My braking system is in need of replacement as I'm getting lots of brake shudder, pulling to one side, and lots of noises while braking with lousy stopping ability (Master Cylinder is brand new). My calipers are also pretty rusty so going to have to address that as well. I'm looking to replace all 4 rotors and pads with something that yields better braking ability and/or a little more performance oriented. The 240 system is pretty damn good so no S60R big brake conversion and the car isn't used for auto-cross but was thinking of slotted/vented ATE rotors with PBR metal master pads. This is for my '92 244 with ABS. I was thinking of Zimmerman Cross-drilled (for looks too) but heard that they can crack. Any current experiences with rotor/pad combo's greatly appreciated. Are the stainless lines worth the investment for daily city/highway driving?

Best,
Adam
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'92 244GL silver-metallic, 150k, Enem V15 cam, Bilstein HDs, IPD sways, upper+lower braces, Cherry-Turbo strut brace, 240 OEM rear spoiler, 15' Dracos, E-codes w/side repeaters, Euro cowl covers paint-matched, Magnaflow 2.5' SS exhaust w/Unitek header

I have to go with what Les said, I just did mine and used the O'Reilly calipers.. Rebuild units, or so it says,,They sure looked new to me but what do I know.. They cost me $27.50 each,,Exch. of course..Also got their rotors( Wagner I believe)..I went with the Raybestos Pads as I have had good luck with my other cars using them.. And got the braided lines from a local hydraulic shop, they matched the fittings exactly... surprised the heck out of me and the cost was a lot cheaper than IPD..
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Max..1989 244 DL 5 Spd., Bilstein HD, Turbo Swaybars, Poly Bushings all round, Turbo Wheels, Black leather interior, Electric mirrors, LED dash and gauge lights.

What I have been able to do, on my '84 and two '93 240's that I have right now, is get better pads and rotors:

Pads:
Since it's for the street, avoid metallics. I've found that IPD's PBR "Deluxe" pads are a good compromise between immediate stopping ability and fade resistance. I recommend them.

Rotors:
Lots of people on this list recommend Brembo, but I used them once and wasn't happy -- they warped eventually, despite my proper break-in. I've also tried ATE PowerDiscs (which now come in a version for rears, too), but I was unhappy with their endurance.
I now use a canadian company, exclusively, for my rotors.
[And, btw, I recommend scrupulously following manufacturers recommendations for break-in, both pads and rotors!]

As for rotor design, I've done a lot of studying on this, and discovered that nowadays, cross-drilling is considered detrimental. Not only can it introduce stresses that might crack, but it also substantially reduces actual swept area. The only reason you see them is for the sake of "appearance".
The real improvement is with slotting -- the slots also release gases from under the pads like cross-drilling, but doesn't amount to a significant amount of lost contact (swept) area, and they don't provide potentials for stress cracking.

Good luck.
Ken

Ken,
Thanks for your help! Decisions decisions. I'm probably going with the PBR Deluxe pads but still on the fence for rotors. I am seriously considering the ATE slotted/vented Powerdisks but up for discussion. Which Canadian company do you use for your rotors? I know Eurosporttuning has some but they are extremely expensive.

As far as the S60 R conversion...some of the guys on Turbobricks have fabricated the big bakes to fit their 240s and 940s. Needed adapter brackets for the calipers and obviously larger rims along with I'm sure some other stuff but look incredible!!! Very sweet!! This pic is of Dave Barton's 245 with the R brakes installed!



Best,
Adam



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'92 244GL silver-metallic, 150k, Enem V15 cam, Bilstein HDs, IPD sways, upper+lower braces, Cherry-Turbo strut brace, 240 OEM rear spoiler, 15' Dracos, E-codes w/side repeaters, Euro cowl covers paint-matched, Magnaflow 2.5' SS exhaust w/Unitek header

Hi.

Those brakes pictured really look impressive (I'll bet the cost is even more impressive). Take note that those rotors show slotting, but not cross-drilling!

And yes, you guessed right -- I buy the rotors nowadays from EuroSportTuning! They are more expensive, but I like the workmanship, the weight (to absorb heat), and the internal venting. I haven't had any of the warping problems with them that I had with the Brembo's and the rapidity of wear that I've seen on the ATE Powerdisks (the slots get shallower and shallower too quickly with the ATEs).

