Advice on changing brake rotors and pads

[Camaverd 0]

Hi everyone,

My dearly loved Series 4 Grand Coupe has finally reached the time to have all the brake's renewed. I dreaded the day and here it is. 

The car is from 2017 and out of warranty, so I was thinking to bringing it to an independent mechanic rather than official dealer but the cost still is way over 2,000 dollars, which leaves me wishing I could afford it but that might take quite a few months savings. I brought it to a workshop here in Wellington to be checked and was told it needs all four changed, rotor, pads, the lot.

Any advice on how to get that cost down somehow? Any of you have advice on how to change those yourself? Is it doable? Or perhaps getting the parts from overseas (how to get the right one..?)  and then bringing the car to have them fitted somewhere?

I am really in uncharted territory here and for now I will keep the car in the garage as I do not want to risk driving around with worn brakes..

Really appreciate any info/advice on this!

Thank you very much,

Joan

 

[M3AN 4016]

It's probably one of the easier home mechanic jobs you can do and you don't need a whole lot of tools, remove wheel, remove caliper (hang it out of the way, don't undo the fluid line), remove rotor, replace rotor, replace pads, reassemble, break in pads and rotors.

Using genuine BMW parts will probably be prohibitively expensive, that may be what you've been quoted. Once you have the rotor specs you need you could import them yourself from a place like spareto.com, the shipping will be high but the total landed cost probably better than you can get in NZ. Unless you have good advice to the contrary then the stock BMW pads (probably Textar brand) will likely give you the feel and stopping power you need.

How many k's has the car done, any track time? Have you confirmed with your own hands or measurements that all of the rotors need replacing?

[Camaverd 0]

31 minutes ago, M3AN said:

It's probably one of the easier home mechanic jobs you can do and you don't need a whole lot of tools, remove wheel, remove caliper (hang it out of the way, don't undo the fluid line), remove rotor, replace rotor, replace pads, reassemble, break in pads and rotors.

Using genuine BMW parts will probably be prohibitively expensive, that may be what you've been quoted. Once you have the rotor specs you need you could import them yourself from a place like spareto.com, the shipping will be high but the total landed cost probably better than you can get in NZ. Unless you have good advice to the contrary then the stock BMW pads (probably Textar brand) will likely give you the feel and stopping power you need.

How many k's has the car done, any track time? Have you confirmed with your own hands or measurements that all of the rotors need replacing?

Hi there,

Thank you heaps for the advice. Car has done about 90k km's. No track time, it is not a very powerful model. I did check and all the rotors have the grove on both ends from being worn out. I just got another quote for over $3000. Jesus

I have never done work or lifted a car up at home but I guess there is a first for everything. Even with getting the tools needed and the parts it does not seem it will get close to those exhorbitant figures...

Any advice on how to find the specs for the rotors etc? I tried with my rego or Vin number but I guess the most important thing is getting the diameter right..

A little overwhelmed to say the least..

 

[smiddy 76]

As an X mechanic, allbiet from late 70s to late 80s.

Brakes while, not that technical in many ways, are of course very, very important!

If as stated, you are 'overwhelmed", this is not the job for you to tackle.

As a DIY, this is certainly a risk, to yourself and others, if you lack confidence.

[my_e36 43]

They refer to specs and to make sure you “need” replacement. It meant you measure the thickness of the rotors, see if there’s any cracks, unusual grooves, scratches, etc. and visually check the remaining pad materials and see how much you have left. 
 

As much as we hate to admit it, some shops might prey on some owners not knowing any better and recommend work that are not needed. I can’t tell whether this is the case here,  but it might pay to have another shop to take a second look at it. Even if it means paying say half hour of their time to give you an inspection and report  

 

[aja540i 1906]

Depending on what that quote covers it actually seems pretty reasonable to me, but I would expect it to include a fluid change and any sensors and re-coding required, it might seem like a lot of money but make sure you are comparing apples with apples when pricing the cheaper options, and if you are not confident doing the work yourself there is potential to make very expensive mistakes!!

[Camaverd 0]

2 hours ago, smiddy said:

As an X mechanic, allbiet from late 70s to late 80s.

Brakes while, not that technical in many ways, are of course very, very important!

If as stated, you are 'overwhelmed", this is not the job for you to tackle.

As a DIY, this is certainly a risk, to yourself and others, if you lack confidence.

Mostly the overwhelm comes from the miryad of options in regards to rotors, pads, M Sport, M Performance, sizes and how to get the right ones that will fit in my car. The change seems straightforward, just doing it slowly and making sure things are done in the correct order.

[Camaverd 0]

1 hour ago, aja540i said:

Depending on what that quote covers it actually seems pretty reasonable to me, but I would expect it to include a fluid change and any sensors and re-coding required, it might seem like a lot of money but make sure you are comparing apples with apples when pricing the cheaper options, and if you are not confident doing the work yourself there is potential to make very expensive mistakes!!

