Fresh brakes, tires and silicone lube!

[santov]

It's way past my bedtime, but I just took an amazing ride in my Z with the top down. It was a wierdly quiet and cold 52F with a dense fog. The Black Keys were playing as I went to the local gas station to get gas for the week. I took the long way home and what should have taken 10min I got home 40min later.

I've been meaning to write posts in the respective sub-categories but since I'm lazy and in a little bit of a rush I'll rant here:

BFGoodrich KDW
Oh my gawd! My stock Potenza's were past the wear bars in the rear and almost there in the front. With the winter rain starting I was getting a little nervous. The drone from the tires was driving me crazy and the right front had been plugged so many times it was slightly out of balance and highly annoying, sounded like a piece of duct tape was stock on the tire and flapped each rotation. When new(er) they tram railed like crazy, enough to scare my wife into driving with BOTH hands all the time. It was something I was always cautious when I saw seams in the road.

I did have an Infiniti G35 that had OEM Michelins and I switched them to this tire. I remember taking a huge hit in MPG and the road noise went up by about 40%, but on the Z the switch from Potenzas to BFG KDWs is heavenly.

On my Z the new tires ride about 30% quieter, don't buck and jump after a bump or dip and the traction is out of this world. They do NOT tram rail. I have about 800 miles on them so far so I haven't pushed them. The first 300 miles they had horrible turn-in, but they settled down and are now the best tire for me. The couple tanks I took a huge hit to MPG, from 26ish to 22ish, but the last tank was back to 26, so I suspect break in and some stop and go driving.

I paid a local shop $175 to mount, balance and align. Alignment story to follow...

Cheapo brakes: Centric rotors and pads

I had a Jeep SRT8 and the stock Brembos squealed like a city bus. Most of owners switched to R1 rotors. I did and overpaid for rotors that didn't have the best finish quality (I wouldn't recommend R1 rotors). After that experience I decided against slotted anything and I think that drilled rotors on a car I don't track is a waste of money, so I decided solids were a good fit for me. The finish quality on the Centrics is AMAZING. They have painted hats with a blanchard finish. Beautiful to look at for $55 each. These are the same rotors that they drill holes and slot and put in a "SportStop" box and sell for much more. It's a stupid great deal.

Pads were another story. I wanted to CoolCarbons and shopped around, but $250 for the set was a little out of budget. Hawk HPS were my second choice (loved 'em for the Jeep), but they were close in price. I hated the grabiness and copious dust from the OEM pads. I decided I'd try the Centric PosiQuiet Ceramic ($68 front and rear). They have about 70% of the initial bite of the stock, but if you press harder you get 100% of the gripping power (I'm sure they wouldn't be acceptable for track use you M guys). The best thing about them is I can creep forward at an intersection without looking like a dope and after 1 week still no dust.

I installed myself and the only hiccup I had was I broke both of the brake pad wear sensors. Those turn to brittle dust after the heat cycles. Since I didn't have the time to order and wait to arrive I got raped at the dealer. I'm a little pissed I was too cheap to order the first time, but lesson learned: order the sensors if you're going to replace your pads/rotors.

Silicone Lube

I washed and cleaned the Z this weekend now that we have a break from the rain. I've been meaning to go after the annoying squeak in the plastic cover above the center storage cubby. It doesn't squeak all the time, only when I reverse and I turn to look and put my arm over the passenger head rest. As soon as my elbow touches the hard plastic it squeaks. It annoys me each and everytime I back into my garage. Feeling a little motivated and refreshed from my nice drive I put the little red straw into the can of pure silicon spray. I like this stuff because it dries and doesn't stink (the propellant stinks, but dissipates quickly) . I sprayed in the cracks with one hand and used a microfiber towel to quickly wipe with the other hand. I sprayed between ALL the plastic panels in the rear, the plastic panels around the gear shift and parking brake, and the panels that make up the top of the windshield. Now you can press anywhere and you won't hear any plastic creaking!!

Off to bed!

Can't wait to drive to work tomorrow (at 4:30am). Miss you guys!
-V

[Swashplate]

Originally Posted by santov

It's way past my bedtime, but I just took an amazing ride in my Z with the top down. It was a wierdly quiet and cold 52F with a dense fog. The Black Keys were playing as I went to the local gas station to get gas for the week. I took the long way home and what should have taken 10min I got home 40min later.

I've been meaning to write posts in the respective sub-categories but since I'm lazy and in a little bit of a rush I'll rant here:

BFGoodrich KDW
Oh my gawd! My stock Potenza's were past the wear bars in the rear and almost there in the front. With the winter rain starting I was getting a little nervous. The drone from the tires was driving me crazy and the right front had been plugged so many times it was slightly out of balance and highly annoying, sounded like a piece of duct tape was stock on the tire and flapped each rotation. When new(er) they tram railed like crazy, enough to scare my wife into driving with BOTH hands all the time. It was something I was always cautious when I saw seams in the road.

