Rear Brake Maintenance (and hello, been a while)

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xyobgyn
Joined: Sat 02 Apr, 2005 14:54
Posts: 58

  Z1 roadster
Location: Arlington Heights
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Rear Brake Maintenance (and hello, been a while)

Post by xyobgyn »

So, after 10 years of ownership, and putting up with worn brakes for too long, it came time to do rotors and pads all around.

Front is easy, parts are in the pipeline, and in the US as I'm sure anywhere else, no issue getting rotors and pads. Rears are another story.

Apparently the rear rotors are unique to the Z1.

So, has any DIY type out there found a rotor from a different car that works? I realize highly unlikely.

It is not clear currently if there are any on the shelf in Germany either. My dealer says no. I'm waiting to hear from Maximillian Imports for a second opinion.

A heads up for people, comments apply to a 91 Z1, and I'm talking about the rear brake set up.

It's not possible to use a socket allen for the top slider bolt on the caliper. To even swap pads only, I think you'd have to remove the whole caliper, or, try and use a 90 degree allen wrench one small turn at a time. Not appealing.

Worse, the top bolt for the caliper frame to the hub can not be accessed straight-on with a socket and extension. Really not fun. Probably best to use a socket with built in swivel for this. I'll post up on the size so people could buy it in advance. Putting a swivel on the socket, then an extension etc is awkward, and you lose torque with each bit in the chain.

Fortunately pads on the rear interchange with many other models.

I wasn't thrilled but I ground down the ridges by hand and re-used my rear rotors. I was afraid if I brought them in to a shop they'd take off too much, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to get a fresh set.

Results were fine, no wobble, catching or lack of balance.

Summer has been busy for car. Cloth inserts on yellow seats replaced with green leather, fresh top from ebay fits beautifully in OEM fabric. Fresh Tires. Tire Rack has some awesome Dunlop Direzza ZII StarSpec 225/45 R16 available. Great tire, LOVE it. Tomorrow going to attack the low pressure hoses off the PS reservoir, those are doing as they all do, and leaking like crazy. Oil change, Air filter, Brake bleed, and ready for a Fall Tour that our local BMW chapter has pending.

This winter starts the slow build of a hybrid S50B30/B32 that will run on DTA. Will take the 3.2 bottom end, 3.2 cylinder head and TB, but use the 3.0 cam carrier and vanos system. This will have all the beauty of the original design, but add in some missing torque with displacement to make up a bit for the lack of exhaust vanos. I hate the look of the 3.2 vanos unit compared to the 3.0. One is McLaren F1 worthy. The other, not so. The DTA S100 has wicked traction control options available, just what I'd want for 16 inch x 7.5.
Baby deliveries by day, baby deliveries by night, Euro motors in between.
felix
Joined: Sat 02 Jul, 2005 16:25
Posts: 602

  Z1 roadster

Re: Rear Brake Maintenance (and hello, been a while)

Post by felix »

According to https://shop.bmw-classic.com/is-bin/INT ... AUTOMOBILE the rear discs are still available.

You should be able to buy them from virtually any BMW dealer - not sure why they're saying no?
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Jet
Joined: Fri 14 Nov, 2003 16:24
Posts: 2385

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Re: Rear Brake Maintenance (and hello, been a while)

Post by Jet »

felix wrote:According to https://shop.bmw-classic.com/is-bin/INT ... AUTOMOBILE the rear discs are still available.

You should be able to buy them from virtually any BMW dealer - not sure why they're saying no?
Hey Felix,

How you doing? No problem getting mine last year, 280mm rears, they are the same size throughout the range I thought?

JB
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