m3 front brakes under stock wheels?

[kelso]

alright so recently i hit a racoon and ****ed up my bumper, had to get a new one and luckily a shop was parting an m3 so i grabbed the bumper. when i went down there i noticed X drilled rotors and ive been looking for some so i thought maybe ill buy the front brakes and rotors and swap it all over but ive got 2 sets of wheels. stock 15's which im gonna use for tracking the car and my everyday 17's. big question is will m3 brakes fit under 15 inch stock sport wheels. otherwise im just gonna get some zimmerman rotors or something, any links to those?

[AutoM3otives]

Originally Posted by kelso

big question is will m3 brakes fit under 15 inch stock sport wheels.

nope.

[kelso]

damnit! ok well in that case can someone find some good X drilled rotors for the stock 318 brakes please

[AutoM3otives]

Originally Posted by kelso

good X drilled rotors

Those words don't go together.
Blanks are best.

[kelso]

personal opinion there. cross drilled does work... cheap ones crack, thats why i want good ones like zimmermans

[AutoM3otives]

zimmermans crack.
I pushed my set hard on my E30 m3 WITH cooling ducts on the street and on some spirited canyon runs. Good thing I never took them to the track. They're done.

[96cali]

If you plan on tracking your car and are willing to upgrade consider the e36 325/8 calipers and rotors or even better yet the e46 330 calipers and rotors. You'll have a lot more stopping power and can still do the slotted or drilled rotors if you insist. I know bav auto sells matching slotted and drilled rears for our cars which is a rarity. I bought the slotted from them and have been very happy. There is also another place in Cleveland (where I just left) that always had drilled/slotted sets at a good price. Can't vouch for their quality. Look on ebay fro greatlakesperformance or search brakes within 20 miles of 44118 (my old zip).

[J!m]

Grab the M3 front suspension and run the 17's only. If you need other wheels for track tires, get some cheap 17's from tire rack or something. The wheels will cost less than the brake kit. You can shed some weight with the spare too, since it won't fit the front brakes. BUT, if you keep the stock rear brakes, you can fit the spare on the rear. If you get a front flat, switch tires with the rear, and run the spare on the rear...

You can mount your springs (or up-rate them a bit) on the M3 struts (or up-rate the struts as well) whch gives better caster, better responding sway bar and the big brakes you saw. A stock ti will stop wonderfully with M3 brakes, and all you do is bolt them on; no changes to the ABS pump or master cylinder. Why not? The M3 springs will be a bit too stiff for the four cylinder engine's weight.

[Viper3812]

Animals suck, I hit a cat 2 years ago and he busted my foglight and bracket.

I know someone up here in Orlando who might still have new brembo drilled rotors for the rear of our car if you want them.

[lkwd318ti]

Yes...get blank rotors...
If youre going to upgrade, get 32x i/is brakes. Those should fit under the 15in rims.

-Randy

[mohaughn]

I wouldn't consider zimmerman, bavauto, or even brembo sport drilled rotors good enough for track use..

The brembo sport rotors have this warning on them- "IMPORTANT REMINDER: Slotted, drilled or dimpled rotors offered as OEM replacements should not be considered appropriate for high-speed track use."

If you are going to use cross drilled rotors on the track, get the BMW motorsport crossdrilled rotors.. Of course you will have to get different calipers to fit those rotors.

[96cali]

Originally Posted by J!m

Grab the M3 front suspension and run the 17's only. If you need other wheels for track tires, get some cheap 17's from tire rack or something.

I always heard 17's for show, 16's for go and 15's for snow at least for stock M44's. Could be splitting hairs though.

The e46 330 brakes still fit 16" wheels so it's a nice compromise, not sure about 15" wheels though (think they do). There is a great visual comparison between all these options buried deep in my bookmarks that I can never find when i need it. I've posted it before though.

[DustenT]

Originally Posted by lkwd318ti

If youre going to upgrade, get 32x i/is brakes. Those should fit under the 15in rims.
-Randy

Correct, they just barely fit under 15" steelies.

[J!m]

Originally Posted by 96cali

I always heard 17's for show, 16's for go and 15's for snow at least for stock M44's. Could be splitting hairs though.

True enough, but this is the 21st century, so perhaps we can say "18's for show, 17's for go and 16's for snow"?

Anyway, I have yet to drive any car with brakes that are "too good", so it really is up to you. It seems like you have an opportunity on your hands that you may regret later (say, after you purchase my swap manual, HINT HINT ), but really, if it is a street driven car, the stock brakes with good quality pads (such as the Porterfield R4S) will work splendidly for you. When I took delivery of my car new, I was well impressed with the braking quality on the stock brake pads and tires.

[L84THSKY]

I bought these from BMP Designs, they are the bomb

Originally Posted by kelso

personal opinion there. cross drilled does work... cheap ones crack, thats why i want good ones like zimmermans