So I've gone back thru the posts on here and looked at brake jobs that people have done. So far, what I can find is that FCP Groton come highly recommended as far as a supplier. Also, people tend to recommend the OEM Volvo brakes due to squealing.

This will be my first "real" brake job doing a car. I need rotors and pads all around on both axels.

I found a "special" on ebay for FCP:
Ebay Special

However, it includes Brembo rotors and Mintex pads. I'm not sure as to the quality of those items.

From what I can tell, this is what I need to purchase:
-Front Pads (1x)
-Front Rotors (2x)
-Front Hardware kit (1x)
-Rear Pads (1x)
-Rear Rotors (2x)
-Rear hardware kit (1x)
-Set of shims
-Grease
-Caliper bolts if not included (included in Brembo I believe, not included in Genuine Volvo rotors)

If I price out OEM parts on FCP's web site, I get around $360 for rotors, pads, shims, grease, and front and back hardware kits. Also, they said they don't ship any caliper bolts with their rotors and don't stock them, so I would have to buy them at the auto store around here @ $13/piece, which is like $100 in bolts. Doesn't $450+ for parts seems kinda high? Or am I missing something here? Should all their rotors come with bolts?

Also, besides the hardware kits, will there be ANYTHING else I need

Thoughts???

matt

 

I've never heard of replacing caliper bolts, is this something unique to Volvos?

 

Hi Matt,

I did a simulation on Groton's web and this is the lowest number I came up with, including shipping to California:

Subtotal: $235.95
Shipping Charge: + $43.26 [/align]Order Total: $279.21 [/align](One rear pad set included shims)

Groton sells individual bolts & nuts, but it depends on who answers the phone. If someone who knows what he/she's doing, they can price out the bolts & nuts for you. I bought quite a few bolts & nuts from them by calling them, and they gave me price & parts numbers.

The front pads hardware is probably the tension springs. My 850 was of '94 with140,000 miles and those springs still had great tension, so you may not need them.

Be sure to replace the brake fluid (DOT-4), I bet the fluid hasn't been changed since the car left the factory in Sweden, unless the previous owner was an above-average owner. If you haven't done this job, let a shop do it for you, or have a relative/friend help you. If done incorrectly, it will pose a threat against safety.

Jmana:
It is recommended that many brake & suspension hardware (nuts & bolts) on 850 be replaced every time they're disturbed IAW service manual. I suggest that you buy a Haynes manual. In the case of 850's brakes, they are

1. Front caliper bracket bolts.
2. Rear caliper bolts.

I hope this gets you started. Double check on the price at Groton, you may have accidentally put 8 rotors in the shopping cart[:@].


JPN

 

What's the reasoning for replacing the bolts? I mean unless they are rusted to crap, there is no reason I can think of for not reusing them, even if it is "recommended". Seems like a waste of money to me.

 

^Rust really. What I recommend original poster do, is put some anti-seize on the bolts if they come out smoothly.

If you break any, you gotta buy some new bolts.

 

What model rotors and pads did you select? The Volvo rotors are $55/piece for front, $68/piece for rear. That's $246 right there. So my guess is it's ok to not have genuine volvo parts? That would save a bundle. I havea Haynes manual, thats where it recommends replacing those bolts. Also the hardware parts aren't very expensive and I was just going to replace them anyway - piece of mind.

OK, so these are the two parts I need, correct?Quanitiy of four(4)front caliper bracket bolts and four (4) rear caliper bolts? The guys I talked to at FCP seemed, well, "lost" when I asked about bolts, I'll try again.

Thanks
matt

 

Typically there are 2 reasons for replacing bolts after they have been disturbed assuming the bolt isn't corroded.
[ol][*]The bolts yield at the specified torque levels[*]They bolts had factory loctite on them and they would rather you just buy a bolt with it on there instead of going out and buying loctite and doing it yourself.
[/ol][align=left] [/align]

 

Have you considered upgrading your 280mm rotors to 302mm rotors? They say it really enhances stopping power.

 

Info2x has pretty much answered why.

NEVER put anti-seize compound on those bolts, they come with thread-lock material applied to them.

I personally think of them as insurance. For a car with more than 10 years or over 100,000 miles, I myself do not mind replacing the hardware. I'm not a metallurgist, but the hardware Volvo recommends replacing are under enormous force, and I wouldn't be surprised if they have gone through metal fatigue that can only be detected via NDT (Non Destructible Testing).

