Founder of ZHPMafia.com
Can't argue about OEM brake dust.Originally Posted by AProudSailor
And if you plan to drive fast, then I can say that big brakes are helpful. In my younger days, I used to drive fast. I realized that I could drive faster and longer with the BBK (because I knew that my brakes would stop me in a shorter distance than OEM).
Good luck with finding the right kit.
Campieri
Honestly, this isn't a worthy upgrade unless you are going to be doing a lot of track work or an FI kit is going in. I was doing a lot of reading regarding brake bias, and believe it or not, we need more bias in the rear of the car. Don't have the time to post up all the specs, due to class and what not, but if you change the bias to far from spec, then you could run into serious problems under hard braking stability if you don't know what your doing.
BUT, if you do know what's up, then by all means, go for it.
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Messaggero
Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, there are no concrete numbers to prove BBKs shorten single stop stopping distance by any substantial amount if at all. If your current brakes can activate your ABS from any speed, which they can (unless something is wrong with them), that is physically the most deceleration your vehicle can undergo.
BBKs increase your fade resistance meaning you can stop that hard more times, not necessarily stop harder once. This is really only needed on the track. In fact there are opinions out there that in single panic stop situations, BBKs underperform stock because they need some heat in them to really bite. There is also a lot of contention that BBKs do not modify the system in unison and wind up with an improper brake bias leading to downright dangerous handling under braking (as hornung mentioned). BMW thought about the brake system proportions, power, bias, and chassis dynamics particular to the E46 a lot harder than Brembo or Stoptech did, this I guarantee you.
I'd also advise you to keep the racing on the track and leave highways for reasonable driving, but that's my Safety Sam opinion.
But like I said before, if you've got the cash and giant yellow calipers make you happy.....by all means!
Founder of ZHPMafia.com
This comes from the brakewarehouse:
Where can I find test data on stopping distances?
At the speeds that stopping distance is generally measured from (60 to 70mph), the test is primarily testing the tire's grip on the pavement. As delivered from the manufacturer, nearly all vehicles are able to engage the ABS or lock the wheels at these speeds. Therefore, an increase in braking power will do nothing to stop the vehicle in a shorter distance. For this reason, we do not record stopping distances at this time. The Brembo systems will show their greatest advantages when braking from higher speeds, or when tasked with repeated heavy braking. The increased braking torque provides for maximum deceleration at speed, and the ability to absorb and quickly dissipate the intense heat generated during repeated braking insures that the braking system will perform at the same high level each time.
http://www.brakewarehouse.com/brkewrhsefaqs.asp
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They seem to suggest that, if you are looking at 60-70mph data, there isn't much difference between brakes. At higher speeds, though, they would argue that brakes will make a difference in stopping distance.
Of course, this is a company selling aftermarket brakes, so take it with a grain of salt.
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