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      08-08-2018, 11:44 AM   #1
dee0007
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zimmerman vs oem rotors?

Hey guys just wondering if anyone had experience with zimmerman rotors and how much different are they in comparison to OEM?

Thanks
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      08-08-2018, 01:48 PM   #2
nachob
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Subscribing as I am also interested. I have used Zimmerman rotors on all my other BMWs except the 1M. On the E46, they worked great. I did learn a valuable lesson one time with my Subaru Legacy GT Wagon in 2002. The car had very good brakes but the rotors would warp. I loved the initial bite and cold characteristics of the Subaru pads just didn't want the rotors to warp. I ordered a brand new set of Subaru Original pads but Brembo rotors from Tire Rack. When I changed out the rotors, I noticed the Brembos were lighter than the worn Subaru rotors which I thought...cool, lighter rotors, more performance. I changed all 4 rotors again with factory Pads. At first the brakes had no bite, but I just figured ok, I replaced all 4, they just need to bed. But I drove my wagon brand new and the brakes were excellent brand new. They got a little better after about 200 miles but there was no bite. I drove another 300 miles and still no bite. I thought I did something wrong, so I went back to Subaru and got another set of front pads. Drove another 1000 miles and while not unsafe, I no longer had the awesome brakes my car came with. I was puzzled. It bothered me quite a bit. I went back to Subaru and bought a pair of Subaru rotors and put them on with the Subaru pads....boom! Instant bite back. I went back and bought the rears Subarus and again reused the pads. Brakes went right back to the way it was new.

The point is, that something in Brembo metal composition did not work well with the factory Subaru pads. Maybe if I used Brembo pads, things would've been different. So from that point, Zimmerman is the only non BMW rotor I use and have not had a single issue. I tried ATE uncoated rotors in my E46 325i and they worked well also but rusted up something fierce and looked terrible behind my BBS RXs so I switched them to Zimmerman coated.

So I expect Zimmerman to work just as well as BMW OE but I have seen non-OE rotors not work as well with OE pads. They are designed to work as a unit. I can't wait for feedback on this thread. Personally I drive the 1M so little that for an extra $100 a set, would get OE BMW but if you drive a lot, the lower price makes sense. Thanks for posting!
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      08-08-2018, 01:58 PM   #3
dee0007
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Thanks for the response. The juan is my daily driver and i drive it pretty hard. I read a lot of mixed reviews that zimmerman tend to warp that's why I wanted some 1m owners opinions on that. I could get the zimmerman 250 CAD cheaper which is not a big deal. But ultimately i dont need any warping issues anytime soon. I wouldn't be happy at all about that so Im slowly opting toward the oems.

are there any other alternatives that are perhaps slotted not drilled? Even if it costs a bit more than oem?
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      08-08-2018, 02:06 PM   #4
ayao
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Apparently Stoptech has some replacement rotors:
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1251029

ECS also sells a house brand: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part...01004ecs01akt/

PFC also has a V3 Direct Drive replacement rotor for the front.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1330681

I don't know if the PFC V3s are slotted or dimpled -- the V2s were dimpled and I had no problems when I was running the V2s other than a whirring sound at speed, likely caused by the dimple pattern.

Last edited by ayao; 08-08-2018 at 08:36 PM..
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      08-08-2018, 08:19 PM   #5
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Interested in this as well. It's time for me to replace my pads and rotors and I'm looking at the full Zimmerman/Textar kit from FCP
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      08-09-2018, 05:06 PM   #6
dee0007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asiflicious View Post
Interested in this as well. It's time for me to replace my pads and rotors and I'm looking at the full Zimmerman/Textar kit from FCP
The reason I was asking was because I get a lot of mixed reviews on the net , many claim that Zimmerman are garbage and easily warp :/
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      08-10-2018, 01:05 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dee0007 View Post
The reason I was asking was because I get a lot of mixed reviews on the net , many claim that Zimmerman are garbage and easily warp :/
You will get mixed reviews for sure. You have to look at each situation and judge accordingly. Did they use Track pads and track? Did they use OE pads and use only on street? Does the car sit for long periods? This is a common issue with these rotors....zimmerman or factory. They are not meant to sit for long periods of time. They will get what some call garage rot which is buildup of corrosion that does not go away and makes the rotors feel warped. They are not actually warped but have uneven build up that makes them pulsate. If you read your 1M supplementary manual, it says there that these are high performance brakes and should be have heavy application periodically. I had this issue when I bought my car from previous owner and had it garaged all winter. I bought the car and drove it and brakes were pulsating. It was not a big deal but I asked him if it did that when he put it away for the winter. He said no, they were fine before. Anyway, BMW replaced under warranty and they explained that storing the car, especially in damp or humid environment will cause this. So there are plenty of other possibilities that can cause warping or the appearance of warping.

1M Manual link below

://www.1addicts.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1305123&d=1445515421

Finally, on Textar pads, I am a big fan of them. Alway had great luck with them. They tend to have great cold bite, which is high on my list but they also tend to be slightly noisier and can you have to be more diligent installing them. Make sure you use some BMW brake paste on all metal to metal contacts on the pads including the pad backs. The paste is less than $2 at the dealer. Jurid pads are generally quieter but don't have outstanding initial cold bite. Once warm, they work the same but when I'm driving around in the morning in a cold car and a kid runs in front of my car, the extra 5 feet it might take for the pads to bite can make the difference between "damn kid where are your parents" and OMG!
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Last edited by nachob; 08-10-2018 at 01:16 PM..
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      02-20-2019, 03:37 PM   #8
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Hey guys,

Bump/Reviving a few month old thread as I need to replace my pads/rotors all around
I have stock pads/rotors for my 2009 135i M package

Did anyone ever confirm/deny any alternative pads/rotors or to just bit the bullet on OEM?

Also any tips/advice on installing yourself?
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      02-20-2019, 04:05 PM   #9
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bavauto.com
Turnermotorsport
FCP Euro

Look at these 3 sites for parts; Bav Auto have very good DIY's, don't know about the other two.
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