[jaboyd]

Picked up an M235 2 weeks ago and find the brakes to be very disappointing...at least on initial bite and during the first 1/8 - 1/4 pedal travel. Looking at getting EBC Redstuff DP32130C front, DP32133C rear pads.

Has anyone tried these pads? Feedback?

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by jaboyd

Picked up an M235 2 weeks ago and find the brakes to be very disappointing...at least on initial bite and during the first 1/8 - 1/4 pedal travel. Looking at getting EBC Redstuff DP32130C front, DP32133C rear pads.

Has anyone tried these pads? Feedback?

Brakes aren't as raw as my previous 335i...but I noticed they do brake once you lay into them.

Definitely light on bite at the beginning. I've seen a lot of people swap steel lines in...

[nike001]

What car did you have previous?

[DanG]

You have to break in your tires before you get the full braking force. And braking will be worse if you ordered all season run flats.

All the reviews show excellent braking with the PSS tires.

[1LegitM235i]

Breaks require breaking period along with the tires. Two weeks is not enough to provide performance braking. How many miles do you have?

[Outrun]

Even with breaking it in I do wish the brakes had a little more "bite"...although I'm stuck with run-flats which probably don't help either.

[jaboyd]

Let me clarify, its a used M235 w/8k miles running on regular PSS tires. They seem to brake ok once I get far enough into the stroke but are really lazy on initial bite. Everything I've read is that the EBC Redstuff has very good initial bite as well as good braking characteristics plus less dust. My issue is not poor hard braking but poor feedback and initial bite....something I doubt SS lines would help, IMO.

FYI, other cars S2000, S4, STI...all with good to excellent pedal feel/bite.

[Transfer]

The brakes take some more effort but that improves modulation when you get used to them. They have a ton of power.

[Steven1077]

You should try driving an F30 335d if you think the M235i has disappointing brakes, after that you won't believe how good the M235i brakes

[overcoil]

When my 235 was new I thought initial bite was lacking.
But now have full confidence in the braking.
This might just be me making stuff up, but I'm reluctant to change frm OEM pads. My concern is emergency application on the highway at speed. I'm pretty assured whether very hot or more when very cold and masses of freezing air over the brakes for long periods of time, that the OEM pads will have excellent emergency performance.

[Cyberdemon]

I despise cars with a huge initial bite - it doesn't mean the brakes are any better it's simply a question of pedal feel and preference.

A longer throw means you have more range of modulation. If you want more bite, move your foot down. I've hammered these brakes and their performance is damn impressive with the PSS tires. I have to be very cautious on the street that the person behind me isn't going to land in my bumper when I have to brake harder than normal.

[EEBreh]

The 60-0 stopping time is something like 110 feet. I don't understand why people would complain about these brakes, they are way better than what you would find on 95% of the other cars out there.

[nike001]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

I despise cars with a huge initial bite - it doesn't mean the brakes are any better it's simply a question of pedal feel and preference.

A longer throw means you have more range of modulation. If you want more bite, move your foot down. I've hammered these brakes and their performance is damn impressive with the PSS tires. I have to be very cautious on the street that the person behind me isn't going to land in my bumper when I have to brake harder than normal.

Yup, this. Especially when people I know say things like 'the brakes are so touchy!' as if it's a good thing.

Initial bite is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but there can be too much of it. I'd much rather a pedal that can move in moderation rather than an on/off switch at the top of the pedal.

[Pparana]

Originally Posted by jaboyd

Picked up an M235 2 weeks ago and find the brakes to be very disappointing...at least on initial bite and during the first 1/8 - 1/4 pedal travel. Looking at getting EBC Redstuff DP32130C front, DP32133C rear pads.

Has anyone tried these pads? Feedback?

Go with stainless lines and some better pads, I have been through stop tech, porterfield, ebc and stock.


Went back to stock for the summer when I'm not tracking, I thought I forgot to bleed them they felt like sponges. Stock pads feel super soft, although they do bite and stop well. Stop tech were the best for road, I was using yellow on the ebc.

[Cpdbeemer]

Originally Posted by EEBreh

The 60-0 stopping time is something like 110 feet. I don't understand why people would complain about these brakes, they are way better than what you would find on 95% of the other cars out there.

^^ This. They just feel different, bite differently to other cars. Swapping pads out is not a good idea without doing the research, pads are mated to the discs.

[Luftwaffe1O1]

Initial bite isn't necessarily a good thing. I actually dislike cars that do that. I don't want the brakes to be either on or off... there was some rental car I had recently that did that crap. I wanna say Altima, but I am not sure. It got super annoying, you lightly tap the brakes, and it felt like you are slamming it.

The longer throw is so much nicer in my opinion, as you can properly modulate how you are braking. When you romp on it, it will stop, and damn quick.

[DanG]

Originally Posted by EEBreh

The 60-0 stopping time is something like 110 feet. I don't understand why people would complain about these brakes, they are way better than what you would find on 95% of the other cars out there.

I 100% agree with you.

[pz619]

Maybe I'm wrong here, but I actually like the brakes on this car more than any previous car. Mainly because of how linear they are. I might be in the minority here.

[doccyber]

Originally Posted by Luftwaffe1O1

Initial bite isn't necessarily a good thing. I actually dislike cars that do that. I don't want the brakes to be either on or off... there was some rental car I had recently that did that crap. I wanna say Altima, but I am not sure. It got super annoying, you lightly tap the brakes, and it felt like you are slamming it.

The longer throw is so much nicer in my opinion, as you can properly modulate how you are braking. When you romp on it, it will stop, and damn quick.

I had the same experience with a rental car ie Altima during a vacation to Hawaii. It was so bad that the other passengers were getting annoyed with me and telling me why I was braking so hard. Lol. I much prefer the linear feel of my own car.

[shark715]

No doubt it's a matter of personal preference, but I like how easy it is to modulate the brakes on our 235.

On the other hand I do recall one of Motor Trend's reviewers thinking the pedal was too mushy for driving at 10/10ths, and I don't think he's wrong. But how many of us (and how often?) drive our 235's at 10/10ths? And the same reviewer commented on the lack of fade and the short stopping distances.

[allthatisntnow]

Brakes are anything but disappointing. They're street-able which is what you want on a road car. If you're in stop and go traffic, the last thing you want is the brakes to be slamming fully on at the lightest touch: it would get old fast. Motor Trends best 60-0 was 103 feet and they said it was better than the 1M and the e92 M3 in this regard. A pedal that allows progressive, modulated braking is ideal for public roads, which is what BMW intended for the car. You want to stop sharp? Just plant the pedal down harder. If you want "better" pedal feel get some braided steel brake lines. More bite, a more aggressive brake compound will do it.

[Zooks527]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

I despise cars with a huge initial bite - it doesn't mean the brakes are any better it's simply a question of pedal feel and preference.

^^ This. ^^

I had a vacation rental with rapid initial bite. Lots of headsnapping, plus a cup of cocoa in my daughter's lap. Massive PITA.

The brakes on my M235xi with the Pirelli RFTs are great. Took a bit of time (a week?) to calibrate myself to them, but now I think they're wonderful, as long as you learn to use the pedal travel.

I will confess that braking's way down with the winter snow/ice tires on the car at the moment, but that's not the fault of the brakes.