E39 break service

Only two sensors. You'll need a couple of allen keys - one for the caliper slides, and one for the discs. Worth buying a 3/8" drive set 'on a rail'.

Being a single piston design they seem to last well - just check the dust covers are good, and the seals on the sliders.

I use ATE parts from Eurocarparts and have found them fine.

Don will be along shortly to tell of his woes with non BMW parts. ;-)

In the States, we can go down to the corner auto parts store and pick up a set of rotors for about $50 (USD) each. Unless you can beat that price by a wide margin, I suggest you lace up your shoes and take a walk.

I strongly disagree with you on this one, Jeff. The brake rotors at the "corner" parts store are inferior quality to the OE or OEMs, which are available online at about the same price. I like pretty much all of the European OEM brands, Zimmerman, ATE, Brembo, etc.

The added cost and delay of shipping are worth it for the added quality of the parts IMO. I do not skimp on cost/quality for brake parts, for obvious reasons...

-Fred W

This is interesting, my "local" parts store can get me any of the *name* euro brands listed. In fact, he carries Balo rotors in stock.

Of course, I could go to Kragen (Checkers in some States) and get parts too. I recently bought a battery from Kragen and found it was made by the same company that provides battery to the dealership (Johnson Control?), at almost 40% the price.

Yes, of course it all depends on who your "corner parts store" is. Around here we have NAPA, Auto Zone, VIP Auto and Pep Boys as well as some Mom and Pop places. Most of them carry inferior junk. Last time I checked all I could get were rotors made in China. No thanks.

OTOH, if I could buy Balo brake parts locally I would save on the shipping costs and do so.

-Fred W

Well, there is certainly something to be said for name-brand parts, but the OP suggested he was more concerned with price than with performance. I took this to mean that he was using his car to commute, not for fun days at the track. If this is true, then the parts at the corner store should suit him fine. The corner parts store can get any, if not all, of the names you listed up. I forget where I bought my rotors, but they are fine.