Brakes & suspensions cannot afford to go south when the car is in motion, especially at higher speed. And Volvo's safety reputation comes from these strict servicing policies too, I believe.

The verdict: For newer Volvos with low miles, their hardwaremay not be necessary to be replaced even when disturbed. However, for older Volvo such as an 850, and if it were my car, I would replace those nuts & bolts. It is not an absolute necessity, but if you don't want to spend money on them, be sure to examine them thoroughly, clean and apply a bit of thread lock upon installation and tighten to specified torque with a good-quality torque wrench.

Please note that I'm an aircraft technician, and when it comes to safety, I know I often go overboard.


JPN

P.S: When I did the simulation on Groton, I selected the cheapest parts. But again, if it were my car, I would go with the best I can afford, except that the Zimmermann rotors (German) seem better than genuine Volvo, and ATE (German) also supplies a lot of brake components for Volvo (brake hoses, calipers, etc...). When I did my brakes, I went with Brembo rotors for all four (didn't come with new bolts for some reason, they usually do. They were not made inItaly, which was disappointing), Textar pads (German) for the front, Roulands-Dan Block pads (German or USA) for the rear, replaced the rear pad retaining spring kit (Swedish), replaced the shims with half-sizer (Origin unknown). Before installing those parts, I cleaned everything with brake cleaner, sand paper & oil combo, wiped clean the new rotors with alcohol, and applied CV-joint grease everywhere EXCEPT the friction surfaces.

 

The Brembo rotors are just fine, but I would stick with the OEM pads. I think the bolts come with the OEM rotors but not Brembo if I remember correctly. I have used both many times. You might want to check volvoparts.com also. They have excellent prices on some things, but normal dealer prices on others. I have bought brake parts and tune up parts from them in the past, and it's all OEM since they are a Volvo dealership.

I would buy the bolts at NAPA if the did not come with the rotors. They seem to be able to match any bolt I take to them, and yes I would replace the bolts. I am guilty of never replacing my brake fluid though. Have never ever done that on any car and I have owned lots of cars with lots of miles. I've never had a brake failure in any of my cars either. I just have this fear of screwing something up by changing the brake fluid. My son in law who is a mechanic never does it either.

 

In regards to metal fatigue. If Volvo sized the hardware right the bolts really shouldn't fail due to fatigue. Ferrous alloys have a fatigue limit at about 10^6 cycles, meaning they weaken for the first million cycles and then that remaining strength is what lasts (typically this is half of a materials static load capacity). Not saying that replacing the hardware is a bad idea or not needed, just pointing out the fatigue properties of ferrous alloys.


[align=left] [/align]

 

Honestly, I replace the bolts if they did give the new ones, but use the old ones if not. When I broke one I happened to have one of the old ones in a tool box and just used it. Saved me from driving about 45 minutes to buy a bolt. It was on a Sunday and my local NAPA is closed on Sunday.

 

Very informative, thanks. BTW, are you majoring in engineering at RIP? Just wondering.


JPN

 

RIP... lol. Yeah I'm on my last 2 semesters.

 

JPN where do you turn wrenches at? I'm a 121 guy (pilot) for a feeder on the east coast.

 

I cannot find where one would buy these "half cut shims". Where can you buy them at? Also, assuming I can find them, can I use pretty much any brand of brake pad with the half cut shims, or must they all be the same manufactuer?


matt

 

^You can buy shims and then cut them yourself.

Or, I believe the OEM pads now come w/ them built in.

 

Greetings from NRT, Japan.

I'm a Japanese citizen trying desperately to get the xxxx out and come "home (the States)", hopefully somewhere in the Northeast (Boston/New York area).

I do not turn wrenches at NRT, I'm on the ramp as a line tech and all we do is nonsense, more paperwork than actual hands-on operations. I just replaced a puke-covered seat belt in the economy cabin yesterday[:@]. Will find an in-hangar job in the future, though.

I got my half-cut shims from an on-line vendor called "partstrain.com". I usually use FCP Groton, but they don't seem to have the half-sizer for some reason.

As to the pads, BE SURE to go with the OEM (there seem to be a few OEM mfgs).

Have a safe flight,


JPN@NRT.

 

I bought my half shims directly from the dealer. Told them what I needed and he walked back and picked them up w/o even looking in the computer. Knew exactly what I was asking for and they were only a few $'s if I remember correctly. If you don't have a dealer nearby, try volvoparts.com which is a dealer in the state of Washington. I only use OEM pads.