Your rotors and Hawk Brake pads are now ready
to race! Do not sand the pads or rotors after this burnishing
procedure has been completed.At TC Kline Racing we've also found we get
better braking performance and life out of our pads and rotors if we do not
install new pads and new rotors at the same time. Whenever possible we use
seasoned rotors with new pads or used pads to season new rotors. Also, we
avoid extremely hard braking during a rotor's initial break-in session. Get
the most out of your BMWs braking performance by taking a little more time
to break things in properly. We do!
 Race
Tip: Never sit with your foot on the brake pedal during a pit
stop or any time the brakes are hot. Put the car in gear and turn the engine
off if you must sit in one place for long. Resting your foot on the brake
pedal with hot brakes can boil the fluid and when you return to the track
you may have no brakes!
TC Kline Racing Tech Note
Hawk Brake Pads
We're somewhat perplexed by some of the
comments we read occasionally on various internet mailing lists and digests
about how nasty and destructive Hawk pads are.
We want to be absolutely clear about
something -- the majority of Hawk products are RACING pads. They do
exactly and precisely what they were designed to do -- stop your car as
quickly, reliably, and safely as possible over and over again. They may not
be best suited for your concourse queen. But they are the most effective
friction product you can find for your high performance street or RACE
car.
That being said, we're not turning a blind
eye to the fact that performance car owners like to drive a car -- even a
race car -- that looks as good as it performs. Appearance is important to
us, too, and we've not found Hawk products to be excessively harsh to the
finish of wheels or automotive paint. Regular cleaning with Simple Green®
and water, with light brushing if necessary, will almost always remove any
brake dust residue.
From our experience, the only time the dust
can become a problem is if it gets wet and is allowed to dry before
it is washed off. Then it can become difficult to remove. Just as with bug
stains or road tar, preventative measures like regular waxing and polishing
can be very helpful in preventing unpleasant damage to your wheels' finish.
Some Hawk compounds are better than others
when it comes to dust, so if dusting is a great concern to you, be sure to
ask your TC Kline Racing technician which Hawk compound will serve your
needs best.
TC Kline Racing Tech Note
How To Install Brake Pads on an E36 BMW
Do one wheel at a time from start to
finish. That way, if you forget how things go back together you can use the
"other side" for reference.
1. Siphon some (most) of the brake fluid out
of the reservoir to prevent overflow.
2. Jack up the car and place it securely
on jack stands. Remove the wheels.
3. Remove the spring clips that keep tension
on the pads. It can be removed either by pulling with pliers in the center
or levering out the end with only one "tab" with a screwdriver.
4. Remove the two plastic dust covers that
fit flush over the end of the caliper guide pins. (Located on the back of
the caliper.)
5. Using a 7mm Allen wrench or socket,
remove the two caliper guide pins.
6. Before removing the caliper, push the
piston back into the caliper . You can do this by gently inserting a
large screwdriver or pry bar between the pads and rotor and applying steady,
even pressure prying them apart. Keep repositioning the pry bar and applying
pressure until the piston stops moving.
Alternate Methods: If you've got really
strong hands and are worried about damage to the pads or rotors, this can be
done without a pry bar. You can also push the piston back removing the
caliper using a large pair of slip-joint pliers (or special tool), but we've
found the "pry bar" method to be the quickest and easiest.
7. Remove the caliper, but do not let it
hang by the brake line! You can briefly rest it atop the brake rotor or hang
it by a coat hanger if you cannot reinstall it immediately.
8. Check the fluid in the reservoir again
and remove more if necessary to prevent overflow when you push the next
piston in.
9. Carefully remove the pad wear sensor
(left front and right rear only) and slide the pads out of the caliper.
Steps 10-13 apply only to rotor replacement.
10. Remove two 15mm caliper bracket bolts
and remove the caliper mounting bracket.
11. Carefully remove rotor set screw. These
set screws can be difficult to remove. A hand impact driver is a big help in
loosening the screw, but be sure the Allen wrench seats fully into the set
screw or it will strip. Do not use an air impact gun or the screw may break.
12. Replace the rotor and replace the set
screw. (Be sure to clean any cosmoline from the rotor before installing.)
13. Reinstall the caliper mounting bracket
and the to 15mm bolts.
Note: If you choose to use an anti-squeal
compound on the replacement pads, apply a thin coat only to the surface that
mates to the caliper and allow it to fully set up before installing (24
hours isn't too long).
14. If your inboard replacement pads have
OEM-style clips to hold them to the piston, install like the original pad
and hang the outboard pad on the caliper bracket. If no clips are present,
hang both inboard and outboard pads on the bracket.
15. Slip the caliper over the pads.
16. Reinstall the caliper guide pins and
replace the dust covers.
17. Replace the tension spring.
18. Replace the wheel and torque the lug
bolts.
19. Pump the brake pedal several times
(until firm) before driving.
20. Refill the brake fluid reservoir if
necessary to proper level.
Be sure to follow pad manufacturer's
instructions for
proper
bed-in procedures. You can greatly prolong pad and rotor life at the
track if you do not aggressively use new race pads and new rotors
simultaneously until they've both been "seasoned."
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