F8X Brembo BBK Swap on E46 M3

[r4dr]

Have to agree and my buddies were telling me to run EBC Blue stuff, but I had an extra set of the Forodos. Lesson learned, cost me a pretty penny for a new set of front calipers from BMW. Never again.

EBC is in a tier below Ferodo. I would never put an EBC pad in my car.

[BL92]

The F80s are heavier, so the same brakes would work better on the E46

[WestBankM4]

The F8X 380mm setup isn't amazing, but your biggest issues are the rotors and those DS2500 pads. That and the F8X having zero brake cooling from the factory. If you run proper 72-vane rotors, good pads, and some brake cooling deflector plates, that setup becomes a lot more manageable.

Still not great, though. My favorite for the F8X is the bracket, G80 caliper, and 380x36mm rotor that the F87 M2 guys are running: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...038293&page=13

That's a hell of a lot more rotor and pad, and it's still 380mm. That's the setup the F8X cars should have come with from the factory, IMO.

Have to agree and my buddies were telling me to run EBC Blue stuff, but I had an extra set of the Forodos. Lesson learned, cost me a pretty penny for a new set of front calipers from BMW. Never again.

[r4dr]

The F8X 380mm setup isn't amazing, but your biggest issues are the rotors and those DS2500 pads. That and the F8X having zero brake cooling from the factory. If you run proper 72-vane rotors, good pads, and some brake cooling deflector plates, that setup becomes a lot more manageable.

Still not great, though. My favorite for the F8X is the bracket, G80 caliper, and 380x36mm rotor that the F87 M2 guys are running: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...038293&page=13

That's a hell of a lot more rotor and pad, and it's still 380mm. That's the setup the F8X cars should have come with from the factory, IMO.

[WestBankM4]

I can tell you from experience the factory steel F8x brakes are crap on the F8x chassis. I took my M4 CS out for two track days at Button Willow within a months time of each other. I was running DS2500's, some say its a terrible track pad but they're better than OE. A lot of brake fade once they start getting hot, could feel the pedal slowly sinking after the 3rd/4th lap full out had to definitely do cool down laps. Second track day went pretty bad towards the latter part, brakes were smoking, rotors were red hot and the calipers had a green hue on them. Servicing the car at BMW after the second track day, the outer seals were toasted was told the color of the calipers happens when they experience excessive heat.

I was going to upgrade the CS to ceramic and swap the steels onto my E46 M3, but I got wise and said it's time for a big boy brake kit. I did the 355/345 Brembo GT set, I am not a fan of the F8x steelies. The weight vs. performance benefit is what turned me off essentially.

Pic for reference.

[Johnvu]

Thank you Johnvu for the thread.

I've been down this rabbit hole for a few weeks now after acquiring some F80 calipers and rotors. Everything seems clear and straight forward except I have one curiosity that I haven't seen asked yet:

Can one use F80 dust shields instead of hacking or almost deleting the E46 ones? I've only been able to compare images of the rears and they look similar, the fronts I haven't been able to compare so no idea if they are similar or entirely different.

I don't think you can use the heat shields. I actually tried this as well but they were just way too big and would have made contact with a bunch of stuff. It will be pretty obvious once you are in there.

[big,JON]

Thank you Johnvu for the thread.

I've been down this rabbit hole for a few weeks now after acquiring some F80 calipers and rotors. Everything seems clear and straight forward except I have one curiosity that I haven't seen asked yet:

Can one use F80 dust shields instead of hacking or almost deleting the E46 ones? I've only been able to compare images of the rears and they look similar, the fronts I haven't been able to compare so no idea if they are similar or entirely different.

[Frankenstein M3]

Nice write up OP. I will likely try to do this with my brakes. I like to point out that the front calipers are an upgrade over stock brakes both in weight and size. Likewise, the rear calipers are fairly close. Brake weights. I do not disagree that the 370mm rotors are overkill for the e46; however, you can run 340mm rotors from a F30 in the front (34106797602) and 345mm rotors in the rear (34206797607).

To me the 996 calipers despite their very attractive weight savings do not look right on the car.

[YoitsTmac]

YoitsTmac oh, but did he say he had to take the front caliper carriers from the 435/440 for it to fit, or does it bolt up directly to the e46 carrier?

The way I understood it is that he was implying that the 435 non painted calipers paired with a E46 Comp front disk bolt right up. I believe he did state he is using an M3 front end. The rear is still a mystery

[simonnim]

YoitsTmac oh, but did he say he had to take the front caliper carriers from the 435/440 for it to fit, or does it bolt up directly to the e46 carrier?

[YoitsTmac]

He said he changed the rears but completely avoids sharing exactly from what. He implies I think from a 435. But is he running an M3 rear? Stock 330 rear? Is there a disk change? He fails to mention any of this.

[simonnim]

YoitsTmac just watched the video. Is it just front calipers from a 440 '17? Does it just fall in place on an e46 caliper bracket? He didn't change the rears right?

[YoitsTmac]

I'd sooner just machine the caliper. What's the reason for not, resale of the calipers? It's just the safer route when it comes to wheel mounting - maximum hub lip

[jpy1980]

Instead of machining the front calipers the 2.5mm, has anyone thought of running a 2.5mm shim instead? I know some people said that installing one between the axle and hub works. Thoughts with that?

[YoitsTmac]

any more info on this? They use a more suitable rotor size at 350

any more info on this? They use a more suitable rotor size at 350

Yes. The m performance upgrade (not m sport package) use the F80/82 calipers and a 370 disk. The M performance package on most F3x cars get the smaller 4-piston caliper/rotor combo paired with a 340mm disk. It is worth noting the LCI 440 could come with the 370mm calipers from the factory.

Tenza Motorsport was able to pair a 350mm style F30 caliper with a E46 M3 comp rotor on a non M with zero modification, per their video.