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      06-22-2011, 11:11 AM   #265
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One of my front ceramic pistons is shattered, others seem to be ok for now. I have a track day coming up next tuesday. Is it safe to drive with one piston like that? By the way i did break shields bending for my last event and it did make the difference. I didnt measure the rotors temp. but by standing next to them right after the hot session i felf a lot less heat coming out of there.
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      06-22-2011, 01:25 PM   #266
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Um...i wouldn't risk it unless i didn't care if my car wrecked. Braking is the most important thing my car does, so if its not up to snuff, i don't push it. Good time to order the caliper rebuild kit and see how that does.
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      06-22-2011, 01:49 PM   #267
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 09 AND135I 11 View Post
One of my front ceramic pistons is shattered, others seem to be ok for now. I have a track day coming up next tuesday. Is it safe to drive with one piston like that? By the way i did break shields bending for my last event and it did make the difference. I didnt measure the rotors temp. but by standing next to them right after the hot session i felf a lot less heat coming out of there.
How did you know it shattered?? were you swapping pads ??? just looking?? heard a noise ???
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      06-22-2011, 02:32 PM   #268
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Yes, i was putting new DTC 70 front pads. I always inspect the caliper, pistons and thats when i noticed one piston was damaged. Its still there but porcelain partially crumbled off the piston.
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      06-22-2011, 04:33 PM   #269
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Yeah I wouldn't feel too comfortable tracking with less than optimum braking. You should get the titanium shims too if you haven't already. I would invest in two sets the .5 mil & the 1 mil set for when the pads wear down. this way you'll get more heat protection. glad to hear the splash shield mod worked out for you.
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      06-29-2011, 04:17 PM   #270
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Just to follow up on my previous post about shattered piston. I didnt have time to rebuild the caliper as some of you suggested and went to the track anyway. The day before i tested my brakes on the street and didnt notice any malfunction at all. So i took a chance and went to NJM Thunderbolt on tuesday. The car was great and braking from almost 140 mph at the end of the front straightaway didnt cause any problems. No vibration, pulling to one side or any unusual noise. I am not suggesting anyone to track the car with a damaged piston. Just wanted to share my experience with forum members. I will fix the problem as soon as i can.
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      06-29-2011, 05:17 PM   #271
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Good to hear that buts its like playing Russian roulette. Get them fixed or replace the caliper
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      06-30-2011, 09:04 AM   #272
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Where'd you guys pick up your titanium shims from? Also do you leave them in there for dd or just track use?
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      06-30-2011, 09:54 AM   #273
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I leave them in there. no need to take them out. here is the link
http://hardbrakes.com/index.php?main...jvd1uu37tsq2i2
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      07-05-2011, 10:17 AM   #274
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I bought the thinner shims and used them for three events in four weeks (without taking off the HT-10's in between). When I swapped back to "street", I noticed the shims had changed color. They give me a little more confidence.
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      07-07-2011, 11:51 PM   #275
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timhatimay View Post
I bought a set of brake spoilers from a Porsche GT3. They are plastic and are meant to snap to the control arm. They are relatively cheap as well (~$30). I didn't get a chance to fit them yet, as they will require some trimming. I think they work better attached to the tension rod, but seem to fit nicely on the wishbone. Both methods will require zip-ties to secure, but shouldn't affect turning the wheels. This seems like an easy way to get some more air-flow to the brakes without a hardcore duct that may be limiting on the street. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try it out.

http://www.suncoastparts.com/mm5/gra...akespoiler.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mmF7kG1eqN...0/DSCN3218.JPG

(Pictures borrowed from suncoastparts.com and blogspot.com)

Tim
Ever try these out? Looks like a good compromise duct that might work. I'd drop some cash for a set of these if they could easily be adapted to the tension arms. It'd be great if someone could fabricate a similar set specifically for our cars.
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      07-08-2011, 08:57 AM   #276
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that actually seems like a pretty good work around...although our dust shield would still be blocking a lot of the air.
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      07-08-2011, 03:37 PM   #277
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Will probably need to cut some of the shield for this. but it looks like it'll channel quite a bit of air to the brakes tho. In if someone make something like this.
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      07-08-2011, 04:25 PM   #278
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I searched for Porsche Brake Duct/Brake Spoiler, and there's so many result. Seems to be the standard issue for them. I searched for BMW Brake Duct and it's all those with complicated piping and requires cutting your bumper apart... BMW Brake spoiler had no relevant results what so ever at all.

