Brakes for e30 up grades?

[bemmaboi 0]

Hi there, looking for some info about brakes and what up grades can be done.

I own a 1986 e30 with disks up front but with drums in the rear. Can I use front e30 disks, pads and rota's etc in the rear and get rid of the drums? The disks not only look better but will also improve my breaking.

Any help would be great. Cheers

[bumpstop325 0]

dude, heres the deal.

You can buy the whole subframe off my 320i. because i will be swaping my old 325i subframe with my 320i. which will leave my 320i sub frame with disc's & bads. put it this way, everthing but the diff.

99% sure it will fit. make an offer.

can someone please confirm this is correct. just want a 2nd opinion.

[Gus 5]

should be sweet, all e30 subframes ive come across are the same. all you should need to change will be the trailing arms, slightly easier. your front discs should be vented? if they are thats as big as your getting..all e30 (except m3) are same. someone correct me if im wrong

[ED1RTY 2]

If what you guys are saying is correct then i am rather pissed off. When i had my crash i took my 87 320i to German Auto at Wairau Park, They put all my bits into a 84 320i and told me that converting the existing drums on the 84 to the discs that were on my 87 would be near impossible. The sump guard was also not fitted, they said there were no mounts and i kinda need it under there cos my car is quite low. I was pretty adiment that they should have bolted straight in but hey correct me if im wrong, i wanna have a go at them.....

[petone 0]

Its only the trailing arms that you need to change, and the lines of course as well. Not sure about the MC, bias could be different.

There are two different e30 front brakes, vented and soild. Not sure what else is different other than the disks.

[ED1RTY 2]

sorry should have said, fronts were already discs, the rears were drums

[Gus 5]

are they discs that are vented in the middle, or solid?

you will need to change the Master Cylinder, the drum brake one locks up the rear brakes too much. not expensive, ive got one but its ABS

[E30-323ti 66]

Hi there, looking for some info about brakes and what up grades can be done.

I own a 1986 e30 with disks up front but with drums in the rear. Can I use front e30 disks, pads and rota's etc in the rear and get rid of the drums? The disks not only look better but will also improve my breaking.

Any help would be great. Cheers

Duncan,

I was going to mention it to your dad the other night, but for some reason you had discs???

Anyway I have a pair of Disc trailing arms & the Master cylinder.

Give me a call, you've got my No.

[bemmaboi 0]

Thanks for your help.I put it forward with the old man and will let ya know. Cheers

[petone 0]

Do it! way better performance pad and rotor choice

plus discs look better than shithouse drums. only use for drums is handbrakes.

Gus- drum MC could be a bit of fun with discs on the back (on the track of course)

Edited August 10, 2005 by petone

[Surge 1]

F'ing drums, Don't look good when you've got 5-spoke 17"s and somewhere in there is a drum brake the size of a CD.... :banghead:

Replacing drums with disc brakes that do the same job will give you enough of an aesthetic placebo to make it worthwhile.

[topless 5]

They put all my bits into a 84 320i and told me that converting the existing drums on the 84 to the discs that were on my 87 would be near impossible.

They were talking sh*t here, it is a simple swap, just change trailing arms and exchange master cylinders. Gus is right, the drum brake master cylinder is different to the disc one.

The sump guard was also not fitted, they said there were no mounts and i kinda need it under there cos my car is quite low.

The only E30's I know that have the mounts fitted for the sump guard are the South African ones, but it isn't a difficult job to make mounts to fit it. I think it is a worthwhile addition especially if you have lowered the car. I have 2 motors here out of lowered E30's and both have cracked sumps... :confused:

[Guest Andrew]

Its easy as - we did it on my old 320i.

Did it with the subframe in the car - however knowing what I do now I'd rather drop it out. Swapped the trailing arms - the right hand side closest to the edge of the car trailing arm bolt hits the fuel filler line and is bloody impossible to get a spanner/socket on - you can undo it if there ain't too much gas in the car.

You don't need to swap the master cylinder - it works fine and doesn't screw up F/R bias. There are pressure restricters AFTER the master cylinder on the brake lines which may or may not affect F/R bias. As soon as the swap was done we did a WOF and F/R brake bias was 70:30 which seems ideal.

We used parts from an facelift 316 on to my old 84 320.

Perhaps the shop thought it was impossible as the drum trailing arm is different to the disc and they were retarded.

[Guest Andrew]

you can drain the fuel easily - plus this way is fun