Rear Discs and Pads

[Gary Brown]

The rear discs on my zed need replacing (and I'm assuming to do the pads at the same time).

My local independant garage quoted £180 parts & labour with no mention of which brand of parts they would use. I've grown weary of taking zedy to the local dealer, getting a sub standard job more often than not and then 'assuming the position'

So I'm taking the plunge into the world of amateur mechanics for the first time with my zed and I'm on the prowl for some advice.

Any recommendations to which pads & discs are best?

I've read in BMW mags and heard Brembo Max discs are very good - though German and Swedish say they don't do them for the rear of my zed and Europarts were very derogatory about them, also saying they didn't do them. (This however is no surprise as according to their website my model doesn't exist )

As for the pads I've read/heard that pagid fast road pads are the mutts nuts. G&S have them for £30 a pair but the guy was very disuasive saying i didn't need anything that expensive (and no jokes about us jocks being tight )

Europarts have quoted £78 for Textar discs and pads. Are they any good?

Finally, is there anything particular to the zed I should be aware of when doing this job? Any problems encountered by others doing the same?

Going in blind as I can't find a Haynes manual for the Z3

[S1 AVV]

mine need replacing too 'EBC greenstuffs' had been recomended to me, and cheaper than pagid (blue?). Not sure about discs, think someone mentioned black diamond discs were ok.

haynes equivilent i think it's called bentley repair manual. a quick google should find it.

[Gary Brown]

The current Bentley service manual only covers years 1996-98. The new and improved one (1996-2002) is out in april and is $120!

[Fixer]

you can get a American version of the Haynes BMW 3-Series manual that covers the Z3, think I got mine on ebay for about £19.

Fixer

[pingu]

Got my Haynes for £14 from Amazon. It's a 3 Series book, with mentions of the Z3 in the appropriate places.

[TonyCal]

There is a full brake how to on my web site if its any help

[drcrispy]

I've heard that the EBC brake pads squeel . . any comments ???

Also I know with the M that you can only get the discs from the dealer, I'm not sure about others but they were £45 each

It only cost me £140 including fitting for my rears to be done as it was done as part of my service and they only charged me for the parts.

[AndyBass]

I'd use the genuine discs and pads from Europarts, alternatively the greenstuff pads. The rears give less braking effort than the fronts so it is less critical to go for "fast" pads. I use a Haynes 3 series manual as the brakes are the same. The discs may need de-greasing before fitting. Coat the back of the pads thinly with copper grease to prevent squeal. Torque the bolts as per the book and you'll be fine.

[drcrispy]

I think you need to get new censors too!

[Guest]

Don't waste your money on a Bentley manual - they are overpriced for what they contain. Haynes is just as good - the Z3 brakes and suspension are just like the E30 or E36 Compact etc.

Also don' waste money on 'better' rear discs - you won't know the difference! Fit any decent discs, such as ATE from G&S etc, with EBC Greenstuff pads.

[Guest]

Don't waste your money on a Bentley manual - they are overpriced for what they contain. Haynes is just as good - the Z3 brakes and suspension are just like the E30 or E36 Compact etc.

Also don' waste money on 'better' rear discs - you won't know the difference! Fit any decent discs, such as ATE from G&S etc, with EBC Greenstuff pads.

[drcrispy]

Don't waste your money on a Bentley manual - they are overpriced for what they contain. Haynes is just as good - the Z3 brakes and suspension are just like the E30 or E36 Compact etc.

I agree the Bentley manual I have has hardly no pictures and can be a waste of time on most jobs!

[Gary Brown]

Many thanks for all the advice.

Gonna get the 3 series haynes manual first chance I get.

Popped back into my local independent garage, for wheel nut re-tightening - long story involving chrome valve caps, some thieving wee ned b@$t@rd wi a knife and new tyre valves!

They mentioned my nsf 'brake resistance bush' was knackered. I was previously keen to take the plunge but that is way too deep for me Gonna have to get it done as the words 'suspension' and 'knackered' brings me out in a cold sweat.

I had a go at them about their quote for the brakes job, saying I could get the parts for under £80 and was gonna do it myself. Pointing out that would make their labour charge £50 an hour! They previously pointed out it was a difficult 4-5 hour job for an amateur and they could do it in 2, also sighting you need some sort of specialist tool for retracting the handbrake shoes.

They've come to the conclusion they're getting done by their current parts supplier (well over £100 for the same discs and pads) and are gonna do the bush and the brakes for a much better rate.

Demonstrates the old adage 'if you don't ask - you don't get'.

[Guest]

I would find another garage! The rear brake disc job MAY take four or five hours - if the caliper bolts are rusted solid, which is pretty doubtful. As for the claim that a special tool is needed for the handbrake, this is total rubbish!

As for the 'Brake resistance bushes' being worn, I have never heard of such a component! Perhaps they mean the large buch at the back of the wishbones, but they last forever, and wil not provoke a disaster, just worn tyres. Pop under the car and have a look at them - I bet they don't look perished or anything. Replacement needs a good puller and a special lubricant with some kind of press to replace them, but it's a quick job - ask your BMW dealer for a quote first.

The only catch in doing this job for the first time is adjusting the handbrake shoes, whihc is done by poking a long screwdriver down one of the wheel bolt holes while the wheel is in position by the other four bolts.

The 'manuals' always show that one trys to rotate the adjusters, when in fact one simply pushes them at the top or bottom to apply or remove a bit of brake at a time, until the wheel can just rotate withthe handbrake off.

The adjusters are screw type, and being the same on both sides, are moved in different directions on each wheel to achieve the same effect, which can be confusing until you realise how they operate. The Bentley manual, incidentally, shows the adjusters being turned in the wrong directions!

Don't be put off by this slight problem, or your garage's looking after their income - just buy some decent tools from Halfords, and get on with it. even if it took you all day due to it being the first time, you will learn from it.

[TonyCal]

Whole heartedly agree with Mike on this Gary, sounds like someone is trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
If a set of rear discs and pads took me an hour that would be about 30 mins too long!
And thats just using a trolley jack and axle stands, not a specialist ramp like the garage would have.

[Gary Brown]

Thanks Mike and Tony.

Yeah guess I'll just have to chalk this one up to experience. As my dad says "The joys of motoring". Was a front wishbone bush which they bought from BMW (£70) and they got the brake parts from Europarts. With their labour it was a straight £200.

Just have to get back to something I know I can do - where's that polish?

[c_w]

Thanks Mike and Tony.

Yeah guess I'll just have to chalk this one up to experience. As my dad says "The joys of motoring". Was a front wishbone bush which they bought from BMW (£70) and they got the brake parts from Europarts. With their labour it was a straight £200.

Just have to get back to something I know I can do - where's that polish?

There are no front wishbone bushes that cost £70

For brake discs I always use http://www.brakepart.co.uk who use German BREMTECH discs which I've found to be very good on my 205GTi which I use for trackdays, and have fitted these brake discs all round on my Z3.

The only faffy bit with the rear discs is making sure the disc comes off over the inboard handbrake shoes, but it's quite easy to slacken them off at the hub end and also at the handbrake end by pulling up the gaitor and undoing the nuts.