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  1. #1
    Art's Avatar
    Art is offline Senior Member & VolvoXC.com Supporter
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    Question Recommendations for 'R' Brake Upgrade

    Now that I've procured a nice set of 'R' calipers for the XC I'm on the hunt for matching 13" rotors and pads. For those of you in the know, what's your brand preference, OE plain vented, slotted, drilled….. ceramic, semi metallic pads? I'm leaning towards Brembo plain vented or OE but all feedback is welcome. Not in the mood for autocrossing adventures, just better bite, less fade and lower dust emissions than the current OE setup.

    I've done a bit of research and so far Tirerack appears to have the competition beat with respect to shipping costs to Canada.
    Last edited by Art; 05-23-2012 at 08:28 AM.

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    Art - I've had great luck (good bite, zero dust, exceptional life) with the Akebono Euro Ceramic pads on both my Volvos and the MB...not sure if they come in the R size...

    I used powerslot slotted rotors on the T5 - the only difference with them is some noise (proportional to speed)...a hum really, when I brake hard...but they bite quicker in the rain.

    The Brembo OE rotors on the XC perform very well...I don't think I would pay extra for the Powerslots again...

    I got a great deal on ATE slotted rotors for the MB - best of both worlds, no noise, but they're usually very expensive...
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  3. #3
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    Having owned several V70R (P2s) I would stick with all OEM and the latest pads.
    Non squeal, low(er) dust and they stop quite well thank you!
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  4. #4
    Art's Avatar
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    Thanks for the advice guys. I contacted Tirerack and it appears that the rear Brembo vented rotors for the 'R' have to be special ordered which would take approx 4-6 weeks. I was quoted $414.62 (including tax) for the complete set shipped to my door. Sound reasonable? Since I'm in no rush for these I don't mind waiting. Dealer's price here for OE rotors was $836 Cdn out the door!

    Astro, your previous posts praising the Akebono ceramics had me sold, but Tirerack only has pads available for the fronts. Is there another supplier who might stock them? I've also heard good comments about the Hawk Ceramic pads and they appear to have similar braking traits compared to the Akebono pads.

  5. #5
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    I use the Powerslot slotted rotors.


  6. #6
    Art's Avatar
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    Hey Adam,

    Do you experience greater braking performance with those slotted rotors or would you give much of the credit to the 4 piston calipers? I'm wondering if it's worth the extra coin versus sticking with plain vented versions. What type of brake pads are you using with your setup? My ultimate goal is to look for an overall improved gain in daily driving conditions.

    I think that I managed to track down a domestic source for Brembo rotors that ships free from this site. Just need to confirm their specs.

    http://www.autopartsway.ca/

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Art View Post
    Hey Adam,

    Do you experience greater braking performance with those slotted rotors or would you give much of the credit to the 4 piston calipers? I'm wondering if it's worth the extra coin versus sticking with plain vented versions. What type of brake pads are you using with your setup? My ultimate goal is to look for an overall improved gain in daily driving conditions.

    I think that I managed to track down a domestic source for Brembo rotors that ships free from this site. Just need to confirm their specs.

    http://www.autopartsway.ca/
    As this is the first time I have used slotted rotors with R brakes I can't honestly compare them to OEM R brake rotors. I can tell you that braking power is MUCH stronger with the R brakes though. I am only using slotted because thats what came with the deal.
    The biggest difference when comparing XC brakes to R brakes is brake fade. The OEM XC brakes would fade at high speeds and throw the car around upon braking. The R brakes hold the car stable and have no fade.

    Eg. from 200km/h to stop:
    OEM XC brakes - car is almost out of control and rear comes out of shape. From 60km/h to stop you need to apply a lot of brake force.
    R brakes - car is stable and a you can feel the car pull up. From 60km/h to stop, same brake pressure needed without fade.

  8. #8
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    Hi Art:

    The OEM rotors/pads setup are good enough for most everyday and spirited runs.
    But if even better stopping power is needed, I would save on slotted/drilled rotors, and spend that money on better brake pads.

    Performance Friction Brake from Australia is awesome.
    http://www.performancefrictionbrakes...ls.php?id=1001

    Or Hawks which is more readily available for North Americans.
    http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/resul...4&autoModClar=
    2002 V70XC w/volvoXC.com stickers! MTE Stage 3+

  9. #9
    Art's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OceanRacer
    As this is the first time I have used slotted rotors with R brakes I can't honestly compare them to OEM R brake rotors. I can tell you that braking power is MUCH stronger with the R brakes though. I am only using slotted because thats what came with the deal.

    The biggest difference when comparing XC brakes to R brakes is brake fade. The OEM XC brakes would fade at high speeds and throw the car around upon braking. The R brakes hold the car stable and have no fade.
    Thanks Adam, that's just what I wanted to hear. Think that I'll stick with plain vented rotors even though one might receive superior initial bite with the slotted versions. Kudos to you for posting the online tutorial of your own R brake upgrade!

    Quote Originally Posted by Ifnt420
    The OEM rotors/pads setup are good enough for most everyday and spirited runs.
    But if even better stopping power is needed, I would save on slotted/drilled rotors, and spend that money on better brake pads.
    Hey Ben, I'll likely end up ordering the Brembo rotors and ceramic Hawks from Tirerack. I think that they also back up their products with knowledgeable service. Autopartway.ca doesn't appear to get great reviews and when I spoke to one of their agents, there seemed to be quite a bit of confusion and hesitation relating to the size of the rear rotors posted on their website. I will probably get the SS brake lines from Eurosport Tuning.

    Are the front caliper vibration dampers a must? It appears that some R owners who opted not to get the upgrade haven't experienced any squeal.
    Last edited by Art; 05-24-2012 at 01:22 PM.

  10. #10
    Art's Avatar
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    Update: Just placed my order for the R brembo rotors from fcpeuro.

    http://www.fcpeuro.com/Volvo-parts/

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