Project E36 323is: Building the Poor Man's M3, Part 3
– Brakes, Wheels, Tires
By Jonathan Lawson
Next up on our Project E36 323is is giving it more grip and better braking. Stopping distances will almost always come down the moment you put good rubber on a car, but for short and repeatable braking, you want to maximize the braking system itself, and that's where the StopTech brakes come in.
I remember when StopTech hit the scene in 2000 with formidable offerings right off the bat. They immediately built a reputation for developing excellent systems that maintained excellent brake bias and could be used for both street and track. It doesn't hurt that their pricing has always been very competitive with other big name systems while still being able to stand toe-to-toe with them in performance. Deciding to use one of their systems was a no brainer.
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| Receiving packages makes you giddy enough when you're expecting car parts and that's amplified when a company does such a good job with packaging. It's not hard to guess what's in these boxes. |
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| A StopTech BBK usually arrives in two boxes – one for the left side of the vehicle, and the other for the right; however, it’s possible that the lines are packed in one box, while the hardware is in the other. As you tear into one of the boxes, you're greeted first by the view of your shiny new rotors. You almost feel bad for the work you're going to put them through. Almost. |
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| Underneath the rotors in the first box you come to the smaller boxes which hold your new rotors and pads. |
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| Each box is like a new gift waiting to be torn into. The pads are in an oversized box simply to make the contents of the large box tight and prevent bumping around during transport. The calipers… Oh, the calipers! It's hard to stop yourself from opening them up and creating their own social media profile. |
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| Once you take the rotor out of the second box you'll find your other caliper, the mounting brackets and stainless steel braided brake lines. |
