Anyone have experience or opinions on this? I need to replace pads/rotors on the 02 v40 and was wondering if I really needed to pay stealership prices for the parts or go with aftermarket (lots cheaper), or where is the best place to get parts? THX for the help!

 

Sure you'll get opposing opinions but...

My Opinion- (based on 250,000 miles of "Volvo experience"). OEM. First though I'd ask how you like your present brakes, if you require better braking you should switch. I tried some PBR pads once- wife made me take them off because of the squealing. Also, many (all?) European cars use "soft" rotors, replaced some pads once with Pep Boys pads on Mercedes and ate the OEM rotors up fast. Very fast. So be careful.

 

The OEMs are extremely dirty...for that reason when our 02 V70XC needed, I went with Brembo (oem style) rotors and Akabeno pads. Good performance and almost zero dust. New pads, rotors, rubber lines $215....

 

With over 500,000 miles of Volvo experience, I have done almost everything. I usually get my rotors from iPd and pads from ipd as well. I have gotten pads from FCP when I knew what I was getting.

I actually put mid grade pads from O'Reiley's on once because I had no meat left on them. I was planning to replace those rotors and pads anyway but didn't get around to it. Come to think of it, those pads had REAL BAD brake fade, almost killed me one day when the car wouldn't stop fast enough. Felt like the brakes were wet.

What my rule of thumb is... Good preformance, low brake fade and low dust. Hopefully I'll be able to get slotted or cross drilled rotors next time. Never have experienced that yet. I would like to stop on the dime and get 3 cents back.

 

Is there a particular brand/brands that I should look at, or should I only buy Volvo pads?

 

Oem.....