The Front Brake Chronicles: BALO, TEXTAR, Purple goop and Jelly Donuts

[bimmerfiver]

Having been through a ferris wheel of trying to find the front brake set-up lately, which included use of Akebono Euro, StopTech and Axxis Ultimates, I set out for the gold standard...OEM brakes.

I picked up a dozen jelly donuts from my local bakery, grabbed the BALO rotors (from Jason5driver ala www.eactuning.com), TEXTAR pads and Permatex Ceramic Extreme brake lubricant. My local shop lets me use a lift when available for a fee and some donuts.

I believe it's crucial to remove the caliper bracket, caliper itself, clean it all six ways to Sunday with brake cleaner spray and a wire brush. The pad residue after many months cakes into everywhere and can impact new pads in how they seat/sit and any brake squeal is simply unacceptable. I teed off on clean up process, cleaned the hub face, rim contact point on the wheel and re-assembled all.

My brake fluid is 5 months old so no need to touch it.

TEXTAR are OEM for Mercedes Benz, a black-charcoal pad that will dust-up like Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone spaghetti western.

You'll see the quality of the BALO rotors best in-person. For me it's either BALO or BREMBO or nothing. I began bedding-in process and will finish it tomorrow when there's no traffic in the early am. The rotors are beginning to 'blue', where you can see hues of color as they mesh with the pads. Pulling out of a parking lot into traffic was a great feeling as I edged out into traffic; you creep forward and tap the brakes before you leave a parking lot there is a defined, sharp, crisp feedback between OEM pads (non-ceramic/kevlar etc) and your right foot. OEM pads bite instantly, there is no dull feeling or lag time.

TEXTAR pads are outstanding, inexpensive and can be found up front for about $60.00...a deal that can't be beat. I'll be back to www.eactuning.com in March 2011 for BALO rotors and TEXTAR pads for the rear.

[bimmerfiver]

Part II

[bimmerfiver]

Part III

[rf900rkw]

+1 on getting everything clean. It makes a major difference in the final results.

[MehMan]

Textars shit on wheels just as well as OE pads. At least you know they're working. But man does it sucks to have dirty wheels after a week of driving.

[Graham E39 528i]

Hay Lord B,

I just put brand new Balos on the rear. Beautiful machined metal. Inexpensive too. Wrapped in cosmoline paper, I felt bad ripping it off. That and the Achybones, I now got da clean wheels bro.

Just got back from a lecture on the art of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. I feel my Germanic automobile needs some Italianate motifs, so I'm looking at an antique Nardi steering wheel.....

Pics later.

[rf900rkw]

Textars shit on wheels just as well as OE pads. At least you know they're working. But man does it sucks to have dirty wheels after a week of driving.

Yep. I just stuck a set of Textar CeramicFusion in my wife's coupe. So far I'm happy with the feel, and they don't dust as bad.

[jase007]

a black-charcoal pad that will dust-up like Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone spaghetti western

Absolutely classic!

Have "achybones" and brembros on the rear, will switch to same on front when needed. Done with Mintex reds on E39s (worked great on E30s FWIW).
Use similar lube and quite-er (anti vibration/rattle) stuff and clean the snot out of my caliper brackets when changing pads. Have been in there a few times over the last year + and re-apply noise goop on back of pads (if loose) and re-spread "ears" on inner pad that enters the piston. Also replace the spring clips when I change pads, cheap part(s).

FWIW: I've removed the bavauto brass caliper guide pins from the front after a year +/- of use. They were doing what they were supposed to but I was tired of cleaning and re-lubing them E.V.E.R.Y time I went in there. They caused the calipers to "creak" when you pressed hard on the pedal (exerted more force) say .. when you were sitting at a stop light. Reinstalled rubber caliper guide bushings when I put in re-manufactured calipers on all four corners.

"fat pills" go a long way with friends that have garages and lifts. LOL

Cheers!

[ezbmr]

Zimmerman Crossed Drilled are about the best I have used, they are $66 for the fronts on a 330i, at rm european, so certainly not bad, I am interested in the Textar Ceramics, but right now I have the PBR Ultimates, they are good so far.

[Jason5driver]

Hmmm....

[bimmerfiver]

Hmmm....

You want a donut? I'll send you the Axxis Ultimates if you want. 16valex gets the Akebono Euros.

[rf900rkw]

FWIW, I haven't put any "anti-squeal" goop on any pads (personal or customer) in over twenty years. We're talking hundreds of pad sets. If everything is right, there is no need for it.

[MehMan]

I put some copper grease only on the contact points where the pads meed the caliper carrier. I avoid putting copper grease on the caliper itself and will not let it get near the rubber seals.

