day).

Thank you everybody,
I'm kind of a newbie...so sorry for my lack of knowledge.
One last thing, That light on the dash indicating that the pads are wearing off is lit. If I get new pads with the rotors, will it automatically go off or is there a sensor that I would need to replace?
Sorry for the many questions...
Thanks again
-Randy

don't worry about the questions randy, everybody has 'em when they join here.

yes, there is a pad wear sensor, one each front and back. check the ETK for your particular model ( www.realoem.com/bmw, you'll need the last 7 digits of your VIN, hit the BRAKES section and then it should be fairly obvious from there :p ).

btw, a good place to get used front brake calipers (should come with the carriers too) would be bavarian auto recycling (since you're in CA), www.usedbmwparts.com. they clean and test 'em before they send 'em out. i got my spare rear set from them. when i disassembled them (before dropping them off at the powdercoater), the pistons looked good, no rust or scoring on the piston/bore. i would give them a call if you're thinking about the swap.

I'm getting vented rotors and calipers (front and rears from a 325is) from somebody at bimmerforums for $200 shipped, do you think that's a good deal, or should i pass this one up?
Now that I know that I can't fit the rears, I guess I might just go and try to sell them if I do get this set.
Besides the rotors,pads and calipers, do i need anything else? You said brake carriers earlier cali-ti. How much do they cost, and can I find them at usedbmwparts.com?
Thanks again
-Randy

carriers should be coming with the caliper. carrier bolts to the caliper, it holds the inner pad and is pushed against the rotor by the caliper piston. see this diagram ... brake carrier is #2 (collar screws hold it to the caliper and it moves on the guide bolts and bushings). you should be all set if someone is sending you a used set. i paid ~$55 for a used set of 325 front calipers, forget what i paid for stock rotors from the dealer. seems like a fairly reasonable price, i guess it depends on how many miles are on them, condition, etc. are the rotors new or used?

I paid I think $75 each from Zionsville several years ago. Sow ith shipping that is a good price. Just be sure it comes with the bracket. Fig 2. I would also suggest rebuilding them before installing.

thanks for actually posting the diagram steven, lol ... my mind is on my own brake problems, thanks for covering ;)

as far as rear brakes go: since the ti shares an almost identical rear suspension set-up as the e30, would rear brakes off a e30 work on the ti?

i think i looked up the e30 m3 and it had basically the same/very similar size solid rear rotors that we do. didn't see a point to it after that ...

Hey Steven,
What do you mean by rebuilding?
Do you mean resurfacing the rotors so they are smooth and even?
or is it something else?
thanks again
-Randy

rebuilding the calipers. there are rebuild kits which have new seals. i'll be going through this process soon (already started it).

remove the old pads, guide pins/bushings and carriers. then you need to pop the old pistons out with compressed air (be careful when you do this as when the piston does finally pop, it shoots out - you'll need to put a piece of wood on the other side so as not to damage the piston too). also make sure to wear eye protection when you do that, you don't want any brake fluid getting in your eyes. then you need to inspect the piston and the bore for any signs of scoring, etc. if the piston is damaged, you can't get a replacement and need to get another caliper :( clean everything up, if you want to sandblast the outside and/or paint it, now is the time to do that. i dropped mine off to be powdercoated (completely disassembled, they'll dip 'em, tape 'em off and powdercoat them with carriers for $200) and am still waiting for them to finish up. after that, you need to put in the new seals, get the piston back in the bore with the new seals, put in the new bushing kit you got (i went with bavauto's brass caliper bushing kits rather than the rubber), carriers and carrier guide bolts, new pads, bleeder (new recommended, old if you have to - i went with speed bleeders, we'll see how those work) and then you're basically ready to install. you may want to fill it up with new fluid before you put the bleeder in and tighten it just to speed the bleeding process up a bit.

now because my car has over 200k and i'm an anal retentive freak, i ordered all new hoses, mounting bolts, brackets, etc ... if it was on the diagram and was available, i pretty much got a new one :p

some good links covering this topic:

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e36/bra..._brake_it.html
http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/caliper.htm
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/arc...p/t-31491.html

I will be doing a brake upgrade soon, and this page has been most useful. I love this site!

just finished mine.

325 caliper
Brembo Sport Rotors(C/D)
BMW OE fluid flush
Gtech S/S brake lines.

The back rotors I am having problems with, as they are stuck to the hubs with SuperRustGlue....argh. I am going to have them done by a local BM shop here. Very good place in Orlando.