Brakes for life

[green van man]

Originally Posted by CJL

Are they the same though? Volvo might get ATE to make a higher spec pad for them.

I don't know is the answer, I have seen ATE pads marked as OEM but dealer prices for pads are a joke and they may be volvo spec but are not volvo made therefore I am prepared to take a chance.

Paul.

[AndyV7o]

Yeah, the manufacturer usually have their own recipe pads made for them, only they may use the formulation, the company who make them cant use it.
However theres nowt to say the company dont nip and tuck the formula to avoid infringement whilst still delivering a similar pad, might improve in one area or another if they feel the oe recipe isnt the optimum formulation, the end result of any pad is a compromise, just because the car manufacturer has a monopoly on a formulation, Its still a compromise, doesnt mean its the absolute best, just what the company feel meets their personal taste, the end-user might prefer different behaviour.

Apec make lovely discs, their pads are fine for urban use. They have a reputation for cooking easily, and have been known to set on fire with hard use, but for most daily drivers thats not a problem. I took some out of my wifes car recently, I liked them in use, they were strong, though I never did any fast road blatting in it.
Ive had bad experience with mintex discs and drums however, they were poorly made, the discs wore like crazy and warped, the drums were oval. Had mintex pads in my last car, they performed well, but were clearly harsh on the discs.