[16valex]

You sir brakes are your obsession, but more power for you

I will see you to put a stop to your oil bleeding OFHG right!

[champaign777]

cool
i just finished my front brakes today on 2003 530i, most of my time I spent on cleaning too !

[Jason5driver]

I love the pictures...!
It's interesting...
I remember seeing the pictures of the Zimmerman rotors, and the Balo's look a higher quality by ten-fold IMO...
I love the gold finish.
Looks just like the drilled Brembo's from Tire Rack!
Love it!

Yep. I just stuck a set of Textar Ceramic Fusion in my wife's coupe. So far I'm happy with the feel, and they don't dust as bad.

Really?
How does the Textar Ceramics bite compared to OEM...?

Zimmerman Crossed Drilled are about the best I have used, they are $66 for the fronts on a 330i, at rm european, so certainly not bad, I am interested in the Textar Ceramics, but right now I have the PBR Ultimates, they are good so far.

How you like the Ultimates?

You want a donut? I'll send you the Axxis Ultimates if you want. 16valex gets the Akebono Euros.

I don't eat donuts.

I already told you that I wanted the Ultimates.

FWIW, I haven't put any "anti-squeal" goop on any pads (personal or customer) in over twenty years. We're talking hundreds of pad sets. If everything is right, there is no need for it.

I put some red Brake Quiet on the rears, however, I really don't like that stuff.
It's like red glue.

[bimmerfiver]

DO NOT do what I did. I bedded my new pads in too aggressively. Consequently the pads glazed. Attempting to re-bed them in hopes the massive squealing noise from glazed pads would disappear...only made it worse.

DO NOT install OEM-ish pads and adhere to anything remotely close to what you read online regarding bedding-in as I believe most of the verbiage and instructions pertain to ceramic pads (which love heat). With OEM-ish pads....just drive normally for 250 miles of more. They will bed-in just fine. A few aggressive pushes on the pedal after 250 or more miles, fine, but don't go nuts. This is the second time in my e39 life this has occurred (first time was a mechanic who installed and test drove the car, offering to bed the pads in...came back squealing and squeal would not go away).

I had the most absurd squealing all day today and it was caused by glazed pads which I overheated as I bed them in.

Read:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

And read 'What happens to pads if not bedded in properly' and the links below it too:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

TONIGHT in 42* temps with 25mph winds and a wet driveway to work on...I stopped by the dealership, snagged some JURID pads...used some course grit emery paper and brake cleaner spray. I could've sanded the TEXTAR pads and re-installed, but I opted not to.

I removed the skin on the rotors with emery cloth, sprayed and wiped them down, installed the JURIDS and all is well.

I am f-ing freezing.

Glazed pads off, 3M emery cloth, spray, JURID's on and all is done/well in 1 hour which sucked:

[Gumbi4u]

Only you can make brake installs complicated Keith lol. Didn't you learn anything about glazing your pads in the past? Stop being so quick to "enjoy" your new pads. Break them in first for god sake.

[Orxan4ik]

DO NOT do what I did

tell us something we dont kno Jokes aside, I think Ima go back to Axiss Deluxe soon, having to clean my wheels every other day just does not justify having good initial bite, its not like axiss deluxe have ever failed me (street or auto-x) Im sure they'll do better @ the track too being a ceramic compound, and now seeing how my OEM pads fade sooner. So why did I go back to OEM? Because I thought it braked better, now I realize its just a matter of how to brake.

Basically with OEM I dont have to press on the pedal untill last, whereas if I did that with axiss they'd stop on the dime too BUT would require more pressure on the pedal. So since we dont really like doing that, subcutaneously we learn to get on brakes sooner during daily driving and still kick a$$ on back roads via being aggressive with the pedal. With SS lines, brembos rotors and fresh ATE fluid every spring I have no problem being aggressive on brakes if need be

That, gentlemen is NOT enough for me to have to deal with messy brakes every other day

[crdiscoverer]

Just to add something to this thread:

Jurid = Front
Textar = Rear

You know, for the n00bs.

[jamesdc4]

DO NOT do what I did. I bedded my new pads in too aggressively.

I think I made this same mistake. The resulting squeal was intermittent but annoying. Bedding in brakes is an effed up process, and I probably should've done it at a better time.

[Orxan4ik]

oem compound pads don't need to b bed in, RTFM

[crdiscoverer]

I did a few hard stops the day after I put the all-OEM brake kit, the rest was just normal driving. Zero squealing and the bite is amazing.

[cdb3113]

Bimmerfiver: doin' it anytime with the purple lube

[Graham E39 528i]

Hay Lord B,

Way too much lubricant, sometimes less is more. It's not like puttin' Astroglide on your dicky doobrie.......