Brembo GT Brake kit for Alpina Z8

[Peter Koh]

Hi from DownUnder,
Planning to upgrade brake system while vehicle is undergoing RHD conversion (progressing well, 2-3 months away to completion).
Has anyone upgraded their Alpina using Brembo brake kits? If yes, I would appreciate the Brembo part number and size for Front and Rear to suit.
Info require: Caliper Pot, disc size and type, cross drill, rotor and pad part number etc.
Cheers, Peter Koh

[macfly]

It will be exactly the same set up as the Z8, you can find all the info in the Brembo brake thread.

http://www.bmwz8.us/forum/tires-whee...e-kit-872.html

[Peter Koh]

Hi Andrew,
As always you are the first to respond and thank you for being there for us.
i did check the forum on your Brembo but not sure whether it would be same set up for 20" Alpina wheel size.
Do you happen to have the Brembo GT kit set part number?
Cheers PKoh

[Norcal]

As you may have seen in the brake thread, I put the big brembos on my z8 years ago and love them. I'm running euro alpina suspension and 20" HRE wheels in alpina size. I don't recall the part number, but seem to think brembo knew exactly what kit I needed. Have you enquired with them? I also had mine custom colored to match the roundel blue.

[Peter Koh]

Hi Norcal,
Yes, noticed your Brembos on thread and thank you, I have contacted local Brembo rep and they were hoping for more information to duplicate offer as they have never seen a Z8 before. Will follow up with them again.
Cheers

[Peter Koh]

Hi,
I have managed to get hold of the relevant Brembo brake system information with pricing (current) for the Z8. Please see attached (zip file, not sure why I can't attached as PDF .. it sees as PNG?) hope this is useful for future reference. Cheers PK

[CarlosZ8]

Peter,

I had installed the Brembos on my Z8 which has the Alpina wheels - I had very slight scraping on one wheel at the front, less than a hair's breadth it looked like, with the edge of the calipers just barely touching the back of the Alpina rims. Spacers - 5mm or 7mm I think - solved the issue. Your mileage may vary, according to the technicians, based on the schematics, there should have been no scraping. But very nice upgrade, as documented in the original thread on the matter.

[Peter Koh]

Thanks Carlos, good to know that spacers are required. Were the spacers supplied by Brembo stock or custom made to suit?

[CarlosZ8]

Peter, I am not even sure that spacers are required - according to Brembo, and based on the schematics, spacers should not be required - barely. But once installed, there was very slight paint-to-paint contact on one of the leading edges in my installation. When I put the car on a lift, you can just barely feel and hear some contact. I played it safe by adding a very narrow spacer, no problems at all thereafter. I think I put in some photos somewhere in Andrew's original thread on the subject.

My scraping could be due to manufacturing tolerances for the calliper or the wheel, of perhaps some play in the mounting of the caliper. You might have better luck and have zero rubbing. Nonetheless, easy fix and a great upgrade.

[Peter Koh]

Thanks Carlos. Will make local installer here aware. Cheers mate.

[Norcal]

No spacers on my car, but my wheels are different.

[2112]

I have had Brembos on my car since 2001. They used 550 Maranello discs and calipers as this was their first Z8 conversion. I run 19" diameter HRE wheels and have no scraping. Interesting that later systems would have issues with a larger diameter wheel.

It has been a very successful conversion so I am surprised that something had been changed.

[Peter Koh]

Hi Carlos,
The jury is out, it definitely needs spacer to use the Brembo brake kit on Alpina 20 inch stock wheels. See attached measurement made with Brembo 1:1 scaled brake templates on actual Alpina wheel (Front and Rear).
Any Alpina Z8 owner who wish to have Brembo brake upgrade, this report would be helpful. I decided to go with slotted instead of drilled disc type. Cheers, PKoh

[CarlosZ8]

Good to know. My installer - Brembo certified - had checked initially with the factory, at that point the answer was no spacer needed, so we were surprised when there was light scraping. Now we know definitively.