1995 850 wagon rotor life expectancy

[rdnzl]

I just replaced the rear rotors and pads - this pic is of the old rotor - maybe 16 months on the car. The previous work was done by my indie mech, after I complained of poor life on the previous rotors he installed (again, approximately 1 year!) To me, this is inexcusable!

So my question is: what is a reasonable estimate for life expectancy of a good quality rotor these days? I just installed $50 ATE rotors and Akebono pads, purchased from FCP, after being unimpressed with what I heard from my local parts store guy re: what he had to offer. I live in VT, w/ accompanying winter road salt. I drive fairly aggressively, but use my gears (5 spd tranny) agressively as well, so my brake use is (or so I like to think) less than most folks.

FYI: FCP very easy to deal with, and delivery to my door surprisingly quick. Did better on the phone than ordering on line - couldn't easily find the pin hardware kit or a small container of pad grease, but the guy on the phone was very helpful.

[Ozark Lee]

I typically go through a set every 100k miles. I have been using some drilled Raybestos brand rotors that I was buying on eBay from a place called UC Auto Parts in Canada. The drilled rotors are not without their own problems like uneven wear that follows the holes but I have yet to have one warp. For pads I use either Mintex Reds or OEM Volvo. The Mintex pads are a bit less dusty but I think about anything is less dusty than the OEM pads.

The glazing on your rotor looks odd, are the calipers OK?

...Lee

[rdnzl]

Lee,

I was concerned about the calipers, as this is my daily driver and I didn't want to have it down while I ordered caliper(s), but each compressed just fine on both sides. Soooo, they're ok, right?

[mecheng]

with the car raised in the rear, do the wheels spin freely? If not, your caliper is sticking. Maybe the mechanic used cheap parts.

[dosbricks]

Something going on back there with that uneven wear, pitting, and the rotor not even flanged at the edges from much use. Unless your pads are glazing with rust because of lack of use, I would replace those calipers with rebuilt from the local parts store since they are OE rebuilds = Volvo/ATE.

I just removed all four rotors from my wagon, all deeply flanged at the edges of the swept area but surface all shiny, smooth, with no pitting or grooves. All these were Volvo OEM with Volvo pads. The rear rotors had 152K use. Note: I believe in the theory of conservation of motion, i.e. only use the brakes as a last resort.

FYI, the new Volvo front rotors I purchased from FCP were made In China! The new Bosch rears are made in Italy. The four ATEs I got for the S70 a few months ago were made in Italy. The machining of these latter were all better than the Chinese Volvo fronts. I definitely won't waste money on Volvo OEM rotors in the future.

[abscate]

I vote sticking caliper. There is no way a good rear pad will leave a rotor like that unless it isn't in contact with the rotor.

..and make sure you use your handbrake more often too...

[rdnzl]

Okay, so if I'm reading this correctly, and my intuitive abilities are anywhere near accurate, the old rotors (both show the same abnormal wear) deteriorated because the caliper(s) hung up and the pads, or a pad were in constant contact, yes? If so, and if the problem continues, I should be able to diagnose by 1. seeing if the wheel spins freely and noiselessly, and/or 2. seeing if the caliper is hot to the touch after a drive, yes? A dragging pad should also smell and interfere with general rolling ability - coasting, acceleration, climbing, etc., yes? In general, does a hung caliper hang constantly or sporadically?

I'll be watching for feedback on this - and thanks to those who have already responded - and checking what I can on the above, but my gut tells me it's just cheap Chinese rotors, and that I need to find a new mechanic, or continue to do repairs myself, which, for various reasons can be problematic, which is why I have engaged a mechanic, doncha know.....

[dosbricks]

Agree that the rotors are probably cheap, warped, and should not have chunks scaling off the swept area. But the rear calipers have two pistons, so the pads should be tracking a lot better than that if they are functioning correctly. Did you try bleeding the rear brakes? For some reason it looks like the rear (if the other side is the same) is providing about 2% of your braking.

Does the rotor look blue? (hard to tell in the photo). That would be evidence of caliper sticking/overheating. Or more likely, when the mechanic pushed the pistons back to get clearance for the new pads, there was a damaged boot with dirty piston that is hung up and not making good contact.

[erikv11]

Okay, so if I'm reading this correctly, and my intuitive abilities are anywhere near accurate, the old rotors (both show the same abnormal wear) deteriorated because the caliper(s) hung up and the pads, or a pad were in constant contact, yes? If so, and if the problem continues, I should be able to diagnose by 1. seeing if the wheel spins freely and noiselessly, and/or 2. seeing if the caliper is hot to the touch after a drive, yes? A dragging pad should also smell and interfere with general rolling ability - coasting, acceleration, climbing, etc., yes? In general, does a hung caliper hang constantly or sporadically?

...

Not my take on it. For the pictured rotor, it looks like the rear caliper was hung up and therefore *rarely* in contact with the rotor. As if the caliper were stuck "open" not closed. The caliper could be bad, there could be air in the rear brake lines (bleed them).

Your other comments about a stuck closed caliper are in line; the rotor especially but also the caliper, will get especially hot.

[abscate]

If the caliper drags it gets real hot. It takes about 1 second for the pain from searing finger tip flesh to reach your brain - you hear the sizzling flesh before it hits. Ive tested this myself.