Unofficialbmw.com

[JRS]

Well. This weekend my friend helped me tackle brakes. The "Brake Lining" lights on my 1987 E30 325es turned ON last Monday. I thought it'd be nice to post what I learned about changing brakes on the E30. I bought my parts at www.bmpd.com. Total cost for parts was under $100 (shipped and w/tax). I needed front brake pads, rear pads, and brake sensors for front and back.
Info: Brake sensors are located in the front drivers-side wheel and the rear-right passenger-side wheel. When the sensor starts hitting the rotor - the Brake Lining light turns ON. But you'll never know which sensor is ON until you remove/replace the brake pads.
First, remove the wheels. Four (4) bolts that were put in with a torque wrench set on 90. As you face the axle, there are two (2) bolts at the back right of the brake console. You'll also need a 16mm to hold onto the inner nut. Loosen the top bolt and completely remove the lower bolt. The whole console then just swings up. The brake pads fall right off - except for the one with the brake sensor. Look at the brake pad and you'll see how the brake sensor fits 'snug' into a groove. Put the sensor on the inner-brake pad. Open your hood and loosen the cap on the cap of the brake fluid reservoir. Using a C-Clamp, push the brake plunger flushed with the console. If you don't the new brake pads won't 'fit' onto the rotor. Careful: If you're brake oil reservoir is full -- it will overflow. And we all know that Brake Fluid will eat paint fast. Use a simple cooking utensil to remove excess fluid - a turkey baster.
Put the new brake pads on and put the lower bolt back on. Connect the new brake sensor to the wiring "harness". Done - at least one wheel. Now do the front passenger side. Same format but it will not involve a Brake Sensor installation.
For the rear, start with the rear-right passenger side. Remove the wheel. There are two (2) rubber/plastic caps at the back left (top and bottom). Remove the caps. Use a hex tool to remove the two hex bolts out. Using a flathead screwdriver, remove the 'tension clamp' directly located in the outer brake pad area. The whole brake console should now be fairly easy to remove. The inner brake pad has a stainless steel 'tensioner' that fits inside the brake mechanism/plunger. Install the brake sensor on the inner brake pad. Again, use the C-clamp to push-back the brake mechanism/plunger. If you don't - the console won't fit over the rotor. Insert and tighten the hex bolts. Reattach the brake sensor to the wiring harness. Put the wheels back on using a torque wrench set on 90.
Notes: Have extra brake fluid. Now would be a good time to replace all of the brake fluid in the reservoir. Be Careful ! Do not get any brake fluid on your car. It will eat paint. Use brake cleaner to clean the outside of the reservoir and the cap/lid. Keep in mind that dirt (and contaminents) are bad for brake fluid. Brake fluid is clear in color. Use Dot 4 on BMW E30s. The color of my old brake fluid was rust/orange. It hadn't been changed in a while.
What I paid for my entire brake fluid/brake job this weekend: $115.
What I would've paid BMW if they did the job: $475 - $525.
Side note: Use a micrometer to see the thickness of your rotor. The side of the rotor tells you how thick it should be. Mine said 209MM. Mine were fine and didn't need replacement. If they did, then removing them is easy: There is a hex not on the front of the rotor. Remove it and then use a rubber mallet to remove the rotor.

I hope this helps folks on this forum.

Regards,
JRS

[ 03-23-2004: Message edited by: dale ]

[gezzuz]

i've been driving with my "brake lining" light on for some time now and after reading your posting i have sovled the problem for less then $100 thanks for the help it really helped me alot

[JRS]

Glad I could help... Here's a list of the tools we used:

1. Hex driver (I forgot which size we used - sorry).

2. Torque rachet/wrench (set on 90) - used when putting the wheel back on.

3. Standard rachet with 15/16MM head

4. 13MM and 16MM locking wrench.

5. Turkey Baster (with plastic cup - used for draining Brake Fluid Reservoir).

6. Tire Lug nut remover (standard one).

7. C-Clamp - used to set the brake plunger flush with the brake console so that the new Brake Pads will fit onto the rotor). Keep in mind: As you use the C-Clamp - brake fluid will come out of the Brake Reservoir. So, remove the Brake Reservoir cap and just drain ALL of the Brake Fluid out of it. Do this BEFORE you start replacing the brakes. Use one of the old brake pads a 'level device' to help you push the plunger flushed with the brake console.

A few more items of info:

A. After you install the brakes and the whole job is done: Press on your brakes four (4) times. The first 2-3 times will reset the plunger and squeeze the new brake pads close to the rotor. If you don't do this - you won't stop the car. And when you drive your car after the brake job - treat the brakes like normal. Don't slam on them. The brake pads and rotor will 'mold' to each other. And slamming them together won't help a bit.

B. Rotors - Again, use a micrometer (if you have one) and check to see that the thickness is within spec. They are fairly easy to replace when you are doing a brake job of this magnitude. Mine did not need replacing. Yes, you can have them 'turned' by the local automotive shop (e.g. O'Reilly or AutoZone) for $25-$50. If you want to upgrade the rotors to some drilled-ones, now is the time.
[better option is to replace via mailorder for $30-$40 each --dale]

C. Your choice of brake pads will determine the longevity of the brakes, the distance between 60MPH to 0MPH, and how much brake dust is going to be on your front wheels. I used PBR-brand brake pads. Great life and low dust.

The whole ordeal (without having to work on rotors) took me 1.5 hours. I saved more than $400 but also 'bought' another 45K of not having to worry about my brakes.

[ 03-23-2004: Message edited by: dale ]

[JRS]

Headhighandglassy,

This post may help you with what you want to know about Brakes...

JRSigno

[headhighandglassy]

Like i've said earlier...man this board is cool !

Now I'm even more anxious to change my brakes

[RedBaron86325]

There are two different styles of brake calipers for that time period. JSigno has the Girling brakes that are similar to some of the newer model e30's. The other style caliper only uses two recessed allen bolts to release the caliper from the hanger. I have no idea why they used two different styles of calipers since they use the exact same pads. I have seen the Girling calipers on nearly every year of e30 325. The other style (like what is on my car 04/86) are also on some 85's,'87's, and early '88's. It seems that they are just random with no method to the madness.

Your brakes get way hot so be sure to use anti-seize compound on all brake bolt threads. It will make life a lot easier during your next brake job.

[Buckeye Bimmer]

Very good thread as I'm about to do my rear brakes. My only question concerns the parking brake. I've already done my fronts and it was pretty painless; when doing the back, do I just put new rotors on and not have to mess with any of the parking brake mechanism? I don't have a Bentley so I'm assuming that the disk just goes over the parking brake.
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90 325ic
04 Volvo XC70 (wife's)

[bearing01]

just to add..

When replacing rotors ------ Sometimes the rotor retention screw is difficult to get out and can get stripped. An impact screwdriver can help you get it out.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37530

[e30_325es]

[JRS]

Wow. My original post of July 2002 only reminds me that I've had my E30 for 4 years now... and she's still going strong... 19 years old.

JRS
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Is your cup half full or half empty ?

[dale]

A bit of extra info on this.

E30s have either Girling brakes or ATE brakes. If you change the master cylinder, or brake cylinders, be sure to verify what type you have before buying new ones.

It's a good idea to be conservative on this and not try mixing and matching the two different brands. They may interchange, and they may not, why risk it?

The various rotor brands are all interchangeable, but do 1 axle at a time, never just change out 1 rotor on an axle.

ATE Type 200 or ATE Blue

Dale
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sold in 2016
87 325 5spd eta

[RokkinOut]