[robbys3m3]

We just added the nao pads also...4 days in. I didn't notice much pedal feel difference but my wife did right away. That said, a few days in and she has acclimated and the black alpina are much less dusty

[ss17016391]

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

they fit perfectly both front and back.
took a total of 3 hours- i was also swapping to my winters so there was some shuffling back and forth.
rears took the least amount of time, probably 20 minutes per. i followed the TIS instruction and applied the parking brake before touching the brake pedal, so did not throw any errors. wound the pistons back with a 3 prong press tool.

The fronts were alot more difficult. ive done brembo fixed caliper pad swaps before. its usually just drive two pins out, push the pistons back in and slide the old pads out. slap the new pads in with some grease on the contact surfaces, reinstall the pins, done. normally just need a drift punch and a hammer.

bonded pads are a pain in the ass. i followed the TIS instructions and first pushed the pistons all the way back with a spreader tool. then i used a nylon wedge to try and break the pad free. that wasnt happening i ended up using a screwdriver (which they tell u not to use because of scratching) to pry them out, i used the wedge to pad the top of the caliper where i was prying. i suspect heating the pads with a heatgun would help. cleaning the old 3m VHB was also a pain in the ass. the brake cleaner barely dissolved it. the brake cleaner did dissolve the nylon wedges though I probably should have tried using a brass brush, but eventually got them clean with a bunch of shop rags and alot of brake cleaner.

initial impressions: they bite only a little bit less than stock. ive had ceramic pads before and they always felt like you needed to push harder, but these seemed pretty similar. coming to a smooth full stop was easier to modulate than the stock pads. no idea on the dust level, had to drive back home and park it for the night. in bumper to bumper NYC traffic, they seemed to handle things well. i had to slam on the brakes at low speed and there was no drama. will report back longer term impression. i have the stock pads still, and waiting to get the bonding tape so i can refit them if needed.
I have a strong suspicion this is the same, lower dusting compound, that bmw uses for its upgraded non painted brakes. i had the grey fixed caliper brembos on my F34 GT. if thats the case these pads wont eliminate the dust, but it will reduce it alot.
the OE front pads were brembo, the NAO ceramic pads were identical aside from the antivibration pad.

the OE rear pads were TRW, the brembo replacements including the carrier springs and new caliper retention bolts. only thing im not a huge fan of is the NAO pad has a red backer thats visible.

really helpful!

Quick question about this part:

“i followed the TIS instruction and applied the parking brake before touching the brake pedal, so did not throw any errors.”

When you say you applied the parking brake before touching the brake pedal — did you first press the start button 3 times (without pressing the brake) to put the car into diagnostic mode?
Just trying to make sure I'm following the same safe procedure before I do my rear pads.

Thanks!

[Orient330iNYC]

Originally Posted by ss17016391

really helpful!

Quick question about this part:

“i followed the TIS instruction and applied the parking brake before touching the brake pedal, so did not throw any errors.”

When you say you applied the parking brake before touching the brake pedal — did you first press the start button 3 times (without pressing the brake) to put the car into diagnostic mode?
Just trying to make sure I'm following the same safe procedure before I do my rear pads.

Thanks!

No, just engage the parking brake immediately after swapping the pads. Do not touch the brake pedal after winding back the calipers until after you engage/disengage the electronic parking brake.

The other thing is that the rear pads are inside/outside. Iirc the one with a single bump is the inner pad, double bump the outside pad. On one side i swapped them and ended up with a rust ring due to uneven contact. Just note which pad is which when you take them off, the stock pads and replacement pads have the same markings.

[ss17016391]

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

No, just engage the parking brake immediately after swapping the pads. Do not touch the brake pedal after winding back the calipers until after you engage/disengage the electronic parking brake.

The other thing is that the rear pads are inside/outside. Iirc the one with a single bump is the inner pad, double bump the outside pad. On one side i swapped them and ended up with a rust ring due to uneven contact. Just note which pad is which when you take them off, the stock pads and replacement pads have the same markings.

Thanks again for the clarification — that really helps!
I still have one question about the “single bump = inner pad, double bump = outer pad” part.
Where exactly are the bumps located? On the backing plate? Or some other area?

