98 v70 - Brake Pads/Rotors? Confused.

briderx · Post by **briderx** » 12 Sep 2011, 01:18

I have the GLT - AWD.. It has 16" wheels & the rotors currently on it measure out to 280mm. The car is new to me, but the previous owner took pretty lousy care of it. There is no pad left, and the rotors look like mountains. Sitting in the driveway currently, as I won't harm her anymore. The Calipers are ATE 7171. Don't know about pads, didn't take them off yet. I'm doing a full set of new rotors/pads and am going to do them myself. I'm seeing pricing @ around $25-$30/rotor & around $50 for front brakes, $35 for rear.

I'm very tight on $$$, but am a pretty thrifty shopper, so I am thinking I could upgrade from stock a LITTLE.. Ideas? What would you do if you were replacing them?

I also want to add: There's a possibility of me getting a trailer hitch to pull my boat (around 700lbs with boat/motor/gear) so I don't think that plays an important role in this, however, I thought it's worth mentioning. Thanks for everything you guys do!

briderx · Post by **briderx** » 12 Sep 2011, 01:23

I really wanted to add: I am not just asking you guys and going to youtube to watch silly cats.. I'm browsing rockauto and partsgeek to find something suitable for my car/budget. Some rotors say for FWD, some say for both and some are strictly AWD.. Never in my life has buying rotors/pads been such a task!

voltech1 · Post by **voltech1** » 12 Sep 2011, 02:19

I have never had any luck with aftermarket brake pads. A/M rotors like ZIMM or Brembo are ok. A/M pads either make noise or wear out rotors quickly. Sometimes the brake pedal will be stiff and the vehicle will not want to stop (until the pads are warmed up) almost to the point of driving through the garage door. The front rotors @280 mm should be the same. The difference is the AWD has different rotors in the rear. Don't forget the parking brakes which can be expensive if the cables are rusted. Most people just cut the cables because the cost is too much to justify. I would go with volvo pads and Zimmerman rotors for best value and performance. You said you were thrifty so I assume you want these to last.

briderx · Post by **briderx** » 12 Sep 2011, 16:42

Yeah, I really want them to last. I'm pretty careful with my vehicles.. I will check out the zimmerman rotors.. Thank you for the input! Gives me something to start with.

Post by **vjaneczko** » 12 Sep 2011, 16:57

I've got Zimmerman cross-drilled rotors and Akebono pads and highly reccomend them. I understand being on a budget, but I never skimp on brakes - they keep me from plowing into walls, you know?

If you're going to add a boat to the equation, that's all the more reason to spend a little more on your brake setup since it'll be dealing with a heavier load. IIRC, the max load on my 855 is about 900 lbs, so you're adding almost the max weight to the hitch. Add 3 adult passengers and you're really talking about 3/4 of a ton of additional weight.

Also make sure your e-brake is working properly. Any weight that the e-brake holds when its engaged is less weight that the tranny has to bare - which means your tranny will last longer!

Lastly; if the P.O. did a poor job maintaining the car, make sure you get new brake fluid, not just bleed the lines. It should be replaced every few years if you're hard on the brakes, and I'd think adding a boat to the mix would put you in that category.

briderx · Post by **briderx** » 07 Apr 2012, 15:16

I never thanked everyone for the help.. I know this was a bit ago, but I'm going back through posts and making sure i'm completing them. I ended up going with some parts from FCP, and am extremely happy. I think I finished the job paying around $170 for everything shipped. The car runs like a dream (brake/rotor wise) and haven't had a hiccup since replacing them! So, thank you for all your responses/opinions!