S60 Brakes: Replacing discs and pads

[cobnutnet]

After last Volvo service they advised front discs scored, etc. but quoted £300 odd for the repair. I've replaced lots of pads and plenty of discs over the years on various cars so am tempted to DIY, but are there any "gotchas" like specialist tools required and so on?

What discs/pads would the group recommend? Seems there's a million suppliers out there and prices seem to vary a lot (I've seen as low as £50 for the whole axle up to £150 for what seems like "standard" kit).

Any advice appreciated.

Jon

[outnumbered]

Just done mine on the xc
You can get a good price for OEM for about 130
Discs and pads.
A good Torque bit. For the sliders .Axle stands. Emery paper.and coffee
Mike

[Longhouse21]

My slide pins are 7mm allen key (MY2004 D5 SE)? I find a 1/4" drive ratchet with a small extension and a decent hex bit makes it easier to get onto the pins.
Some HMP grease for the pins. General advice is that copperslip can cause some problems with the pins & rubber sleeves.

[Brendan W]

It's straightforward. Spend a bit of time cleaning the crud from the calipers and silicone for the sliders. Take a picture of the spring on the caliper before dismantling. You will put it on wrong and be wondering about long pedal travel afterwards.
OEM are very good. I used Mintex at the time because they were half price.

[cobnutnet]

Thanks folks, not too onerous then. I saw a video on YT and it looked easy enough (famous last words).

Any point in going for higher performance discs? I saw some Mintex ones that were £70 a pair...

Jon

[Brendan W]

Originally Posted by cobnutnet

Any point in going for higher performance discs?
Jon

Personal choice. The original set up in good fettle with new fluid is capable of waking the ABS up pretty smartish. Some who do a lot of towing have reported improvements going from a 286 to a 305 disc. Longer caliper carrier required.

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by Brendan W

Personal choice. The original set up in good fettle with new fluid is capable of waking the ABS up pretty smartish. Some who do a lot of towing have reported improvements going from a 286 to a 305 disc. Longer caliper carrier required.

Is that the one where you also have to drill out larger bolt holes or is that just the 320mm upgrade?

[dingov70]

From a personal point fo view , I have fitted a large number of pagid & eicher disc /pads & drum / shoes set ups from Europarts and had absolutely zero problems with any . I have Pagid fitted to my Sprinter and the van stops equally well as when fitted with factory kit

As for slider pins lubrication , avoid any grease that is oil based as that will affect the rubber gaiters ( if still fitted ) around the pins , it is far beter to use red rubber grease or at a push Febi ceramic grease , which can also be applied to rear of brake pads to stop squealing .

Hope this helps

[Brendan W]

Originally Posted by cheshired5

Is that the one where you also have to drill out larger bolt holes or is that just the 320mm upgrade?

No. The 286 to 305 is plug and play.

[cobnutnet]

Right, I've ordered Eicher discs and pads from Europarts, expect there to be an update on this thread that involves swearing and a little crying at some point in the next week or so.

To be honest, we're not expecting to keep the car that long so I've overidden my usual tendancy to overspec replacement parts and will simply go with stuff that works. The discs/pads are pretty bad so I think some cornflake boxes and sponges would be an improvement, so it's hard to see how even the cheaper versions can be much of a problem.

Jon