I originally tried EuroSportTuning's rotors for my 164, only because of their cadmium plating option -- it's a weekend (only on nice weather weekends) car -- to prevent the formation of a "film" of rust that I would otherwise see on it. I've since also used this option for my daughter's 240, also used infrequently. This cadmium plating is, of course, totally unnecessary for my other cars, daily drivers, but worthwhile for these two).

But after seeing these rotors, I've installed them (without cadmium plating) on my other cars simply because I like their qualities (as above).

But yes, they cost a lot more.

re: "...The 240 system is pretty damn good so no S60R big brake conversion...."

You can NEVER have too much braking power, but alas, there is no upgrade in rotor size, or caliper (6 piston, etc.) that I've ever been able to find. So you have to stick with the stock rotor dimensions and caliper, sadly.

But I have been using improved rotors and pads -- see my next post.... :-).

go with brembo + PBR DLX.

You don't need all these fancy rotor + metal brake lines for street driving.

Cross-drill rotor actually reduce braking performance. Only should be used for tracking + racing. The theory is when you do harsh braking (10 - 15 second hard braking) the frection causes heat to generate around the pads. With enough heat build up it will boil your brake fluid (racing fluid boils around 400 - 600c) The drilled hole prevents heat build up by disbursing out of the pad. Actual braking is done though frection. Less contact point (due to drilled holes) means less frection, and less brake performance.

I just did this job on my car... with great results.

1. I don't recommend drilled/slotted rotors at all. They don't help braking performance... Among the first cars that had drilled rotors were racing Porsches... and the reason they drilled the rotors was to reduce weight, not to improve the braking. Keep in mind, a race car's "life" is a few hours (well, maybe 24 hours) and then things get overhauled or at least refurbished for the next "life" (ie, race). This scenario is (obviously) not like a street car at all. The way a rotor performs best is when it's cool. By drilling holes, the mass of the rotor is reduced... thus reducing it's ability to dissipate heat... it stays hotter. And yes, they crack much easier than a solid rotor. Do they look better? Absolutely! Way cool, no doubt. But they cost more to purchase, and you don't gain any performance.

I'm all for being happy with your car's aesthetics, but this is a pretty important system we're talking about. IMO, performance wins over looks here.

I got my rotors and pads from, um, I think it was Eeuroparts, on ebay. About $83 for the fronts (both rotors, pads, and shims) and $66 for the rears (again, both rotors, pads, and shims).

2. Metal pads... They're ok, just realize you'll have more brake dust (means dirtier wheels etc.). There are other pads that give great performance that aren't so dirty. And remember, metal pads will wear out the rotors faster (alhough I admit that isn't a really big deal).

3. Braided brake lines... I say yes, definitely use them. Better pedal response and a little better to handle the tough environment of the underside of your car. Again, I admit that that isn't a real big deal, but hey, it is an advantage. Some people say that the a strand of the braid can poke through the actual brake line, and you can't really see it (because the braid hides it). I don't think this is a probable occurance... the brake lining is pretty tough, too, and a strand isn't likely to penetrate it.

I bought mine from FCP Groton, on ebay, for $75 for the set (my car doesn't have anti-lock, so that's six braided lines).

4. Calipers... I got rebuilt calipers (all four) from... are you ready for this blasphemy?... O'Reilly. Why? They were about $32 each, with lifetime warranty. Keep in mind, these are factory Volvo calipers (of course). I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the seals and dust boots are sourced from the same place that the other guys get parts... I'm talking about FCP Groton, GAPA, All OEM Volvo parts, etc... even ipd. Maybe I'm wrong, but go price rebuilt calipers at those on-line places, and then call O'Reilly.

5. One other point. While you have your brakes apart, closely examine your front wheel bearings. Actaully, I recommend that you just plan on replacing them. Maybe they don't REALLY need to be replaced, but they are pretty cheap (don't get 'em at ipd, those are expensive!!), and the job is easy to do right now, and a bit of a pain later ('cause you gotta take the calipers back off again).

Good luck.