Big Brake Kit
XYZ Racing Hollow Front Brake Kit — Bmw 5 SERIES E 28 518 (1981-1988)
SKU: XYZ-BRK-BKF-BM01-A-FRONT
- IncludesFront axle pair (2 discs + 2 calipers)
- PositionFront
- Disc Ø330–444 mm
- Caliper pots6 / 8 / 12-pot
- Lead time10–15 working days
Fits Bmw 5 SERIES E 28 518 (1981-1988)
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Caliper render for this kit:
The E28 five-series is now over four decades old, and the 518’s M10 1.8-litre four-cylinder was the entry-level specification in a range that stretched to the M5, but the rear-wheel-drive chassis underneath it is the same one that taught a generation of drivers how a properly balanced saloon handles. That chassis ages well. The original front disc brakes fitted to the base 518 from 1981 do not: sized for a 90bhp car in an era of lower limits and lighter traffic, they leave marginal reserve when these cars are driven as they increasingly are in 2026.
The XYZ Racing front brake kit addresses the E28 518’s front axle directly. It is a single-axle upgrade, a matched pair of front calipers and discs, replacing the factory-spec hardware with two-piece floating disc technology and a choice of three pad compounds, from quiet road default through to racing grade. The kit covers the full 1981-1988 production run in a single fitment.
What this brake kit does for your 1981-1988 Bmw 5 SERIES E 28 518
Two-piece floating disc construction reduces rotating mass and rides on an aluminium centre bell that lets the friction ring expand under heat without distorting, while hollow-vane internals move air through the disc body faster than the E28’s original discs. That matters on long descents or in sustained fast-road driving where the stock system was never calibrated to absorb repeat hard stops.
Three compounds give control over friction behaviour: Street is the quiet, low-dust compound for a light-duties classic, Sport for a car that sees fast A-roads regularly with more bite and heat range, Racing for the growing number of E28s that make track-day appearances. Caliper colour lets the installation sit discreetly or stand out behind the E28’s period alloys.
About the Hollow Front Brake Kit
The XYZ Racing caliper is built on a hollow body as standard, and the disc uses a two-piece floating design with internal vanes that channel air through the body to carry heat away from the braking surface during and after hard application. For the BMW 5 Series E28 generation, where the 518 specification sat at the conservative end of the factory brake range, the kit delivers a substantive increase in thermal capacity and pedal confidence.
Pad compound selection, Street, Sport, or Racing, is fixed when you order. Discs come drilled or slotted at the same price, and the centre bell can be specified two-tone in five anodized colours or in titanium. The caliper is painted at no cost in Red, Yellow, Gold, Black, or Anodized Black; Custom Color matches any Pantone for £150; and premium polished-forged (Titanium, Polished Gold, Polished Silver) and candy finishes (Candy Teal, Candy Blue, Candy Red, Candy Orange) suit the owner’s restoration direction. The Hollow Racing caliper upgrade (no dust cover, rated 1000C, two-year warranty) and braided lines are there for owners who run the car hard on circuit.
Fitment for the Bmw 5 SERIES E 28 518 (1981-1988)
This kit is listed for the BMW 5 Series E28 in 518 specification, covering model years 1981 to 1988 in full. The E28 518 ran on the same front-axle architecture throughout its production life; the transition from the carburetted M10 to the fuel-injected 518i variant in the mid-1980s did not alter the front-suspension or brake mounting geometry, making a single kit consistently applicable across the range.
What buyers also search for
- BMW E28 518 front brake upgrade for fast-road and classic-car track driving
- BMW 5 Series E28 big brake kit with compound choice covering 1981 to 1988
- E28 518 hollow-vane front brakes that address the factory system’s thermal limits
- Classic BMW E28 front brake kit fitting without modification to the original front axle
- BMW 518 braking upgrade compatible with the full E28 production span
Select your compound, caliper colour, disc style, and centre bell from the options above before adding to the build.
What’s in the kit
Front axle kit — supplied as a complete bolt-on assembly.
- 2×Two-piece floating discs — 330–444 mm: you pick the exact diameter with the "Disc size" option
- 2×Lightweight aluminium centre bells
- 2×Forged aluminium calipers — 6 / 8 / 12-pot
- 2×High-stiffness mounting brackets
- 2×Braided stainless steel brake lines
- 4×High-performance brake pads (1 set)
- 1×Fitting hardware & tools pack
Choosing your spec
Every kit is built to order around the choices you make above. Here is what each option actually changes, so you can spec yours with confidence.
Brake pads — Street, Sport or Racing
Every kit ships with a full set of high-performance pads; the compound is your call.
Street is the right default for fast-road driving — a strong, progressive cold bite with low noise, low dust and long disc life. Sport raises the working temperature and adds bite and fade resistance for hard road use and the occasional track day, while still behaving on a cold morning. Racing is a track compound built for sustained abuse: huge fade resistance and bite once heat is in it, at the cost of more noise and dust when cold. Match the pad to how hard you actually use the brakes — there is no benefit to a race pad that never gets up to temperature.
Caliper grade — Hollow vs Hollow Racing
Hollow is the standard caliper on every kit: a hollow-body forged caliper, lighter than a solid one, fitted with a dust cover and backed by a 5-year oil-leak warranty. For most fast-road and spirited track use it is all the caliper you need.
Hollow Racing is the track-grade upgrade. It runs the same hollow body but without a dust cover (so there is nothing to melt at sustained high temperature), uses a twin-metal piston that isolates heat travelling from the disc to the oil seal, and is rated to 1000°C. Available 286–380mm (front). Warranty is 2 years on oil leaks and 10 years on appearance. Built for professional racing and repeated track days.
Caliper colour & finish
Painted colours (Red, Yellow, Gold, Black, Anodized Black) are included at no cost. Want an exact match to your car? Custom Color (+£150) paints the calipers to any Pantone code you supply (15–20 day lead time).
Polished Forged finishes are the flagship: a forged caliper given a mirror-polished surface treatment that shifts colour with the viewing angle. Beyond the looks, the polished surface dissipates heat better, resists rust and stands up to the weather. Choose Titanium (neochrome, +£350), Polished Gold (+£300) or Polished Silver (+£250). They look their best paired with a titanium centre bell. Care: clean only with a dilute neutral cleaner or water.
Candy colours (+£200) use a deep candy-paint and polishing process for a mirror-reflection, boutique finish — pick Teal, Blue, Red or Orange (shown below right).
Centre bells
The centre bell is the CNC-machined aluminium hat that joins the disc to the hub. The standard anodized centre bell is included. The Two-tone bell (+£200) adds an anodized accent ring — choose Red, Yellow, Orange, Purple or Silver right here at checkout. The Titanium centre bell (+£500) is a forged titanium bell (bolts not included) that finishes off the polished-forged look.
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More XYZ products for the Bmw 5 SERIES E 28 518 appear here as the rest of the range publishes.