Front brakes
 

Managed to get front brembo disc for cheap... Apparently it's brembo that make them unlike other stuff that is branded.

Now to the pads.... What's best a cheap pad like Eicher or would Bendix be a better option?

Just looking for recommend set ups and feedback...


Also for anyone wondering my 07 XC90 D5 is fitted with 336mm discs and pads that measure 156mm in width. I got confused with this at the start as many factors sell bigger pads that are around 196mm that I thought would have been for the bigger discs.

There is only one size of disc and pads that were fitted to UK spec XC90's (including petrol models) so there shouldn't be any issue with getting the correct size. 336mm is the diameter of the disc, if the pads are 156mm width that will be the sideways width not the height - if you see what I mean (i.e. distance measured up and down when the pad is installed, not from the centre of the hub outwards).

I believe Volvo cast their own discs for the XC90, there is no other way of buying the correct quality aside from the Volvo branded part. Most pattern parts for front discs for the XC90 are sh*t including Mintex, National etc. about every 3 months we get a new member with judder, pulling or poor feel on the brakes - invariably cured by fitting genuine parts. And I have personally made that mistake myself and now would not fit anything other than genuine Volvo when it comes to brakes - even on my V40.

Every time I share this I get some stick but I've seen so many times when I've changed brakes, where genuine Volvo parts are being removed the contact surface of the disc is almost mirror like. With the majority of pattern parts the brake disc is invariably scored and looks like the pads were made from rough concrete with old nails in it.

Taking into account fitting, life, total cost of ownership... the cheapest parts are genuine Volvo. So if you do fit the Brembo discs I would still get Volvo pads - a number of sellers do them at trade prices on ebay.

I prefere Bendix

I have Volvo discs and pads and are very happy with them.

I always try to use the best quality disc I can afford together with the corresponding matching pads from the same brand.
So if i'm using a Brembo disc then I would use a Brembo pad as they are designed to be used with each other and usually bed in and wear together appropriately.
The previous owner of my T6, although having Volvo discs fitted just a few months before I had it, matched them with cheap pads (pagid - i think) which completely fubar-ed the discs in next to no time.

The brakes sounded like poring boiling water on a bag of cats and would even squeal horrendously when reversing with no brake applied!?.

These cars are physically heavy and the brakes need to work hard, creating lots of heat in the disc, which can easily distort them or glaze up the pads, so quality always dividends in the end.

I am trying Brembo discs/pads on the T6, as I used them on many other cars and found them to be satisfactory. (I appreciate that my old Saab Turbo, V70 T5 and Alfa 159 were much lighter cars - but god did the brakes get some stick and the Brembo always inspired confidence!)

Andy

I would only use genuine original volvo brake discs and pads, consider how long they will last, its not a big expense over the years and far better than after market parts.
The only time I used after market brake pads on one of my cars they faded when hot travelling down a mountain pass in Scotland and I ended up binning them and fitting genuine pads.

I recently did front discs/pads on my xc90 and got genuine Volvo parts off ebay for about £140 (Something like this - although I didn't buy mine from that seller, so can't vouch for them). Hard to get anything decent for considerably cheaper than that.

I have previously had very good results with Brembo discs and EBC Yellowstuff pads on various cars, but that combo ended up more expensive than the genuine Volvo stuff, so I just went with Volvo. Very pleased with the results.

As the difference between dead & alive can be as little as 10 foot. I'm sticking with original parts that have saved my bacon on a couple of occasions!. How much is your (and your families life) worth? £150??

Brembo discs and bendix pads fitted.... Work a treat and much better than the crap that was fitted. Don't see why genuine is always better? Has there been a test? I best some people say genuine Volvo ect but don't batter an eyelid paying for part worn tyres or budgets.

Btw not a dig at you.....

I would agree. Genuine isn't necessarily 'best' but it is certainly a safe choice. When Volvo, or any manufacturer, specs out parts they have to consider performance, longevity, cost, etc etc. Lots goes into it, and obviously Volvo isn't one to skimp on safety-related equipment, but that doesn't mean there aren't better things out there. I'd wager that the Brembo discs/EBC Yellowstuff pads combo I mentioned previously would out-perform the genuine Volvo stuff, but the longevity wouldn't be as good.

I'm sure your Brembo discs and Bendix pads will be absolutely fine.

If longevity is a measure of performance then your statement is a contradiction.

What I am saying is that many many factors make up "performance" and not all of them can be measured in a day or a week by a normal driver at normal speeds on normal roads in a country with a moderate climate.

Example:
Can you test your brakes in extreme conditions like -40°C or +50°C, or at extreme speeds like 240 kmph.

Volvo make their brakes to perform in such conditions.

I personally have experienced -20°C and around 180kmph, so such extremes are closer than you think. But they are not everyday. But they are an important part of brake material selection and testing.

You havent said what 'crap' was fitted before?

Something is making me say delpie for some reason but couldn't see any stamps ect on them... The never had much wear as they were only fitted before we got the car last year and the discs were pitted bad and pads to suit.

Not when it comes to brake pads. The better the stopping power, the faster the pads wear. High friction / high performance pads wear quicker. Low friction / low performance pads last longer. That's just a fact.

Regardless, I wouldn't recommend brake parts if I didn't have extensive personal experience with them. Plain Brembo discs with EBC Yellowstuff pads is a proven combination that I, and many others, have had excellent results with. Works great from cold and throughout the heat range, with far less fade than factory stuff. Pads wear quicker than factory but that's the trade-off.

I have personal experience, like for like comparisons, along the same routes, with a range of cars (mostly Saab and Volvo) and driving conditions. I used to regularly drive from Norway through Sweden, Germany, etc to Calais and across to the UK and back again. On my old 375bhp Saab I had the opportunity to do comparisons between many different brake setups on all reasonable environmental/temperature conditions and up to 150mph on the Autobahn. For factory spec/size parts, Brembo/EBC Yellowstuff combo was best, better than factory Saab parts. Only thing I found that was better was to actually upgrade to a bigger brake setup altogether. With my current XC90, I also tried the EBC Yellowstuff and had great results, but the pads wore fairly quickly with such a big heavy car. As it's not a performance oriented car, and brake fad is rare, I have recently fitted all new Volvo discs/pads all around and am very pleased with that. HOWEVER, the brakes are not quite as good from cold and do fade more easily if driving hard.

I agree. I had mahoosive brembo disks (standard) and ran yellow stuff pads on all my Audi RS4's. Amazing stopping power, no squeakage and a lot longer before signs of fade. OEM pads were utter pants and known to be good for pootling around town, but not for anything more spirited.

The only downside to the softer pads are the frequency you need to change them and the amount brake dust they leave all over the clean wheels :shocked:

8 pot callipers on the front helped as well!!

On the Brembo vs Volvo debate, don't Polestar use Brembo on their cars?