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Q. How can I eliminate or reduce brake dust?
A. Aside from changing your driving style, you may need to change your brake pad type. The stock Jurid pads have excellent bite, even when cold or
wet, but produce excessive dust as a result. Metallic pads (e.g., Porterfield R4S pads) will reduce the amount of dust at the expense of noise and
rotor disc wear, however, replacing rotors when replacing pads would be a logical step for the enhanced life metallic pad. Semi-metallic pads
(e.g., Rotex and Mintex Redbox pads) provide an excellent compromise of reduced brake dust and increased stopping power. Finally, Kevlar
based, non-metallic pads (e.g., EBC Red Stuff pads) are much easier on the rotors and produce very low amounts of dust.
Q. How can I prevent my brakes from squealing?
A. A simple, temporary fix is to use them firmly one time. For example, come to a hard stop from 40 MPH and the squealing should stop for a few
days. They usually only squeal from excessive light braking and using the brakes solidly once tends to solve the problem. A more permanent
solution is to remove your brake pads, clean them and their surroundings thoroughly with brake cleaner, and apply BMW anti-squeal compound to
the backs of the pads.
BMW Plastilube (anti-squeal compound)
P/N 81.22.9.407.103
(image courtesy of Ron Stygar)
Q. What are Euro floating rotors?
A. If you need new front rotors or are looking for a rotor less prone to warpage, then you should consider the European floating rotor discs. BMW
used these rotors on the European specification M3. The rotor is not only lighter than the US spec. rotor, but it significantly reduces rotor warpage
due to the floating hub design leading to improved heat dissipation.
BMW M3 Floating Rotor Discs (European spec., front only)
P/N 34.11.2.227.737 (left side)
P/N 34.11.2.227.738 (right side)
Q. What can I use to paint my calipers?
A. Most high temperature engine enamels will work, however most will not survive long with the combination of heat cycling and brake dust. Folia
Tec sells a kit specifically designed for painting calipers and their paint seems to be more durable than the spray paint variety. Another option is to
powder coat the calipers. This is a bit more expensive, but if done right, it will outlast all other options. Eastwood Company
http://www.eastwoodco.com/ sells a home powder coating system (HotCoat) and it appears to be rather simple to use with an air compressor.
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Q. What is ASC and how do I know when it is off?
A. Automatic Stability Control plus Traction (ASC[+T]; not available on 1995 M3s) reduces engine power and independently applies the brakes to
reduce wheel spin. ASC is turned off when the letters 'ASC' are lit up on your instrument cluster. You should always disable ASC when mounting
your spare tire.
Q. What is a clutch stop?
A. A clutch stop is a device which is calibrated to limit the throw of the clutch pedal to the precise point where the clutch engages. This, in turn,
decreases the amount of time spent pushing the clutch pedal and takes the guesswork out of determining the clutch engagement point.
Homemade clutch stops are easily fabricated using a few common pieces of hardware. Ron Stygar has detailed instructions on how to create a
clutch stop or you can purchase his own unique design
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/all/drivetrain/all_clutch_stop_adjustment.html.
Q. Why does my clutch pedal squeak and why is it sloppy and loose?
A. The creaking noise when depressing the clutch pedal is caused by a spring. Generally, a quick shot of lubricant will suppress the noise for a bit
until it dries out again. The lateral movement (loose feeling) is caused by worn bushings. Ron Stygar
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e36/drivetrain/e36_remove_clutch_pedal_slop.html and UUC Motorwerks http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/ have each
developed a unique product to significantly reduce or eliminate the clutch pedal play and noise.
