How to Install Brake Pads and Rotors on the BMW 335i

This article is a step-by-step, how-to installation guide for the StopTech Street Axle Pack Brake Kit, which includes front and rear rotors as well as brake pads for the 2007-2013 BMW 335i. You can shop for this and over a million top name-brand products at Motoroso.com, where the products are sold by trusted vendors at great prices, and the shipping is always free with no minimum. Let’s dig in.

VIDEO: HOW TO INSTALL BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ON THE BMW E92 335I

So our friend Ricky has a BMW 335i, and he’s getting ready to do track days, and so we definitely wanted to upgrade the brakes. The StopTech Street Axle Pack kit is a great value of just under $600 is going to give him 10 to 20% better braking performance and will last a lot longer than his stock brakes. 

This is a really easy installation, and you can definitely do this yourself. We’ve got to lift and cool tools, but you can definitely do this in your driveway. The process we’ll follow is gonna be pretty straightforward. You’ll take the wheel off, the caliper off, pull the old rotor off, put the new rotor on, put the new pads into the caliber, and put it all back together. You’re going to do that front and rear, but here’s how you’re going to do it step by step. 

Tools you’ll need for this job:

• 6 and 7mm Allen Wrenches or Allen Sockets
• 16 and 18mm Regular Sockets 
• Ratchets
• Torque Wrench

Installing the Front Rotors

1. Start by removing the front wheel. 
2. Next, you’ll loosen the (2) slide pins using your 7mm Allen. 
3. Loosen the main caliper bolts using your 18mm ratchet. 
4. Remove the caliper spring and the brake line from the bracket by sliding the rubber bushing out of the bracket.
5. Finish removing the caliper bolts
6. Use a Flathead screwdriver to slightly press the piston back into the caliper before removing it from the rotor.
7. Make sure to have a bungee ready to hang the caliper, so you don’t put unnecessary pressure on the brake line. 
8. Undo the slide pins until the caliper support bracket can be removed.
9. Remove the caliper support bracket.
10. Fully remove the slide pin.  
11. In order to remove the rotor, you’ll need to undo the rotor set screw with a 6mm Allen.
12. Remove the old rotor and replace it with the newer rotor.
13. Reinstall the 6mm set screw on the new rotor.
14. Reinstall your caliper support bracket with the (2) 18mm bolts and torque them down to 105 ft/lbs.
15. Press the new pads into the caliper pistons, making sure to align those fancy-dancy clips on the back of the pads with the pistons.
16. Reinstall the caliper onto the caliper bracket. 
17. Apply some anti-seize grease to the slide pins before you reinstall them.
18. Reinstall the slide pins into the caliper, making sure to torque them down to 22 ft/lbs. of torque with your 7mm Allen. 
19. Put on your new guide bolt caps provided by StopTech. 
20. Install the new spring clip onto the outside of the caliber by snapping the outside of the clip in place, and then gently prying it into position with a screwdriver. 
21. Reinstall your front wheel.

 Rinse, lather, and repeat on the other side of the car, and you’re ready to move to the rear.

Installing the Rear Rotors

1. Start by removing the wheel. 
2. Just like the front, use your 7mm Allen to loosen the (2) slide pins. 
3. Remove the (2) 16mm caliper bolts. They’re tight fit with all the lines and wires behind them, and we found a large 16mm open-ended wrench work best. 
4. Remove the caliper.
5. Finish removing the slide pins
6. Remove the pads, starting with the outside to provide clearance for the inside. Now, just to note, you might need to compress the piston before removing the pads as we did on the front. 
7. Move the ABS pad wear sensor by gently prying on it with a screwdriver.
8. Remove the 6mm set screw on the rotor and try to remove the rotor. Now you might need to add love with the hammer persuasion. 
9. Install your new rotor. 
10. Reinstall the 6mm set screw on the new rotor.
11. Fully compress the pistons into the calipers to make room for your new brake pads. 
12. Install your new brake pads into the now collapsed pistons using the spring clamps on the new brake pads.
13. Reinstall the caliper support bracket using the (2) 16mm bolts and tighten down to 55 ft/lbs. of torque. 
14. Hold the second pad in place while sliding the caliper over the new rotor.
15. Apply anti-seize or grease to your slide pins.
16. Reinstall and tighten your guide pins to 22 ft/lbs. of torque.
17. Reinstall the caliper retaining clip, just like on the front. 
18. Reinstall your wheel.
19. Rinse lather, repeat on the other side and you’ve completed your rotor and pad replacement.
20. Now make sure to check your instructions and follow the bed-in procedure to make sure you get the best performance in safety from your new brakes. 

That wraps up our installation of the StopTech Street Axle Pack for the BMW 335i. This kit is available on Motoroso for under $600. You can shop for that and over a million top name-brand products sold by trusted vendors at great prices, and the shipping is always free at Motoroso.com. Thanks for reading.

VIDEO: STOPTECH STREET AXLE PACK FOR THE BMW E92 335I SPOTLIGHT