The brake fluid change was not included. And all prices given were before gst, so that will add another to the total. My main worry is that I am charged that price but the rotors and brake pads I will get put on the car won't be top notch, perhaps I am being a little paranoid but where one can make easy bucks..must be tempting to just get a cheaper part than a very good quality one when the customer won't be able to check, or is not well versed in car parts etc..

[Eagle 1679]

Put your vin number in here and it will give you the part numbers and sizes:

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog

A reputable shop should tell you what brands they are using for that quote if asked. If you haven't got any tools or knowledge then its probably more costly to do the job yourself.

Id suggest getting the correct parts yourself and finding someone to install them. Doing front and rear rotors shouldn't take anymore than 3 hrs at normal pace, say 4 hours max if you do flush the brake fluid, use scan tool to reset intervals and retract hand brake. Not sure about Wellington prices but average workshop labor here is $100-150 p\h. Say approximately a $500-$700 job incl fluids and sundries. 

https://www.micksgarage.com/home - One of few places which have cheap shipping on rotors and have decent brands. 

[smiddy 76]

Yep, Eagle describes the safest/cost effective formula.

You describe the groove in rotor wear, which is common, maybe not more than wear limit.

Or, rotors front, pads only rear??

Around town driving, no pedal pulseing, pads only, maybe enough???

 

 

[Camaverd 0]

27 minutes ago, smiddy said:

Yep, Eagle describes the safest/cost effective formula.

You describe the groove in rotor wear, which is common, maybe not more than wear limit.

Or, rotors front, pads only rear??

Around town driving, no pedal pulseing, pads only, maybe enough???

 

 

It does lag/wiggle a bit when I brake and also squeaks quite loudly, so it is probably time. The groove is pretty accentuated so that is why I think it better to change them and getting a confirmation from a mechanic was important.

 

I will get another look and then see how to proceed.

 

Thank you everyone for your kind advice on this.

[Eagle 1679]

BMW still only have ~2mm of wear from max to min as far aware, so as you suggest they are probably well worn. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Eagle

[FIAT 131R 223]

PM sent

[Vass 867]

Quite surprised to hear a 5-year-old car to already wear its rotors out when there's heaps of 20-year-olds still kicking about on stock ones. Sure enough the newer cars are getting heavier and heavier but damn!

I'd say it's definitely worth getting into the DIY habit if you want long-term BMW-ownership to be even remotely financially viable, and as others have noted, a brake job is just about the easiest first step on that journey.

For starters, I'd get this tool kit, currently on sale and is great value. I've found that it packs all you need and more for 90% of the jobs you're likely to take on. Might not be pro quality stuff but there's lifetime warranty on most bits in there. My set is now 4 years old and the 3/8 in ratchet decided it doesn't want to ratchet anymore the other week, took it in and got it replaced, no questions asked. Throw in a jack and some jack stands and you're pretty much set for a lifetime DIY goodness for less than $400. For your particular car I think you'll also need 6mm & 8mm hex sockets, and probably a torque wrench but just gut'n'tight should work as well.

Then go to RealOEM, put in the last 7 digits of your VIN and look up the part numbers. Put those into FCP Euro, they're pretty reliable for telling you the OE manufacturer of the parts. Then look up the same parts on Spareto (they stock a heap more different manufacturers but I'd stick to the OE brands wherever possible). Compare stock availability, prices between the two and off you go. Purchase date to delivery has mostly been about a week, sometimes 10 days. Also keep in mind that (at least for now) Spareto lists prices with European GST included but takes it off when you go to checkout and put in the shipping address, so assume another 20% off the prices when looking up the parts.

Once you get the parts, just dig into it. I've found Youtube to be invaluable, especially when starting off and you can always ask on here if you run into trouble. Here's a great video on a brake job on the F30 platform which should be very similar if not identical to your F36 so you won't be going into it blindly.

It does seem prohibitive and more complicated than it actually is when first starting off but once you knock out one or two jobs you start to realize that it's hardly rocket science and most jobs are very much doable with very minimal tools and prior experience. The more you do, the easier it gets. Good luck!

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

On 1/26/2023 at 12:55 PM, Vass said:

Quite surprised to hear a 5-year-old car to already wear its rotors out when there's heaps of 20-year-olds still kicking about on stock ones. Sure enough the newer cars are getting heavier and heavier but damn!

Distance travelled has more effect on the wear than age, and 90k travelled is well in the range of use. Having seen how most people seem to drive on NZ roads, especially the Akl motorways, right up people’s arse on and off the brakes constantly it’s surprising they last more than five minutes.

If this 4GC has the sports brakes (2NH blue callipers) then they do wear a bit quicker from the increased bite. Might also explain the higher than expected replacement costs.