Brakes and Rotors on BMW E83-E46

[pete_c]

Update July 31, 2021
 
Did the same as above for a 2001 E46 which has mostly sat around for the last 20 years.  This is the same engine as the E83 and originally the E83 was built on an E46 chassis.
 
This time went with Brembo rotors and Akebono brake pads.  Note this was a brake kit sold as a package.
 
While doing the right rear brakes / rotor noticed the coil spring was broken on the bottom almost identically to the E83.
 
Very easy to remove the rotors this time around as there was no rust keeping them in place.  
 
Ordered same springs as I did for the E83.  Lesjofors  brand made in Sweden.
 
The installation looks easier than it was on the E83.
 
1 - jack up automobile at point a bit to the front of the rear wheel (jack point)
2 - remove wheel
3 - jack up strut / shock and remove bottom bolt of strut
4 - lower jack on strut which will lower wheel closer to the ground
5 - using flat tire scissors jack separate top of wheel a bit from chassis
6 - reach in and remove old spring and rubber from top and bottom
7 - install new spring with upper and lower rubber sections
 
Looks way easier than using a spring compressor. Last time could not fit it easily between the spring and the wall section around the spring.

 

[pete_c]

Update summer 2021
 
- decided to update 2001 E46 (~50k miles) which is the same M54 engine type as the X3 (both vehicles are the same color and same color code and same engine but different suspension.)  The E46 was built in Germany and the E83 was built in Austria.
 
- plugs and coils (easy stuff)
- Brembo rotors and Akebono brake pads (easy stuff) and new sensors

* I like the Akebono brake pads - no dust on wheels. Might change the E83 Brembo pads for Akebono pads as the Brembo pads keep turning my wheels dusty after a week or two of driving.
 
Weird on this one both rear coil springs were broken on very bottom and difficult to see.  
Odd.  Same engine different years same coils both broken.
 
Did the coils differently and way easier.  Took only about 2 hours to do it this way.  Not recommended but easy to do.
 
1 - jacked up vehicle at jack points on rear wheels (floor jack) - new floor jack - which is not portable and weighs around 125 lbs
2 - removed wheel
3 - jacked up strut lifting wheel a bit with floor jack #2 - Sears Craftman jack - small and portable.
4 - removed strut bottom (no rust easy peasey to remove)
5 - let the wheel drop down
6 - used the automobile scissors jack to open up the area where the coil is at.  Much easier to do this than using a coil compressor.
7 - coils were way loose and I was able to reach in and remove and replace coils and upper/lower rubber holders.

 

[pete_c]

Update 11th of April, 2022
 
I started to get a weird vibration from the front drivers side of the E83 this year.  Best guess was that the Brembo rotor got warped.  I could not find the exact model of rotor so replaced it with a Zimmerman rotor this past weekend.  Easy to do but time consuming. 
 
Noticed that the Brembo pads (with less than 10 k on them) were very worn down.
 
While doing this replaced the Brembo pads with Ikebomo brake pads.  The Zimmerman rotors are different with a special coating on them.  So next replacing right drivers front side Brembo rotor with the Zimmerman rotor.    Rotors are the regular not slotted type of rotors.  
 
Also this past year changed the tires over to Continental version which is the original version of the tire.  
 
Electronically was still running Kodi with a Python connection to the bus.  Split the connection now to running Android and Android auto and Kodi.  Runs well and I like the live navigation from Android auto.