I read an article from one of those car mag talking about the 370Z Brembos, similar to the 135i ones I guess? They talk about great braking power... until it falls off a cliff and doesn't stop the car at all, to the point it's dangerous. Bigger brakes, better pads allows more braking performance, but does nothing to stop heat build up. I think cooling the brake is the best way to prevent cooking your piston/caliper/pad, etc. Even if you add a shim between the pad and the caliper, it does nothing to prevent your braking power to fall down cliff.

Hence I don't get why there's all these calls for upgrading brakes/pads, etc for the track. Shouldn't brake cooling be the first mod above all else? Yet there seems to be so few solutions for our BMWs on this...
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      07-08-2011, 10:24 PM   #279
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Dust boots/seals cracking

It sounds like a lot of you are having serious problems with the 135i brakes. I too have been having a ton of problems which I think are all related to the lack of cooling/airflow to the brakes. Anyway, after a weekend at VIR and running HT-10 pads for the first time I noticed that the dust boots/seals around the brake pistons were starting to crack. First of all do I need to replace them or will the brake be ok without them. Second, is there an easy way to replace these if so where can I order the boots/seals or do I have to do a caliper rebuild? I really appreciate any help you can give me on this subject as the only reason I bought this car was to attend a few DE's a year and as of right now it looks like I might not be able to continue with these events due to the brake issues! P.S. I will be adding ducting to the brakes if I make it to another event.
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      07-13-2011, 05:32 PM   #280
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I tried to search the net some more, and found a post stating this. So it's just improperly used/designed/fitted pad? True? Or not quite?

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...8&postcount=35
Quote:
Yes, it was improperly-used/designed/fitted pad backing plates that caused the ceramic caps on top of the pistons to crack.

You have to make sure the pad backing plates sit flush with those ceramic caps, so they distribute pressure equally. The OP used cut-up Porsche pads not designed for the 135i that caused the caps to crack. He then mistook the caps for the actual pistons, which they are not. They are ceramic caps designed to reduce heat transfer from the pad to the brake fluid.

Berk did the pads on their 135i properly and they have had no issues after several hard track days (see my sig)


So, to recap:
1) The cracking was caused by improperly-fitting brake pad backing plates. Basically the holes on the plate where the pistons are supposed to set into it did not line up with the BMW pistons, because the pads were modified from a 6-piston Porsche pad.
2) The fix? Use pads specifically designed for the 135i!
3) It is not the pistons that crack. It's the ceramic caps on top of them.
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      07-14-2011, 08:14 AM   #281
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Mine cracked and chipped with stock pads, and powderized with Hawk pads. the issue is design and heat related. I think Scott was able to minimize the issue using a variety of things, including certain pads, custom brake ducting/cooling, and replacement pistons.

I posted information regarding the replacement piston info in a separate thread.
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      07-14-2011, 09:53 AM   #282
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Quote:
Originally Posted by larryn View Post
Mine cracked and chipped with stock pads, and powderized with Hawk pads. the issue is design and heat related. I think Scott was able to minimize the issue using a variety of things, including certain pads, custom brake ducting/cooling, and replacement pistons.

I posted information regarding the replacement piston info in a separate thread.
Larryn, i installed stop tech aluminum pistons on my stock front calipers last weekend. It took me about 3 hours to do it but only because it was the first time for me to do such a job. Its an easy job really. But now i have an issue with my brakes. The brake pedal travel is noticeably longer than before and it feels soft. I flushed my system with SRF fluid about two month ago and had no issue at all on the track. Of course i bled all 4 corners with power bleeder using almost 1 liter of SRF fluid after caliper rebuild. Do you think there is still some air in the system or is it somehow related to new pistons? All pistons with new pressure seals and dust boots fit perfectly and the quality appeared to be top notch. I reinstalled the same pads (dtc70) that have two track days on them.

Last edited by Groundpilot; 07-14-2011 at 09:58 AM..
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      07-14-2011, 05:22 PM   #283
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Well, after talking to my mechanic, it looks like when doing caliper rebuilds it takes several bleed sessions to get all the air out of the system . I may have to bleed the system 3 or 4 times to make it feel right again. Another tip is to tap the calipers with rubber mallet to dislodge air bubbles.
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      07-14-2011, 06:28 PM   #284
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Ouch that's a lot of SRF to bleed but great to hear the pistons are interchangeable. I may have to do the same. Where did you buy the pistons from?
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      07-14-2011, 07:56 PM   #285
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FWIW, I use about 2 litres on a bleed. The calipers hold a LOT of fluid, and taking out the pistons introduces gobs of air. The mallet is a great suggestion.
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      07-14-2011, 08:56 PM   #286
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Quote:
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Ouch that's a lot of SRF to bleed but great to hear the pistons are interchangeable. I may have to do the same. Where did you buy the pistons from?
here is the link http://store.zeckhausen.com/catalog/...oducts_id=2916
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