Time for brakes!

Post by **jblackburn** » 14 Sep 2010, 10:09

I know there's quite a few topics on this, and I've read a few. But I want y'alls opinions!

Ok, so I've been shopping around, and there are quite a few things out there.

I'll need rotors AND pads for the front. I have the 12" (302 mm) rotors on my car. This will be my first time putting brakes on the front of this car - the backs wore out a few months ago & were just replaced with new (OEM) pads.

What have you guys used/would recommend? I don't want to spend more than $100 on a rotor, so cross-drilled/slotted ones are OUT of the question. I don't want cheap Chinese crap, either. The Zimmermans look promising.

I do like the OEM brakes, and they have lasted me almost 55,000 miles. But they are dusty...then again, my car is blue and always needs to be washed anyway

What pads out there DON'T squeal besides the OEM ones? Are there better rotors than the OEM ones?

ChiNorm · Post by **ChiNorm** » 14 Sep 2010, 10:31

I have used cross drilled Brembo rotors for years with excellent results. I currently have about 30k miles on akebono euro ceramic pads. Very good performance and bordering on zero dust. If you get extreme cold temps, below zero, the pads do need to be warmed a bit, which is not a hassle. Being in Chicago, this has been known to happen.

I would put them in again, I will put them in the V70 that her father just gave her (thanks Dad!).

Post by **wheelsup** » 14 Sep 2010, 10:34

Akebono, bought them from FCP, so far 2 years they are great. Almost no dust.

For rotors I bought the Brembos from FCP. I got a good lot, apparently some have seen a decrease in quality. Also, in the future, if I cared about the appearance of my car, I would get zinc plated rotors so the centers and edges don't rust. I painted mine, it came out OK as in it stops most of the rust, but you need 2-3 coats and it's a PITA. I'd rather pay the few $$ more for a zinc plating on them.

Personally I don't think cross drilled or slotted rotors really do anything but decrease pad life and increase braking distance (less pad material to friction with). Unless you can get a good deal on zinc plated ones I'd stay away. It is, after all, a Volvo not a Porsche.

Post by **thecheat** » 14 Sep 2010, 10:58

Chech this info out... I may do this when it's time for front pads. Fancy pads are nice but bigger brakes is where it's at!

C@lvin · Post by **C@lvin** » 14 Sep 2010, 11:02

Last December (12K miles ago) I did front and rear pads and rotors on my 98 S70 (currently 200K). I did a lot of research and shopping. I don't do a lot of "spirited" driving (just a little grin every now and then

) so I didn't look at "performance" pads or rotors. I decided to go with ATE rotors and Mintex Red Box pads (pads recommended by Ozark Lee) both front and rear which I got at FCP for right at $200 total.

I am not sure if you can still get the ATE rotors from FCP. I purposely avoided Brembo because of concerns over their recent quality and I had been told they were now being made in China. I was pretty ticked off when I got the shipment and FCP had substituted Brembo rotors for the rear, but the box said "Made in Italy" (not China) just like the ATE rotors and FCP said I could try them for 30 days and return them if I didn't like them.

The result is that I am extremely pleased and have no complaints with either the ATE or Brembos and I especially like the fact that the Mintex pads create significantly less dust than the OEM pads that were newly installed by the PO when I bought the car. After 12K miles they still have good bite, no fade, and no shimmy.

I know you have a turbo and may feel the need for more "performance" oriented brakes and I can't speak to that, but I have been well pleased with this set up in my NA S70. As a side note, I put some Advanced Auto Ceramic pads ( made by, IIRC, Morse at the time) on my 9-5 Wagon and got a few thousand miles on them before the tranny died (and there it sits

). My feeling was that they didn't have as much initial bite as semi-metallic but otherwise they performed just fine and had zero dust.

Post by **thecheat** » 14 Sep 2010, 11:18

I purposely avoided Brembo because of concerns over their recent quality and I had been told they were now being made in China

Quite a few items are being copied and counterfeited now. I read an article a few months ago about fake brembos and how some chinese rotors come thinner than the width you are supposed to replace them at!

I had bought a headlight switch for my VW GTI that was a copy... How weird to copy something so insignificant as a headlight switch. It worked fine but you could tell that it wasn't constructed as well as oem. At least it wasn't part of the braking system

I would be wary of the cross drilled Chinese rotors, there's no telling if the rotor will fracture from the drilled holes after a few heat cycles.

Post by **jblackburn** » 14 Sep 2010, 11:28

I can personally say the Chinese Brembo's are awful...my father used them on his Jeep (not a sports car by a long shot), and they were warped like crazy after only 20,000 miles to the point where stopping was just not fun. Even the junk Chrysler ones lasted longer than that.

Check this info out... I may do this when it's time for front pads. Fancy pads are nice but bigger brakes is where it's at!

Already got the big'uns as standard on this car

This seems to make it a little harder to find things that will fit it, but I suppose I can order outside FCP for this. IPD has some good stuff it looks like, and for cheaper.

I don't race, but I drive a little "spiritedly" I suppose.

Post by **thecheat** » 14 Sep 2010, 11:33

I just like being able to stop

I think my front pads are glazed from the previous owner and my car slows down dramatically instead of locking up the brakes when I stomp them. The PO said they were new pads and rotors, and they have plenty of material on them but it's like they are made out of glass.

gilhuly · Post by **gilhuly** » 14 Sep 2010, 11:42

The zimmerman coated rotors are nice. I've put a few pairs on Volvo's recently.

ChiNorm · Post by **ChiNorm** » 14 Sep 2010, 12:00

wheelsup wrote:Akebono, bought them from FCP, so far 2 years they are great. Almost no dust.

Personally I don't think cross drilled or slotted rotors really do anything but decrease pad life and increase braking distance (less pad material to friction with). Unless you can get a good deal on zinc plated ones I'd stay away. It is, after all, a Volvo not a Porsche.

Under heavy braking, the rotor vents allow off gassing from the pads to escape. A quite noticeable improvement on the highway at 85 mph.