AP, Brembo or StopTech?

BimmerRob08 · 10-11-2012, 10:09 PM

I'm in the market for new brakes. Please post your experiances, problems, pro's/con's, etc.

Cheers,
RB

CBS · 10-11-2012, 10:56 PM

Brembo, I have had them on my 2008 and now my 2011 M3. They work great and give me tremendous stopping ability on the tracking without fade.

The only issue, after 3 years they have two small chips in their red paint.

M3SQRD · 10-12-2012, 05:19 AM

Why not include/consider Performance Friction? I have their kit installed on my e92 M3 and

it.

PINHEAD · 10-12-2012, 05:49 AM

brembo

sawzall · 10-12-2012, 06:14 AM

Alcon

Moxie · 10-12-2012, 06:20 AM

Brembo is top shelf, but how difficult/time consuming is pad change on Brembo's? I know ST is fast & easy. There's also a thread that compares replacement pads & rotors you may want to look at. If $ isn't a concern & you kept it on the street, I'd go Brembo. If you go to the track every other weekend & switch out pads or just want to save some coin, I'd go ST. After I purchased my ST I thought maybe I should have went Brembo only because they are top shelf, but like I said - the ST's are fast & easy to switch pads. I like my ST's.

klammer · 10-12-2012, 06:48 AM

I have the alcons and they are great and also have the removable bridge up front for easy pad swaps. They have seen a ton of track time as well as close to 40k and surviving Chicago winters. The only issue has nothing to do with performance just supply chain lead time issues which they're working on. As a product they work flawlessly and I'm testing them

FormulaMMM · 10-12-2012, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moxie

If you go to the track every other weekend & switch out pads or just want to save some coin, I'd go ST. After I purchased my ST I thought maybe I should have went Brembo only because they are top shelf, but like I said - the ST's are fast & easy to switch pads. I like my ST's.

+1, but I never had a 2nd thought after my ST purchase. They're ridiculously good.

Jaypod · 10-12-2012, 07:54 AM

Cant go wrong with any of those and the Alcons that were mentioned. For me being a track junkie it came down to 18" Wheel selection and quick pad changes so I went with AP Racing. Wheel choices are more plentiful now, but I still like the idea of the removable bridge if that is a consideration for you.

kawasaki00 · 10-12-2012, 08:07 AM

Go with what is convenient and easiest to change pads. The m3 will not even come close to being able to use a good 6 piston caliper to its full potential. We run AP on most of our race cars and PF on some.

LiM3y · 10-12-2012, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kawasaki00

Go with what is convenient and easiest to change pads. The m3 will not even come close to being able to use a good 6 piston caliper to its full potential. We run AP on most of our race cars and PF on some.

Say it ain't so!

THE TECH · 10-12-2012, 09:30 AM

Go with whatever fits your budget best. They will all work great. Ease of pad changes are overrated regardless of how much of a track junkie you are since there is no real rush to get them changed at a track day.

I am running the Brembos on mine.

M3SQRD · 10-12-2012, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Go with whatever fits your budget best. They will all work great. Ease of pad changes are overrated regardless of how much of a track junkie you are since there is no real rush to get them changed at a track day.

+1 - I can change pads in the PFC calipers with a fixed bridge in the same amount of time it used to take me to swap pads in the AP calipers on my old e46 M3.

BimmerRob08 · 10-12-2012, 10:52 AM

Thanks all for the reviews. keep them coming!

BimmerRob08 · 10-12-2012, 10:58 AM

Can't add an additional poll for Alcon brakes but I'd like to hear more about them as i'm not familiar with them.

RB

Team Plutonium · 10-12-2012, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kawasaki00

Go with what is convenient and easiest to change pads. The m3 will not even come close to being able to use a good 6 piston caliper to its full potential. We run AP on most of our race cars and PF on some.

I beg to differ.

