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| Properly bleeding the system is a must to truly allow for good pedal feel, and to avoid a soft pedal once things heat up. Be sure to get every bubble of air out of there. |
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| Our new front brakes as seen through the new-to-us BBS RX wheels. The wheels are 18” x 8” (ET38) and were sourced from a popular online BMW forum. Proof that the online community is a great source for information and “stuff.” The offset is perfect in the rear, and would work fine on the front if not for the tight fit with the KW Variant 2 coilovers, so we're running the 20mm H&R TRAK+ spacers for a proper fit, as mentioned in Part 2. |
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| Our tires are 235/40-18 Achilles Radial 123s, which are high-performance tires designed for drifting and high-performance street use. The tread profile is designed to maximize both lateral grip and forward acceleration and the shoulders are strengthened for transition timing and high-speed stability. |
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| Not that rain is much of a concern in Southern California, but despite being a fairly exteme high-performance tire, the 123s do have a very rain-friendly tread design for the rare occasion that we get a wet track day. Plus, with a shockingly high 220 UTGQ rating, life expectancy should be great and we can leave them on the car as a dual-duty tire. They've got nice rim guard protection, too, which will help keep our BBS wheels from getting damaged by curbs or from simply laying on the ground while working on the car. |
Once the full brake system was overhauled with the StopTechs, we could feel a definite difference in the pedal feel. The Brakes now felt solid and direct, this is due primarily to the caliper design, but also because of the Stoptech stainless steel brake lines removing any further “squish” that might otherwise be present. The combination of incredible pedal feel and consistent, fade-resistant braking from the StopTechs along with the great grip and short braking distances aided by our Achilles Radial 123s makes our little Project E36 323is an absolute blast to drive at the limit on track.
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| How Project E36 323is looks while sitting on the playground while wearing its new shoes. Photo courtesy of K.R.O.P.S. |
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| Want to read more about our Project BMW E36 323is? Come check out the rest of the project! |
