What's a sensible brake upgrade?

[Jay 535i]

Sorry if I'm going a little post today, but I am a new BMW owner and I need to know what to wish for

The brakes currently on my '90 535 are not OE, but rather something more like the Midas special. They're too firm and lacking in feel, and they just plain suck. They gotta go.

I want substantial stopping power and resistance to fade, but also something with a light touch for city driving. I don't want to break the bank, but I'm open to suggestions -- particularly creative ones offering lots of bang for the buck.

Thanks.

[632 Regal]

Raybestos QS pads with proper bed in procedure.

If you aren't tracking the car regularly there is NO NEED to upgrade.

Your pads are probably the culprit and suck. If there is a ridge on the rotors you need to replace them.

other than that you should be good to go unless you want to spend endless amounts of money, time, and research on brakes, Brunos site has a lot of info if you do want to go that direction.

[tim]

You'll get alot of opinions here, but imho ymmv, blah blah.

I think the oem's were pretty freakin good. I think the 540 rotor and caliper is a bolt on for you but I'm not 100% on that. If you want to go nuts, check out bruno's big brake upgrade faq.

Unless you are going to a track more than twice a month, stay away from cross drilled or slotted unless you are prepared to do alot experimenting with pads. Most of the guys who go this route think nothing about swapping out stuff- and maybe there's a gain, but i'm lazy and my brakes don't squeek like theirs do.

I have the Zimmerman cross drills on my e39 540it. squeek like a freaking whorehouse bedboard. But they really freaking grip, I'll give 'em that. You can have 'em if you come over to my house and put some oem's back on mine.

best of luck

[Jay 535i]

Raybestos QS pads with proper bed in procedure.

If you aren't tracking the car regularly there is NO NEED to upgrade.

Your pads are probably the culprit and suck. If there is a ridge on the rotors you need to replace them.

other than that you should be good to go unless you want to spend endless amounts of money, time, and research on brakes, Brunos site has a lot of info if you do want to go that direction.

Thanks for that. I guess I'll start there.

What is the 'proper' bed-in procedure? I have heard people say stomp on them, which the owner's manual says go easy for the first week or two. Which is it?

I know that the existing rotors have never been machined. Could they be, just once?