M3 brake swap fail

[5style]

What a day, i was ready to shoot myself in the head by the end of yesterday.

So i decided to slap on my m3 brakes on the front, finally. I looked at the spindles and thought ok the m3 ones have noisy bearings, so i ll just use my stock spindles, they look the same. Fastforward, everything is in pieces, i ll just install the rotor and caliper braket kekekekeke. FAIL they differ afterall.

So i ended up ripping the spindles off, tore the rubber more on my already disinigrating balljoints, stripped a tie rod bolt AND AND AND broke one bleeder valve. LOL

Then it started to rain, so i had to toss everything into the garage and the e28's battery went flat , so i couldn t boost it and it sat on the street all night . LOL WTF

Thank god for pelican parts! Anyways, now comes the question: How hard are the wheel bearings to do?

I am about to run out for a tierod, so thats one issue solved. Bleeder i ll steal off the rears and once its on and safe i ll go pick up a new one for the rear.

Balljoints i have to order and i ll order a new tierod for the other side as well as its much cheaper on pelican but i can't have my car grounded for 2 weeks.


Also, how hard are the front A arm balljoints to do? they have some kind of clip mechanism?


Finally, pics coming. before and afters.

Now i have a set of perfect 318 320 325 spindles , calipers, abs sensors , rotors, carriers for sale , minus pads, as they were TOAST

[Bullet Ride]

Originally Posted by 405Style

Also, how hard are the front A arm balljoints to do? they have some kind of clip mechanism?

They are probably pressed into the control arm.

[propr'one]

Originally Posted by Bullet Ride

They are pressed into the control arm.

fixed

[5style]

Originally Posted by Bullet Ride

They are probably pressed into the control arm.

k, where do i go get that done? The ball joints are super cheap

[sloveniaboy]

sorry to hear about the troubles, but I agree with you, PelicanParts is a saviour....

as for the job, front bearings are sold with the hub assembly, no pressing required, just pull old hub off and put new hub on. Only issue you might incur here is a hub that is a pain to come off and a bearing race left behind that needs to be taken off via various methods (dremel,air chisel,flathead,puller, watever you want). Dont forget to grab a new dust cover for the rear of the hub and cover for the front as well as a new retaining nut (new one will require dremel to cut retaining tabs)

if the control arm is a 3 series, the outer ball joint can be replaced (clip removed and pressed in). If you have the money, might as well go with M3 control arms via PelicanParts which have stronger ball joints and are supposedly beefier. (i didnt notice any difference in thickness or design other than slight geometry changes) Swaybar can still mount to the M3 control arm. Now would also be a good time to look at the control arms bushings.

[Bullet Ride]

maybe go take a look at these
http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133461
install some poly bushings and you're good to go!

[kenmar]

Originally Posted by 405Style

What a day, i was ready to shoot myself in the head by the end of yesterday.

This is why I went with the E46 330i front brakes instead: I didn't want to bother with taking the spindle off. With the 330i front brakes, you just swap the rotors, calipers, carriers and pads. Just as big as the M3 front brakes, but the rotors are slightly thinner.

BTW, with www.autopartsway.ca you can get your parts within a couple of days. Prices aren't as good as Pelican, but the next best thing. And no brokerage or customs duties!

[5style]

Oh shit, Slovaniaboy thanks for the write up, thats what I figured.


Kenmar, Thanks for the link! checking it out.


Lastly pics coming lol.

[5style]

Before:



After:



gotta rip the wheels off again tomorrow so better afters to come, and then its the rear swap and booster, gulp.

[doogee]

Originally Posted by 405Style

gotta rip the wheels off again tomorrow so better afters to come, and then its the rear swap and booster, gulp.

You don't need to change the booster, but you'll want to change the master cylinder.

If your brake line is the same as a 328, it won't fit the M3 master cylinder and you'll have to fab up a custom line.

[kenmar]

Originally Posted by doogee

You don't need to change the booster, but you'll want to change the master cylinder.

If your brake line is the same as a 328, it won't fit the M3 master cylinder and you'll have to fab up a custom line.

Is this brake line issue only a problem with the 328? I haven't put in an M3 M/C yet on my 325i, but intereested in the details. Is it even an issue on the 325i? I heard that if you replace both the booster and the M/C together then you don't have to do this?

[doogee]

Originally Posted by kenmar

Is this brake line issue only a problem with the 328? I haven't put in an M3 M/C yet on my 325i, but intereested in the details. Is it even an issue on the 325i? I heard that if you replace both the booster and the M/C together then you don't have to do this?

The brake booster doesnt have anything to do with it. It's actually just a problem with one of the lines that runs from the MC to the ABS Pump. I'll look into it further.

With my buddies, we just took the line out, cut off the flare, then tapped out the M3 fitting the fit the 328 line, and re-flared.

[5style]

Originally Posted by doogee

You don't need to change the booster, but you'll want to change the master cylinder.

If your brake line is the same as a 328, it won't fit the M3 master cylinder and you'll have to fab up a custom line.

i meant master cylinder lelele

[DriveItSideways]

If that was my car, id be paying attention to the red bumper rather than upgrading brakes.

[votexgti]

Originally Posted by DriveItSideways

If that was my car, id be paying attention to the red bumper rather than upgrading brakes.

Some people want performance, others just want to look good.