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View Full Version : OEM Brake Ducts


M0nk3y
05-22-2012, 04:57 PM
I was swapping my tires from the weekend event and noticed that we have brake ducts (from the front air dams). But they are almost "valved" off.

Picture:

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5613/dsc0051oz.jpg

Any reason why it's like this? It obviously can be made bigger by taking out that plastic piece, but why did BMW do this?

I'm thinking of just ripping it out, just getting more air flow into there. Anything that would be a negative for this?
Hornung418
05-22-2012, 06:07 PM
Do it!
danewilson77
05-22-2012, 06:19 PM
That's the way the pork chops on e46 come. Then you remove the punchout.

Sent from a Thunderbolt
NorCalZman
05-22-2012, 06:39 PM
hm interesting. I saw that we had brake ducts from when my bumper was off. I wonder why they're so tiny at the wheel well too....

if you do it take more pics with the wheels off :)
zhpnsnv
05-22-2012, 06:44 PM
They're not brake ducts that will appreciably lower temps at the track. To do that they need to attach to the rotor. What they are good at is cooling the brakes in cool wet weather which makes it feel like there are no brakes at all. Go figure.
derbo
05-22-2012, 09:44 PM
They're not brake ducts that will appreciably lower temps at the track. To do that they need to attach to the rotor. What they are good at is cooling the brakes in cool wet weather which makes it feel like there are no brakes at all. Go figure.


What you said. Factory ducts do very little at the track. Thats why I went this route ;)

http://img.skitch.com/20120424-8udhddbagjtap34i2rnpgquj1r.png
zj96sc
05-23-2012, 04:55 AM
In E36M land, the concurrence was that US BMWs get blockoff plates because US drivers don't know to periodically check/clear their brakes in heavy rain to remove the water accumulation on the rotor caused by the open ducts. European cars come with the plate removed.
zhpnsnv
05-23-2012, 04:57 AM
What you said. Factory ducts do very little at the track. Thats why I went this route ;)

http://img.skitch.com/20120424-8udhddbagjtap34i2rnpgquj1r.png

Awesome setup.
NorCalZman
05-23-2012, 05:02 AM
In E36M land, the concurrence was that US BMWs get blockoff plates because US drivers don't know to periodically check/clear their brakes in heavy rain to remove the water accumulation on the rotor caused by the open ducts. European cars come with the plate removed.

Hm, so Euro E46s have this plate removed, you think? Maybe we can ask a Euro member on e46fanatics to check for us.

Does that plate just pull out or does it have to be cut?
zj96sc
05-23-2012, 05:02 AM
where is that duct going?

on my e36m i think they were just held in with spring clips, but that was many years ago.
danewilson77
05-23-2012, 05:05 AM
What you said. Factory ducts do very little at the track. Thats why I went this route ;)

http://img.skitch.com/20120424-8udhddbagjtap34i2rnpgquj1r.png


Awesome setup.

Cheater. :)
Jesse M
11-12-2012, 06:40 PM
Pretty useless IMO. Cool idea none the less and gives you an 'already in place' duct if you do decide to extend it to the back of the rotor with a BBK upgrade.
JupiterBMW
11-13-2012, 04:43 AM
Does anyone else think the dirt marks on the OP photo looks like a woman with long hair, her back arched... doing something dirty? Or am I becoming a dirty old man now that I'm 32... :shifty

Maybe the fact that its 7am, I'm in an airport, fresh off a red eye flight, sucking down bloody marys has something to do with it... :eeps
pfr
11-13-2012, 05:13 AM
One dirty old man to another: you are right!
danewilson77
11-13-2012, 05:21 AM
Does anyone else think the dirt marks on the OP photo looks like a woman with long hair, her back arched... doing something dirty? Or am I becoming a dirty old man now that I'm 32... :shifty

Maybe the fact that its 7am, I'm in an airport, fresh off a red eye flight, sucking down bloody marys has something to do with it... :eeps


One dirty old man to another: you are right!

LOL.....yup. It's there.
JupiterBMW
11-13-2012, 05:45 AM
Whew, glad I'm not crazy... To be safe though, I laid off the bloody marys... Boarding my last flight soon... Need to catch some Z's and be ready to surprise the wife.
328ioc
11-13-2012, 06:04 AM
I see it too.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
zhpnsnv
11-13-2012, 06:43 AM
Does anyone else think the dirt marks on the OP photo looks like a woman with long hair, her back arched... doing something dirty? Or am I becoming a dirty old man now that I'm 32... :shifty

Maybe the fact that its 7am, I'm in an airport, fresh off a red eye flight, sucking down bloody marys has something to do with it... :eeps

Totally with you on this. Weird. Let me know if you ever want to hang out and analyze cloud shapes together.
M0nk3y
11-13-2012, 09:56 AM
bahahaha. I just realized this.
johnrando
11-14-2012, 12:04 PM
Dirty ole men, lol.
LivesNearCostco
11-14-2012, 12:30 PM
it's like those chrome silhouettes on big rig mud flaps!
JupiterBMW
11-14-2012, 07:55 PM
Totally with you on this. Weird. Let me know if you ever want to hang out and analyze cloud shapes together.

Definitely... We'll do it over drinks too.



Dirty ole men, lol.

Hey, if I'm old... that makes you.... :rofl