135i calipers on 128i

[500AF]

If this is a stupid you all can say so... I wanted better breaks on my 128i. Are the 135i calipers much better and would they bolt on to my 128i. Thanks!

[Blacksport]

The BMW performance brake kit is actually the same as 135 brakes...you can buy fronts only or all 4...I have fronts only on my 128; you will notice a huge increase in brake feel...not to mention that you've gotten rid of the cast iron, one-piston, butt-ugly sliding calipers and mouse-sized rotors, and replaced them with beautiful 6-piston aluminum calipers and larger rotors mounted on aluminum hats.

[500AF]

Originally Posted by Blacksport

The BMW performance brake kit is actually the same as 135 brakes...you can buy fronts only or all 4...I have fronts only on my 128; you will notice a huge increase in brake feel...not to mention that you've gotten rid of the cast iron, one-piston, butt-ugly sliding calipers and mouse-sized rotors, and replaced them with beautiful 6-piston aluminum calipers and larger rotors mounted on aluminum hats.

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear about the front performance kit. I will be getting them. Did you do them yourself and is it a straight bolt on? Thanks for the info!

[asbrr]

Originally Posted by 500AF

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear about the front performance kit. I will be getting them. Did you do them yourself and is it a straight bolt on? Thanks for the info!

Yes, straight bolt on as long as you make sure you have the caliper carrier from the 135i also (if you're buying the calipers used make sure, new ones come with that).

The only part that requires replacement for fitment is the front brake shield/backing plate. You can bolt on the 135i version, or use the front F30 backing plates and modify them slightly to fit - these have the advantage of a built in "cooling" channel.

Otherwise, huge increase in feel and braking force.

[Skers 05]

Originally Posted by 500AF

If this is a stupid you all can say so... I wanted better breaks on my 128i. Are the 135i calipers much better and would they bolt on to my 128i. Thanks!

If you're looking for a set of 135i calipers, I have a set for sale!

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by 500AF

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear about the front performance kit. I will be getting them. Did you do them yourself and is it a straight bolt on? Thanks for the info!

Greetings.

I have a complete set of BMW PERFORMANCE calipers front and back for a 128.

I had them on my own 128 and took them off to return the car Believe it or not the kit included rear calipers also that look the same as stock but have a slightly larger piston to aid in the brake balance. I have 2 sets of front rotors one slightly worn and1 more worn. The calipers have some scrapes but still look good. I even have a spare set of caliper bolts that can break after repeated removal

Make me an offer Stuff is heavy. I'm in 11701

See pic. Bms and camber plates were sold

[Solo_M_Tech]

Originally Posted by 500AF

If this is a stupid you all can say so... I wanted better breaks on my 128i. Are the 135i calipers much better and would they bolt on to my 128i. Thanks!

You could also find a set of F30 Msport brakes and they are also a straight bolt on. kobeballer96 just installed this kit on his 128i, and the Rotors, calipers and pads are all better than the 135i set.

[kobeballer96]

Originally Posted by ApexResistance

You could also find a set of F30 Msport brakes and they are also a straight bolt on. kobeballer96 just installed this kit on his 128i, and the Rotors, calipers and pads are all better than the 135i set.

Exactly what he said, just save your time and headaches and get the better design calipers from the F30. Plus the rotor is bigger and thicker then the 135i brake kit.

This is the m235i brembos on my 128i.

[Solo_M_Tech]

Once my caliper piston seals are fried, im making the swap to the F30 calipers and Rotors.

[chunho01]

Originally Posted by kobeballer96

Exactly what he said, just save your time and headaches and get the better design calipers from the F30. Plus the rotor is bigger and thicker then the 135i brake kit.

This is the m235i brembos on my 128i.

That looks super cool! Do you need any ECU recode? I heard the OEM BMW Performance Brake Kit for the 128i requires a recode. Something to do with the DSC.

Did you change the rear brakes too? If not, did you mess up the intended brake bias?

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by chunho01

That looks super cool! Do you need any ECU recode? I heard the OEM BMW Performance Brake Kit for the 128i requires a recode. Something to do with the DSC.

Did you change the rear brakes too? If not, did you mess up the intended brake bias?

At the risk of getting flamed because the calipers do look so good, if andrey_gta is right (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...&postcount=880) the bias is hosed. You'd be jumping from 54mm calipers acting on 300mm discs to the equivalent of 65mm calipers acting on 340mm discs, a 69% increase in brake torque. Without doing anything in the rear, bias goes from 62.72%F/37.28%R to 74.02%F/25.98%R. The rear F30 M-Sport brakes use a 345mm disc with a (not found yet) piston caliper diameter to compensate for the larger fronts.

I'd bet they'd feel great (while also wondering about peddle travel), but I'd also bet that performance would suffer at the threshold. If that's not a concern, then whatever floats your boat.

[kobeballer96]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

At the risk of getting flamed because the calipers do look so good, if andrey_gta is right (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...&postcount=880) the bias is hosed. You'd be jumping from 54mm calipers acting on 300mm discs to the equivalent of 65mm calipers acting on 340mm discs, a 69% increase in brake torque. Without doing anything in the rear, bias goes from 62.72%F/37.28%R to 74.02%F/25.98%R. The rear F30 M-Sport brakes use a 345mm disc with a (not found yet) piston caliper diameter to compensate for the larger fronts.

I'd bet they'd feel great (while also wondering about peddle travel), but I'd also bet that performance would suffer at the threshold. If that's not a concern, then whatever floats your boat.

