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If you enjoy driving, you know how much of a difference high-quality brakes make, especially when your old discs and pads are well past their prime.

In this morning’s project, I swapped out my worn front discs and pads for Brembo Xtra drilled rotors and Brembo pads, to restore braking power and give Panda the stopping strength it deserves. Let me show you through the process and how the upgrade turned out.

The old brakes were in rough shape, and the braking performance had noticeable dropped. With a quick visual inspection, it was clear that both the discs and pads had seen better days. As you can see in the photo below, the old rotors had significant wear, and the pads had lost much of their thickness.

Before starting, I laid out all the tools and new parts. Here’s what I used for the job:

  •  A jack and jack stands
  •  Wrench set
  •  C-clamp (for compressing the caliper piston)

The upgrade parts included Brembo Xtra drilled rotors and matching Brembo pads. I chose these for their performance and longevity, plus the drilled design on the rotors not only looks great, but also improves heat dissipation. My other cars also have Brembo parts so I already know what I can count with. Here’s a comparison of the new and old discs for reference.

With the wheel removed, I had a clear view of the old braking setup. I carefully unbolted the caliper and slid it off to expose the brake pads, which were easy to remove. Then, I unscrewed the old disc, which was securely (and stubbornly…) in place after years of use.

After cleaning the mounting surface, I positioned the rotor onto the hub. The new disc looked fantastic compared to the old one, and its drilled design added a good-looking performance touch.

Next, I slid in the new brake pads and compressed the caliper piston with a C-clamp to ensure the caliper would fit over the new pads. After reassembling everything, the upgrade was complete!

After reattaching the wheels and lowering the car, my Touring was ready for a test drive with its upgraded brakes. As soon as I took it out, I noticed a significant improvement in stopping power. Besides the fact its old vs new material, the Brembo Xtras provide a smooth, strong response even under harder braking, and the drilled-design should also help with performance under stress.

Final Thoughts

Replacing the front brakes was a satisfying DIY project, and the difference in performance was well worth it. The BMW’s stopping power is back, and even though a lot of things has to be done yet, confidence is coming back one step at a time.

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