Best value front brake pad / caliper sets for base 70 series

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 08 Jun 2016, 06:19

Hey everyone looking for some guidance for front brake pads and possibly calipers for a base 70 series car.

I saw a set of rotors and pads for both sides on eBay for like $55 with free shipping from a seller called amautoparts. It's seems suspiciously cheap. I have also checked FCP's site and it seems even if you go with their lower end items you are looking at min of $80 for two front rotors then anywhere from 40 to 70 bucks for the two pairs of pads.

I'm just about metal to metal so I need to do this asap, but I'm only looking to shell out the minimum $$ here. Thanks.

Post by **abscate** » 08 Jun 2016, 06:31

FYI I just did rears on my 1999 and the Cardone rear calipers were remanufactured ATE brand. Working great. That eBay price is too cheap IMHO.

Post by **tryingbe** » 08 Jun 2016, 06:38

www.rockauto.com

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 08 Jun 2016, 11:27

tryingbe wrote:http://www.rockauto.com

Went to the site; what package do you reccomend?

Post by **tryingbe** » 08 Jun 2016, 13:47

CENTRIC 90939005 Commuter Kit; w/High Carbon Alloy Rotors & Posi-Quiet Metallic Pads Click Info for full list of components. Info
Front; 280mm Front Disc

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$95.79

bugs11 · Post by **bugs11** » 08 Jun 2016, 14:16

FWIW - Installed daily driver rotors and pads from rock-auto (PowerStop) on my kids Toyota Corolla a couple week-ends ago, around $80 including shipping. No issues so far.

JeffHicks · Post by **JeffHicks** » 08 Jun 2016, 17:13

I would just go to your local OReilly's or AdvanceAuto. Get the lifetime warranted pads for about $25 and call it a day. Calipers will run you about $50 each. The thing you've gotta be careful of, with RockAuto, is the cost of shipping. If stuff comes from different warehouses your shipping can be almost as much as your parts.

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 09 Jun 2016, 06:58

Thanks I took my front wheels off yesterday to inspect and it's not a pretty site.

The outer pads have lots of meat on them, say 1/4" or so, but the inner pads look like they are almost worn to the metal. I'm getting lots of squeaky noise when braking and the rotors are very crusty, rust and scored.

Oddly, the car stops fine, brake pedal feels solid and there is no vibration or shaking while applying the brakes. I'm worried the calipers travel pins might be seized up or something. They obviously are working, but don't seem to be working right.

JeffHicks · Post by **JeffHicks** » 09 Jun 2016, 09:15

How long have you owned the car? Looks like a previous owner might have ground down to bare metal, then just thrown a pair of cheap pads on the car to get it sold.

How long do you plan to own the car, and what are you going to do with it? I ask, because if all you're going to do is putz around town you might want to just throw on a new set of lifetime pads and figure on changing them out every 5k-10k miles.

Also, once the calipers are removed, you should easily be able to determine if the slide pins are sticking at all.

I think it really depends on how much money you want to spend. New rotors will run about $50 each, which is about what new calipers will run. Figure on $30 for a new set of pads.

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 09 Jun 2016, 17:04

I've owned the car for exactly one year, but it was strictly a second car until 2 months ago, when I sold my OTHER beater...

Anyway, I only commute less than 10 miles a day round trip, and I barely go over 40 mph. So, I'm in the process of figuring out how long I want to keep the Volvo, and I've come to the conclusion that if I can get another 6 months to a year out of it, I will be happy.

So, I can tell that the rotors look shot, and as I said the pad wear is not even (1/8" left on inside 1/4" left on the outside), so I'm thinking bare min. of new front rotors and pads. Hoping I won't need new calipers.

I am currently looking at a few other better condition 98 wagons with much better overall appearance, less miles and better maintained. If I end up getting another 98, I will prob. put this one on withdrawn from use on my insurance, park it in my parking lot and use it as a living parts car for the other one. But in mean time, I need this thing to stop screeching every time I use the brakes!