I did have an Infiniti G35 that had OEM Michelins and I switched them to this tire. I remember taking a huge hit in MPG and the road noise went up by about 40%, but on the Z the switch from Potenzas to BFG KDWs is heavenly.

On my Z the new tires ride about 30% quieter, don't buck and jump after a bump or dip and the traction is out of this world. They do NOT tram rail. I have about 800 miles on them so far so I haven't pushed them. The first 300 miles they had horrible turn-in, but they settled down and are now the best tire for me. The couple tanks I took a huge hit to MPG, from 26ish to 22ish, but the last tank was back to 26, so I suspect break in and some stop and go driving.

I paid a local shop $175 to mount, balance and align. Alignment story to follow...

Cheapo brakes: Centric rotors and pads

I had a Jeep SRT8 and the stock Brembos squealed like a city bus. Most of owners switched to R1 rotors. I did and overpaid for rotors that didn't have the best finish quality (I wouldn't recommend R1 rotors). After that experience I decided against slotted anything and I think that drilled rotors on a car I don't track is a waste of money, so I decided solids were a good fit for me. The finish quality on the Centrics is AMAZING. They have painted hats with a blanchard finish. Beautiful to look at for $55 each. These are the same rotors that they drill holes and slot and put in a "SportStop" box and sell for much more. It's a stupid great deal.

Pads were another story. I wanted to CoolCarbons and shopped around, but $250 for the set was a little out of budget. Hawk HPS were my second choice (loved 'em for the Jeep), but they were close in price. I hated the grabiness and copious dust from the OEM pads. I decided I'd try the Centric PosiQuiet Ceramic ($68 front and rear). They have about 70% of the initial bite of the stock, but if you press harder you get 100% of the gripping power (I'm sure they wouldn't be acceptable for track use you M guys). The best thing about them is I can creep forward at an intersection without looking like a dope and after 1 week still no dust.

I installed myself and the only hiccup I had was I broke both of the brake pad wear sensors. Those turn to brittle dust after the heat cycles. Since I didn't have the time to order and wait to arrive I got raped at the dealer. I'm a little pissed I was too cheap to order the first time, but lesson learned: order the sensors if you're going to replace your pads/rotors.

Silicone Lube

I washed and cleaned the Z this weekend now that we have a break from the rain. I've been meaning to go after the annoying squeak in the plastic cover above the center storage cubby. It doesn't squeak all the time, only when I reverse and I turn to look and put my arm over the passenger head rest. As soon as my elbow touches the hard plastic it squeaks. It annoys me each and everytime I back into my garage. Feeling a little motivated and refreshed from my nice drive I put the little red straw into the can of pure silicon spray. I like this stuff because it dries and doesn't stink (the propellant stinks, but dissipates quickly) . I sprayed in the cracks with one hand and used a microfiber towel to quickly wipe with the other hand. I sprayed between ALL the plastic panels in the rear, the plastic panels around the gear shift and parking brake, and the panels that make up the top of the windshield. Now you can press anywhere and you won't hear any plastic creaking!!

Off to bed!

Can't wait to drive to work tomorrow (at 4:30am). Miss you guys!
-V

An obsession we all understand.

[Karacticus]

I put the centric solid rotors on all four corners of my si Coupe last winter. Only objection I have to them is that the hat for the rear rotors wasn't coated like the fronts are, and is definitely rusted more than the (much more expensive) OEM rotors.

Have they started coating the rears as well now?

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by santov

Silicone Lube

I washed and cleaned the Z this weekend now that we have a break from the rain. I've been meaning to go after the annoying squeak in the plastic cover above the center storage cubby. It doesn't squeak all the time, only when I reverse and I turn to look and put my arm over the passenger head rest. As soon as my elbow touches the hard plastic it squeaks. It annoys me each and everytime I back into my garage. Feeling a little motivated and refreshed from my nice drive I put the little red straw into the can of pure silicon spray. I like this stuff because it dries and doesn't stink (the propellant stinks, but dissipates quickly) . I sprayed in the cracks with one hand and used a microfiber towel to quickly wipe with the other hand. I sprayed between ALL the plastic panels in the rear, the plastic panels around the gear shift and parking brake, and the panels that make up the top of the windshield. Now you can press anywhere and you won't hear any plastic creaking!!

Off to bed!

Can't wait to drive to work tomorrow (at 4:30am). Miss you guys!
-V

Santov, I would never use silicone spray on any plastic, not only will the squeaks return, they will be worse. Look up "krytox" and that would be your friend for squeaky cheap plastic BMW insists on using.