Got the E9X PFC BBK to work on the F8X!

[SYT_Shadow]

As many of you know my brother and I have a couple track M3s. This is our journey to get the PFC Z54 BBK from the E9X generation to fit the F8X. This works for all F8X cars including the GTS and CCB equipped cars.

We've owned the PFC brakes for several years now, and the experience has been so sublime over literally hundreds of track days that when we wanted to retire the E92 M3 from track duties and add an F8X, one of the fundamental questions was whether we could adapt the Z54 front kit to the F8X generation car. I will take a perfect personal record of performance over any other vendors promises.
We are currently using this kit in our E90 stroker with 500whp and our F80 CS and it has never failed to deliver.
We've also had experience during three seasons with PFC BBKs in S54-swapped E36s racing in AER. The performance in those cars is, like the E9Xs, flawless.

Back to our street+track cars, originally there was an E92 and a E90, both with PFC BBKs.
The front PFC Z54 BBK is an epic kit:
-front 28mm (!!!) >1inch pads
-zero knockback
-impossible to overheat without any cooling while doing WGI in the 2:04 range with a full weight M3
-rotor swaps are incredibly easy
-rotors last a really long time. Their rotors and particularly the mounting system make all other BBK rotors look like something designed by a 5 year old
-pads come out of the caliper with no taper wear. I have boxes and boxes of worn pads and all are flat
-relatively quiet on the street even leaving the PFC11 track pads in there permanently
-this is the kit for reference: https://www.bimmerworld.com/Brakes/B...Z54-378MM.html

Here are some pics









After some research and lots of confusing information we determined it was possible but we'd have to design brackets as PFC does not offer this kit for the F8X generation.
My brother and I are both engineers and were sure we could figure out the design.

We started with rudimentary measurements:




Then worked on the design in Solidworks


Got the prototypes 3D printed. There were many iterations!


Then came the optimization stage to lighten the bracket


The first real roadblock we hit was with fabrication. No one in the US wants to build a brake bracket even though it’s pretty simple and well established. One company wanted to charge us 2k for a ‘study’, ridiculous.
We then decided to contact Slonik/Slon Workshop as his M3 goodies are spectacular with exquisite attention to detail. He was up for the challenge and further optimized the bracket for us! It turns out Slon workshop has built literally thousands of brake brackets and is very familiar with them.

Finally we received the production parts, anodized in black and with a better mounting system than PFC delivers stock! Here it is on our F80 CS after the first track season where it again handled everything we sent its way without blinking.

[SYT_Shadow]

reserved 1

[F3IGHTY]

Nice work, that caliper and rotor are serious business. Appreciate the fabrication as well, not nearly enough of that for this generation yet.

[M3SQRD]

As always, awesome work! I know you’ll love the z54 setup on the F8x just like you have on the e9x.

[hC1001]

Nice work on the adapter brackets. It looks like Slon workshop is selling the brackets on ebay for $400. Did they steal your design?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by hC1001

Nice work on the adapter brackets. It looks like Slon workshop is selling the brackets on ebay for $400. Did they steal your design?

Thanks!

They helped develop them, they can sell the adapters. I don't sell car stuff and if I do it's for whatever it cost me.

[PrimeBMW]

Cool! We just went through the same process to fit a Essex AP Racing Radical 372mm from a e92 M3 onto an e46 M3

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by PrimeBMW

Cool! We just went through the same process to fit a Essex AP Racing Radical 372mm from a e92 M3 onto an e46 M3

Awesome! Never stay limited by what manufacturers offer!!

[Pic18]

I know PFC has a really good reputation, and I love their pads, but I had really bad luck with those V3 rotors on my E46 M3. Debris got stuck behind the circular spring/clip (unbeknownst to me) which I assume kept the rotor from “floating” properly. I developed a crack all the way to the edge of the rotor after only a few track days. Maybe it was an anomaly, but definitely not impressed with that particular design or that they cracked so easily.

[coryf]

I recently installed some z54's on my GTS using this set of these adaptors. The fit was perfect. Plenty of clearance to a set of 18in bimmerworld ta5r wheels. So far everything has been great. I was able to improve on my PB for this car at our "home" track Roebling Road in Sav Ga. Also just spent last weekend in the smokie mountains running the tail of the dragon. This kit performed great. Hardly any pad/rotor wear at all, good pedal feel, plenty of stopping power. Thanks again for all the hard work developing these adaptors.

[JustAnothaM4]

Is there a bracket for the rear?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by project e46m3

Is there a bracket for the rear?

I did not build one... the track season arrived and I ran out of time. But it can be built because the rear parking brake is the same size between the E9X and the F8X
I regret not building one. I'd love to run the full PFC kit.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Pic18

I know PFC has a really good reputation, and I love their pads, but I had really bad luck with those V3 rotors on my E46 M3. Debris got stuck behind the circular spring/clip (unbeknownst to me) which I assume kept the rotor from “floating” properly. I developed a crack all the way to the edge of the rotor after only a few track days. Maybe it was an anomaly, but definitely not impressed with that particular design or that they cracked so easily.

That's interesting. I also didn't know they made the v3 design for the E46.

[JustAnothaM4]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

I did not build one... the track season arrived and I ran out of time. But it can be built because the rear parking brake is the same size between the E9X and the F8X
I regret not building one. I'd love to run the full PFC kit.

damn!

I wonder if we can purchase the calipers separately and piece together the entire front kit.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by project e46m3

damn!

I wonder if we can purchase the calipers separately and piece together the entire front kit.

I've seen the Z54 PFC bbk from Bimmerworld in sales going for 3.2k. Add the 400 slonik adapter and you're at 3600 for a top shelf kit for the F8X, and then when it is time to sell you can sell to the E9X and F8X generations

Compare that to the only other kit currently at this level, the RadiCal, at 5k for the front...

[JustAnothaM4]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

I've seen the front calipers from Bimmerworld in sales going for 3.2k. Add the 400 slonik adapter and you're at 3600 for a top shelf kit for the F8X, and then when it is time to sell you can sell to the E9X and F8X generations

Compare that to the only other kit currently at this level, the RadiCal, at 5k for the front...

Still need the front rotors and SS lines to complete the kit.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by project e46m3

Still need the front rotors and SS lines to complete the kit.

3200 includes rotors and lines. You use the exact same rotor as the E9X application

Edited my previous post as it was not clear. I don't think you can buy the calipers separately

[Pic18]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

That's interesting. I also didn't know they made the v3 design for the E46.

Here are some photos of what the back looked like after I noticed the multiple cracks in the rotors.

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by Pic18

Here are some photos of what the back looked like after I noticed the multiple cracks in the rotors.

I’m not seeing any cracks - where exactly are they located on the rotor ring?

I’d say it was an anomaly because the V3 rotors are used in pro motorsports endurance including prototypes as well as IndyCars. The 911 GT3R and M235/240iR are factory built race cars that use PFC calipers and V3 rotors (Z54 caliper is used on the M235/240iR). The V3 rotors routinely survive 24-hour endurance races.

[Kelse92]

Very cool part you guys designed! Glad Slonik was able to help y'all too. Noticed it for sale on his eBay page and cool to know y'all designed them!

[Suds]

Nice, this shit used to be called hot roding, figuring out how to put parts on your car that increase performance but weren’t designed to fit your car.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Kelse92

Very cool part you guys designed! Glad Slonik was able to help y'all too. Noticed it for sale on his eBay page and cool to know y'all designed them!

Originally Posted by Suds

Nice, this shit used to be called hot roding, figuring out how to put parts on your car that increase performance but weren’t designed to fit your car.

Gotta push the envelope!