Measuring Brake Pad wear

[chris_e34]

one more resource for you

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/upgrad..._callipers.htm

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

can use a ruler to measure it or a dial caliper or a depth mike. This 2mm does not include the backing plate on the pad, only the pad material itself

Cripes, 2MM is less than 0.080" - well thinner than the backing plate. I've got years left on mine.

[BigKriss]

I've never heard of black nikel plating before Bill, can you give us a link. Is this what you would do if you were to put rebuilt calipers on your car?

ones who claim to want function over form. There are a number of plating processes out there that improve the ability of an object to dissipate heat. There's a black nickel that comes to mind specifically for this. Most paints and ceramic paints tend to act to some degree as insulators , along with a number of plating processes. When you paint the calipers with either powder coating, or any other paint, your going to affect its ability to shed heat, Same thing applies to painting rotor hats and the outer finned edge of the rotor as well. So in your never ending quest for bling, you may have a detrimental effect on the new big brakes that you're putting on. Granted it won't be a huge difference but it is a difference, I don't know if anybody has actually done any research to determine how much effect this has or not.

[Bill R.]

will be familiar with the process, its frequently used as a thin protective plating to help increase an objects ability to dissipate heat. The electronics industry uses it frequently.
I personally am too cheap to do anything like this. This was for those people going to the nth degree. If i put rebuilt calipers on my car , dissipation would be my prime concern, not appearance. So if it was aluminum I would glass bead the outside surface with a fairly coarse grit to increase the surface area and improve heat dissipation and leave it a plain aluminum finish. If it were iron or steel calipers i would either use a very thin coat of ultra flat black paint or just a coating of stove black, either of which would have the least effect on the surface as far as retaining heat. I would never paint the hats on the rotors since the plain iron would transfer heat better. To some degree the wheels themselves might act as heat sinks for the rotors in addition to the vented castings on the rotors themselves. So by not putting a coating inbetween the rotor hat and the wheel and hub you may help heat dissipation to some small degree. This is probably splitting hairs but why bother going to these big rotors and large calipers and then painting them all up to retain heat?

I've never heard of black nikel plating before Bill, can you give us a link. Is this what you would do if you were to put rebuilt calipers on your car?

[BigKriss]

Thanks Bill.

will be familiar with the process, its frequently used as a thin protective plating to help increase an objects ability to dissipate heat. The electronics industry uses it frequently.
I personally am too cheap to do anything like this. This was for those people going to the nth degree. If i put rebuilt calipers on my car , dissipation would be my prime concern, not appearance. So if it was aluminum I would glass bead the outside surface with a fairly coarse grit to increase the surface area and improve heat dissipation and leave it a plain aluminum finish. If it were iron or steel calipers i would either use a very thin coat of ultra flat black paint or just a coating of stove black, either of which would have the least effect on the surface as far as retaining heat. I would never paint the hats on the rotors since the plain iron would transfer heat better. To some degree the wheels themselves might act as heat sinks for the rotors in addition to the vented castings on the rotors themselves. So by not putting a coating inbetween the rotor hat and the wheel and hub you may help heat dissipation to some small degree. This is probably splitting hairs but why bother going to these big rotors and large calipers and then painting them all up to retain heat?