Not that it matters or if it makes a difference, but in the rear I'm running pagid blue track pads from before which bite hard and performs well and in the front they are still OEM F30 pads. The car stops amazing but not at the point where i can't control it. I don't feel a difference. I ran pagid pads for the past two years but it's expensive lol 350-370 for just a pair of pads but safety matters to me, I may do a alternative and switch to EBC yellow stuff. I do plan on doing a solution for the rear and doing a BBK too, a stop kit and color matching everything or switching to 135i rears. I believe I need 135i rear hubs correct?

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by kobeballer96

Not that it matters or if it makes a difference, but in the rear I'm running pagid blue track pads from before which bite hard and performs well and in the front they are still OEM F30 pads.

I'm sure it helps. It takes about a µ.15 difference to get it back in the ballpark (i.e. µ.35 front, µ.5 rear)

[asbrr]

Originally Posted by kobeballer96

Not that it matters or if it makes a difference, but in the rear I'm running pagid blue track pads from before which bite hard and performs well and in the front they are still OEM F30 pads. The car stops amazing but not at the point where i can't control it. I don't feel a difference. I ran pagid pads for the past two years but it's expensive lol 350-370 for just a pair of pads but safety matters to me, I may do a alternative and switch to EBC yellow stuff. I do plan on doing a solution for the rear and doing a BBK too, a stop kit and color matching everything or switching to 135i rears. I believe I need 135i rear hubs correct?

I think it's more than the hubs, I thought I read you need the rear wheel carriers off of a 135i....if you want the parking brake to work. If you don't care for that it should bolt on?

Few people have done this swap and given up the parking brake...I know andrey_gta has..

[cpnbnanamn]

Hey all..
Got to looking at my front rotors tonight, and it appears I'm due to change them out. Kinda thinking about upgrading, but I'm not so sure the F30 is the way I want to go. Recommendations? What needs done? What am I looking at for $$?

[Fast.asleep]

If your going to track the car then upgrade. If it's a street car, a good set of pads will do wonders.

If your going the upgrade route, Suprgnat is absolutely right. Don't forget the brake bias. I upgraded another car and before I swapped the bias spring it caused ABS to engage prematurely.

[hoki06]

If your going to track the car then upgrade. If it's a street car, a good set of pads will do wonders.

I wish people would stop saying junk like this. Throwing out advice such as the quoted statement is what perpetuates the idea that you have to mod your car to be "track ready" before getting on track.

ANY stock BMW is perfectly suited for a beginner to get on track and learn. Any car will have capabilities well beyond a novice driver's skill set for the first several days on track. The notion that you have to swap brakes or have sticky tires or upgrade to xyz suspension before getting on track is absurd and actually hinders the novice driver's ability to learn.

If someone actually cares about learning to drive and not blowing their money, the best thing to do is take whatever money they were going to spend on mods and buy some seat time. Seat time in a slow, bone stock car is the best way to increase ones driving skills IMO. Once they start outdriving the car (brake pads, not rotors/calipers, are probably the first item to address) then modify the car to address those areas.

This is not anything directly aimed at Fast.asleep, just something I consistently observe on multiple forums I frequent.

/rant

[cpnbnanamn]

My car is strictly street.. although, you'd think I drive track.. LOL
I was considering the upgrade like what DriveHard has for sale, but to be perfectly honest, although I'm great with a wrench, and I understand the basics of the bias, I don't feel like I know enough to make a solid decision.
I do drive it hard, but I want to take care of it, too. Just want to make some informed decisions before I go jacking with things.
Any and all advice if appreciated.. and if someone has the time to speak with me about it offline, that'd be awesome, too!

[asbrr]

Honestly if it's a street only car, upgrade the fronts to 135i calipers and rotors (as many have mentioned same as BMW performance yellow calipers), add a good quality street pad (like stoptech street performance or similar), add some stainless lines and good fluid and you will immediately notice a huge improvement in brake feel and force.

You can then buy some used 328i rear calipers, swap out your factory ones, add pads of your choice and what you have is pretty much the actual BMW performance kit. You can have this kit "coded" by your dealer if you wish, most on here have speculated that the coding will adjust the ESP system calibration and the ABS calibration for the different calipers front and rear, and *may* adjust other factors such as master cylinder pressure etc but we have never seen a concrete answer direct from BMW.

You could just run without the coding and many have had fine results that way. I'm running this way without the upgraded rear calipers, I plan to add those later, and I'm very happy with the improvements so far. ABS still functions just fine in the snow/ice, and braking performance and feel is hugely improved.

[cpnbnanamn]

So, the next question.. What's the difference between the kit that DriveHard has and these?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-18...e91e92e93.aspx

I know these are stupid questions.. But as I mentioned, I don't want to go jacking with things without having solid information.

[Horigan]

Has someone actually put bigger piston calipers on a 128 and liked the pedal feel? Seems like you would need the 135i master cylinder also to maintain good pedal feel. Matching larger brake pistons with a small master cylinder piston will result in a soft pedal...

Rich

[AlexR6]

Originally Posted by Horigan

Has someone actually put bigger piston calipers on a 128 and liked the pedal feel? Seems like you would need the 135i master cylinder also to maintain good pedal feel. Matching larger brake pistons with a small master cylinder piston will result in a soft pedal...

Rich

I did, 335i front and 328i rear. Pedal feel is ok, no major difference between stock setup and this new one. I considered to swap master cylinder for the 135i one but at the end of the day the difference is only 2 mm on the front piston so I'll wait to see how's the pedal when brake pads are at about half of their life but I don't expect any problem.