Quote Originally Posted by Beez540
I know there's a ton of them... and I've read all of them, but I'm hoping to come to some consensus.
Also, I've seen nothing discussing Akebono ACT ceramic brake pads... has anyone used them?

I'm just planning on doing the front brakes.

My rotor choices are:

Balo
Bremmbo
ACT slotted
Zimmerman cross drilled

Pad choices:

Metalmasters
Raybestos QS
Akebono ACTs


Finding a parts place that carries the proper combination seems to be the tricky part. APW has the Bremmbo rotors for less than $40 each and the Akebono pad set for just under $70... shipping would be free or $15 or $20 for 2 day or overnight.

BMA seems to be more on the rotors and primarily stocking PBR pads for my 540.


Any and all experienced suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Brandon,

OEM will be more than sufficient unless you are a track junky. Nothing beats OEM rotors and there are a million different pad choices. You are wasting your money on performance if you want slotted or cross drilled rotors. If the money is worth it for "the look" then go for it, but don't expect much or any performance gain.

I personally usually use PBR Deluxe pads with OEM rotors unless I am planning a track day (which never seams to happen). OEM rotors from the dealer have a 1 year warranty regardless of use. If you warp them for any reason, you can return them for new ones. They should last a few years and many 10's of thousands of miles, but it is a nice warranty to have. PBR Deluxe pads have a nice bite when cold, are easy on the dust, and are very quiet. They will wear quickly under extreme conditions, but BMW engineers planned for extreme cases that you will probably never participate in. I have not personally used Raybesto's QS pads but have a couple friends that have had good luck with them, they are pretty inexpensive also. I like metalmasters, but they are pretty loud for street use. Deluxe give a better all around experience IMHO for street use.

I personally would either purchase from Steve D. at the Ultimate Garage, BMA, or Nick Alexander BMW in LA. BMA will probably be the cheapest, but sometimes it is better to spend a little more for convenience and to support a quality business.

Good luck in your decision,
Rory