Omerta · 10-12-2012, 12:08 PM

from a performance stance you can't go wrong with any of them but I chose ST Trophy because of the easy pad changes, one of the best in forms of the 380mm clearing an 18' wheel, and in my research they seemed to be the cheapest as far as replacement parts.

sleepless · 10-12-2012, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Ease of pad changes are overrated regardless of how much of a track junkie you are since there is no real rush to get them changed at a track day.

I think this is very much a personal preference thing. I would not get the 6-pot Brembos specifically because I've had them and the pad changing was a huge pain in the butt. On that kit they used an aluminum bracket for mounting the caliper (which you have to remove to swap pads) and that bracket is very easy to crossthread and the threads wear out over time so had to get new brackets after a single year of track driving.

BimmerRob08 · 10-12-2012, 01:28 PM

Good info. I'm looking closely at the ST's because of price and they look good too IMO. Well they all look good installed. But Pad changing is important too, especially if its going to be frequent.

But most of all I'm looking for which brakes will be the least maintainence intensive, longer lasting and durable for street/light track/sport driving.

I won't be tracking heavily unless someday I move close to a track so street/sport driving is the majority of what I do.

THE TECH · 10-12-2012, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepless

I think this is very much a personal preference thing. I would not get the 6-pot Brembos specifically because I've had them and the pad changing was a huge pain in the butt. On that kit they used an aluminum bracket for the caliper, which you have to remove to swap pads, and that bracket is very easy to crossthread and the threads wear out over time so had to get new brackets after a single year of track driving.

There is no bracket that needs to be removed to change pads.

sleepless · 10-12-2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

There is no bracket that needs to be removed to change pads.

The bracket doesn't need to be removed, but the caliper does need to be removed from the bracket.

THE TECH · 10-12-2012, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepless

The bracket doesn't need to be removed, but the caliper does need to be removed from the bracket.

Correct.

View Poll Results: AP, Brembo or StopTech. Post your reviews!
Brembo	26	42.62%
APracing	15	24.59%
StopTech	25	40.98%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 61. You may not vote on this poll

10-11-2012, 10:09 PM	#1
BimmerRob08 Major Drives: 2008 M3, Space Gray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: KIKR (ABQ), NM Posts: 1,144 iTrader: (0)	AP, Brembo or StopTech? I'm in the market for new brakes. Please post your experiances, problems, pro's/con's, etc. Cheers, RB
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10-11-2012, 10:56 PM	#2
CBS Captain Drives: E90 M3 - E60 528xi Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wilkes-Barre, PA Posts: 881 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW X3 [0.00] 2011 BMW M3 E90 [4.85] 2009 BMW 528xi [0.00] 2008 BMW 328xi [0.00]	Brembo, I have had them on my 2008 and now my 2011 M3. They work great and give me tremendous stopping ability on the tracking without fade. The only issue, after 3 years they have two small chips in their red paint. __________________ ESS VT-1 550 \| M24 Oil Cooler \| Fall Line Half Cage \| RaceTech 4009W \| 6 pt Harness \| Rear Seat Delete \| Motion Control DA Dampers w/remote reservoirs \| 900/650 Hyperco Springs \| RD Sport Sway Bars \| Brembo 380 BBK \| GC Camber Plates \| Michelin Cups \| GTS Black Wheels \| Eisenmann Sport \| Stack Gauges \| Painted Challenge Front Lip \| Painted ZCP Rear Spoiler \| Xpel Ultimate Film \| LuxAngelEyes

10-12-2012, 05:49 AM	#4
PINHEAD Motorsport Passion!!! Drives: E92M3/997.2RS Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 805 iTrader: (6)	brembo __________________

10-12-2012, 06:14 AM	#5
sawzall BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: 2011 E92 M3 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,015 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 Porsche 911S [5.00]	Alcon __________________ \| Alpinestars \| OMP \| HANS \| Pagid \| AiM \| Stilo \| JRZ \| Brembo \| Stoptech \| Special MPost Members Pricing on Alpinestars gear

10-12-2012, 05:19 AM	#3
M3SQRD Colonel Drives: E92 M3s, R56 Cooper S Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: EC Posts: 2,347 iTrader: (2)	Why not include/consider Performance Friction? I have their kit installed on my e92 M3 and it.

