E30 5 Lug & E46 M3 Brake Upgrade Writeup

Rear View of stock E30 Brakes

Start by holding the caliper nut with a 15mm wrench and removing the caliper bolt with a 13mm socket.

Once the caliper bolts are out, pry the caliper away from the rotor.

Zip tie the caliper out of the way for now so you don't have a brake fluid mess just yet.

Remove the front caliper bracket using a 19mm socket.

Using a 5mm hex, remove the bolt which holds the rotor in place.

The rotor should now be free. Remove it from the hub. Your hub should be bare and free of all brakes components at this point

Start buy removing the dust cap. This will not be re-used so don't worry about damaging it.

Old bearing grease.

With a chisel or flathead screwdriver, bend the locking tab straight.

Locking tab bent straight.

Using a 36mm socket and your impact, remove the front hub nut.

Front wheel bearing with the hub nut removed.

Using a 2 or 3 jaw puller, remove the hub. We used a socket and adapter to help our tool work better.

If you're lucky the hub will come out in one piece, if not use your puller again to get the inner race off.

You can remove the dust shield if your tool is too wide however ours fit fine.

Remove the dust shield.

We also removed the ABS sensor with a 5mm hex as to not damage it by accident on hub install.

Pry the inside dust shield off. This will interfere with the new bearing if left on.

Clean everything off and even polish the spindle as the machined parts are extremely tight.

Mockup and mark where the new caliper and bracket adapter need room on the dust shield.

Using tin snips or a grinder, remove the material you marked off.

It may or may not be needed though we cut some material from the center of the dust shield for the larger hub.

Reinstall the dust shield and check for clearance.

Once fit is confirmed, remove the caliper carrier and thread lock the adapter bracket in place.

First, insert the back piece into the hub. This is a very exact fit.

Use a piece of wood or something soft to encourage the piece to fit. Be gentle.

Once you're flush you're good to move on.

Install your hub with the machined piece you just fitted on to the spindle. Make sure everything is clean before starting! Use a 36mm socket on the front of the bearing to assist install.

Gentle encouragement will be needed.

Now move on to the front machined spacer / nut. The idea here is to have the threads start, again, gentle persuasion will be needed.

Do not over do it! All we need is for the threads to be close enough to start.

Once we got close enough we applied pressure while turning the machined part / nut. We can now use the threads the rest of the way on.

Tighten down until snug using a 1-13/16" socket.

Torque to 210 ft-lbs.

Finish up by locking the nut with a chisel or flathead.

Optional: Line the 5 lug pattern up and mark the rotor spacer where the rotor holder bolt goes.

Drill the spacer plate.

Install the rotor spacer and hub spacer. The bevel on the hub spacer goes inward.

Install the rotor and put a few lugs on to hold things in place.

Install the caliper carrier.

Don't forget to lube up the caliper pins before install.

Install the caliper and brake pads.

Remove the old caliper, install your brake line and brake caliper clip. Don't forget to re-install the ABS sensor as well!

Unbolt the axle from the differential. Put the car in gear between bolts to stop the differential from spinning.

If you do not have an impact, you will need to pry this washer around the nut out then break the bolt while the car is on the ground.

If you do have an impact, just go ahead and remove the axle nut with a 30mm socket.

Axle nut removed.

Use an extension or something similar to hammer or push the axle out.

Make sure a buddy is there to catch the axle when it pops out.

Pop the caliper clip off.

Take the dust cover off and use a 7mm hex to un-bolt the caliper from the carrier.

Zip tie the caliper out of the way as to not leak fluid everywhere just yet.

Use a 17mm socket to remove the caliper carrier.

Remove the retainer hex bolt from the rotor and remove the rotor. The rear hub should now be exposed.

We didn't have a hub removal tool so we just stacked brake pads behind the hub and tightened lug nuts until it was removed.

Typically, the inner race of the bearing comes with the hub. This doesn't matter since we're replacing it.

Remove the retaining clip for the bearing. Snap ring pliers are recommended.

Snap ring removed.

We used a Harbor Freight bearing pulled tool along with a new stud and nuts since the ones that came with the kit stripped.

On the front, make sure to use the size that allows the bearing to push though to the front.

On the rear, use whatever will take up space so you can put a wrench on the end nut.

Bearing ready to be pulled.

Use a breaker bar to turn the threads thus pulling the bearing the wrench on the backside will bottom out on the trailing arm making the job easier.

Bearing removed.

Clean up and apply anti seize to where the bearing goes.

Using a piece of wood or gently with a hammer, get the bearing started. It is crucial to make sure the bearing is going in straight. You can also use the Harbor Freight tool to pull it in.

Once the bearing has started going in straight, keep hammering the bearing in as much as you can.

Use another piece from the Harbor Freight kit to hammer the bearing in the last little bit.

Should be all the way in now.

Check the back to make sure you're flush.

Re-install the snap ring.

Snap ring re-installed.

Line the new hub up straight. Drive it in with a hammer and piece of wood to get it started, then use your Harbor Freight tool to pull it in. Use the smaller Harbor Freight hub tool on the back of the bearing to pull the hub on to the bearing itself, not the housing.

Rear hub installed.

Make absolutely sure your splines are clean.

Same goes for cleaning the axle splines.

With any luck the axle will slide right in. Remember, the bearing is not being held together by much, careful hammering the back of the axle into place.

Once the threads on the axle show on the front of the hub, use the new axle nut to pull it all the way through. Cut off the curved portion off the dust shield as shown.

Remove the cut material.

Test fit the carrier bracket adapter and score the dust shield for cutting.

Remove the material as shown.

Install your rotor and hold in place with some lug nuts.

Loctite the adapter on to the trailing arm and bolt your E39 caliper carrier on.

Install your E39 caliper.

Caliper and shock installed. You will need to jack up on the trailing arm to re-install the shock or strut.

Rear brakes with Style 4 wheel on.

Both front and rear 5 lug setups installed.