Also, I thought the inner pad is easy to distinguish because it has a U-shaped notch that’s closed on one end, which is where the wear sensor clips in. The outer pad, on the other hand, has an open U-shaped notch (open on both sides). So I figured it would be hard to mix them up — but maybe I’m misunderstanding this? Please correct me if I got that wrong.

One more thing — I bought the same front pads as you (Brembo P06106N). When you installed them, did you apply any bonding tape or adhesive to the piston side of the pads?
I know the OEM pads were bonded to the pistons with VHB or something similar, but wasn’t sure if the Brembo ones need that too.

Thanks again for all the tips — really appreciate it.

[Orient330iNYC]

Originally Posted by ss17016391

Thanks again for the clarification — that really helps!
I still have one question about the “single bump = inner pad, double bump = outer pad” part.
Where exactly are the bumps located? On the backing plate? Or some other area?

Also, I thought the inner pad is easy to distinguish because it has a U-shaped notch that’s closed on one end, which is where the wear sensor clips in. The outer pad, on the other hand, has an open U-shaped notch (open on both sides). So I figured it would be hard to mix them up — but maybe I’m misunderstanding this? Please correct me if I got that wrong.

One more thing — I bought the same front pads as you (Brembo P06106N). When you installed them, did you apply any bonding tape or adhesive to the piston side of the pads?
I know the OEM pads were bonded to the pistons with VHB or something similar, but wasn’t sure if the Brembo ones need that too.

Thanks again for all the tips — really appreciate it.

The backing pad has raised bumps, one for the inboard side, two for the outboard side ( they interfere with the teeth on the piston)
When you take them off youll see, just note the position of those bumps on the old pads and put the new ones in the same.

Yes the front brembo pads are bonded, same as oem. Brembo makes the oem front pads, its almost exactly the same as stock, but the ceramic pads have a red elastomeric layer to dampen vibration.

I did mine in November outside, the biggest pain in the ass was cleaning the old adhesive off of the pistons in the cold. Im old enough to remember how good the chlorinated brake cleaner was. The new stuff sucks, at least against the 3m vhb film used. Took almost an entire can of brake cleaner and a bunch of shop rags to get it clean enough to bond the new pads. ( i started the car while pushing the pedal to the floor for a good five minutes, ista says 1 minute, but i think all the reports of squealing with the msports is bond failure.)

[ss17016391]

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

The backing pad has raised bumps, one for the inboard side, two for the outboard side ( they interfere with the teeth on the piston)
When you take them off youll see, just note the position of those bumps on the old pads and put the new ones in the same.

Yes the front brembo pads are bonded, same as oem. Brembo makes the oem front pads, its almost exactly the same as stock, but the ceramic pads have a red elastomeric layer to dampen vibration.

I did mine in November outside, the biggest pain in the ass was cleaning the old adhesive off of the pistons in the cold. Im old enough to remember how good the chlorinated brake cleaner was. The new stuff sucks, at least against the 3m vhb film used. Took almost an entire can of brake cleaner and a bunch of shop rags to get it clean enough to bond the new pads. ( i started the car while pushing the pedal to the floor for a good five minutes, ista says 1 minute, but i think all the reports of squealing with the msports is bond failure.)

Thanks a lot for the clear and detailed explanation — really appreciate it. You probably saved me from hours of frustration.

[Orient330iNYC]

So 2.5 years later pads are still quiet and low dust but my oem rotors have seen better days. Developed a bad judder at high speeds. Rebedding didn't help.
The rotor had pad deposits and grooves so I decided to replace
Went with Zimmermann Formula F Z coat rotors. So far happy with them, no clicking or any odd noises that the brembo oe uv coat rotors had in some cars. Ordered from fcp euro for their lifetime replacement. Ordered new pads from rock auto, the brembo nao pads again

It was easier to clean the vhb from the calipers with them off for the rotor change. Brembo has slightly changed the design of the pad, the noise dampener wraps around to the edge of the backing plate so the contact between the pad and the caliper is dampened at both the pistons and the inside of the caliper.

Bedded in, judder is gone, will see how long it holds up. ( Wheels are dirty from the rotor coating getting worn off from the bedding process)