10-12-2012, 06:20 AM	#6
Moxie Lieutenant Colonel Drives: AW E90 M3/SG 335d Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Stuttgart Posts: 1,779 iTrader: (10)	Brembo is top shelf, but how difficult/time consuming is pad change on Brembo's? I know ST is fast & easy. There's also a thread that compares replacement pads & rotors you may want to look at. If $ isn't a concern & you kept it on the street, I'd go Brembo. If you go to the track every other weekend & switch out pads or just want to save some coin, I'd go ST. After I purchased my ST I thought maybe I should have went Brembo only because they are top shelf, but like I said - the ST's are fast & easy to switch pads. I like my ST's. __________________ Evolve - Eisenmann - Challenge - StopTech - Pagid - Eibach - Vorsteiner - BMW Performance - Volk - Advan

10-12-2012, 06:48 AM	#7
klammer Colonel Drives: 11 spc gry m3 e90, 07 X5 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: chicago Posts: 2,728 iTrader: (0)	I have the alcons and they are great and also have the removable bridge up front for easy pad swaps. They have seen a ton of track time as well as close to 40k and surviving Chicago winters. The only issue has nothing to do with performance just supply chain lead time issues which they're working on. As a product they work flawlessly and I'm testing them __________________ mods: akra evo, dinan 3.45 diff, ess akra tune, dinan stg.3, Alcon bbk, HRE P40

10-12-2012, 07:54 AM	#9
Jaypod BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: Frozen M3 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 4,681 iTrader: (7)	Cant go wrong with any of those and the Alcons that were mentioned. For me being a track junkie it came down to 18" Wheel selection and quick pad changes so I went with AP Racing. Wheel choices are more plentiful now, but I still like the idea of the removable bridge if that is a consideration for you.

10-12-2012, 08:07 AM	#10
kawasaki00 Second Lieutenant Drives: 2008 E92 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mooresville NC Posts: 213 iTrader: (4)	Go with what is convenient and easiest to change pads. The m3 will not even come close to being able to use a good 6 piston caliper to its full potential. We run AP on most of our race cars and PF on some. __________________ Electronics Junkie, Engine Builder.

10-12-2012, 09:30 AM	#12
THE TECH BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: BPMsport 2012 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 11,936 iTrader: (39)	Go with whatever fits your budget best. They will all work great. Ease of pad changes are overrated regardless of how much of a track junkie you are since there is no real rush to get them changed at a track day. I am running the Brembos on mine. __________________ Check us out on Facebook at BPMsportLabs

10-12-2012, 10:52 AM	#14
BimmerRob08 Major Drives: 2008 M3, Space Gray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: KIKR (ABQ), NM Posts: 1,144 iTrader: (0)	Thanks all for the reviews. keep them coming!

10-12-2012, 10:58 AM	#15
BimmerRob08 Major Drives: 2008 M3, Space Gray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: KIKR (ABQ), NM Posts: 1,144 iTrader: (0)	Can't add an additional poll for Alcon brakes but I'd like to hear more about them as i'm not familiar with them. RB

10-12-2012, 12:08 PM	#17
Omerta rev limiter abuser Drives: '11 E90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 260 iTrader: (1)	from a performance stance you can't go wrong with any of them but I chose ST Trophy because of the easy pad changes, one of the best in forms of the 380mm clearing an 18' wheel, and in my research they seemed to be the cheapest as far as replacement parts. __________________ Showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace.

10-12-2012, 01:28 PM	#19
BimmerRob08 Major Drives: 2008 M3, Space Gray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: KIKR (ABQ), NM Posts: 1,144 iTrader: (0)	Good info. I'm looking closely at the ST's because of price and they look good too IMO. Well they all look good installed. But Pad changing is important too, especially if its going to be frequent. But most of all I'm looking for which brakes will be the least maintainence intensive, longer lasting and durable for street/light track/sport driving. I won't be tracking heavily unless someday I move close to a track so street/sport driving is the majority of what I do.

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