Hello again everyone!

I have a 1996 850 Turbo with 92k on it.

I was going to order all the things needed to replace rotors all around, and a back left caliper thats sticking... Then pads if they are in bad shape and replace anything else that looks suspect. I think. Is the best way to tell just jack it up and hand spin the tire? When I reverse in idle it will make a harmonic singing sound like water on your hand and a wine glass. It makes sure my cat is out of the way but I know its dragging.

I would just like suggestions on what I should buy and replace while I have all the wheels off for rotor changes. And suggestions on an easy way to tell which ones dragging. I feel like its my back left but I want to know 100%.

For rotors this is the best/cheapest I could find:
http://www.justparts.com/Auto_Parts/...37-BRAKE-ROTOR

Thanks for all the help over the years! :-)

 

Not familiar with the Beck brand, so I can't make a suggestion on them, but check out FCP Groton. Good prices and huge supporters of us Volvo guys.

Over the summer I replaced the front rotors & pads, one caliper and both brake line hoses. I upgraded everything a bit, so I have Akebono pads and Zimmerman Cross Drilled Rotors. The pads were $65, rotors were $150 and the brake lines were $20. Yeah, I could have spent half of that but I wanted some serious stopping power and this setup does it.

Do it and you’ll smile from ear to ear. If you gasp at the rotor price, I can understand that. But I strongly suggest the Akebono pads.

I picked-up a caliper from AutoZone – I think it was like 45 or 50 bucks with the core swap. The new one was an actual Volvo caliper, which made me very happy. I know you can buy a rebuild kit for pennies, but I don’t like the idea of doing it myself. I approached the brake job from the theory that; “anything in your car that breaks, your car won’t go – except if the brakes break, your car won‘t stop.”

You can jack up the wheel and spin it to listen for a rubbing noise. You should also feel the rotors to see if they’re smooth. Any rough edges or grooves are a sign they should be replaced. Don’t take them to a shop to be ground – do it up right! When you replace rotors, it’s a good rule of thumb to replace the pads, too. Rotors will last through two or three sets of pads (your mileage may vary). It’ll help if you can look at the thickness of the pads. If they’re less than ¼ inch thick, swap ‘em ASAP.

When you “jack ‘n listen”, what you may hear is actually the e-brake pad inside the rotor bell flopping around. I had one where the braking material fell off the metal bracket and it got jammed so it was dragging. Couldn’t hear it, but you sure could smell it! You may have to remove the rotor to confirm the e-brake pads are worn, but at this age, it might be a good idea to replace them since you’re down there.

At AutoZone they sell a caliper press for 10 bucks (or there abouts). It’ll help press the piston back into the caliper when you install new pads. If you use one of these, the piston should slide easily. If you have to put any serious effort into turning the handle, that would lead me to think you’ve got a bad caliper in your hand.

 

Definitely +1 on all of that. Brakes are the most important part of your vehicle, in my opinion. Don't skimp on them.

I did mine recently and went with DRT rotors (which are centric rotors that are cross drilled or slotted then rebranded) and Hawk pads. I'm very pleased with the results.

Also, if you remove the brake line from the caliper, it's gonna be necessary to bleed out that brake line. I'd suggest bleeding them completely on all 4 wheels. It doesnt cost a lot, doesnt take up tons of time, and it's never a bad idea. Brake fluid should be replaced every 2-3 years anyway.

 

Beck/Arnley has been around for a long time and is very reputable. You may as well buy all you brake parts in one place. The Akebono pads are there also.
Spin and feel is the way to check binding calipers, listen for parking brake shoes and feel for bearing play. If your parking brake doesn't hold, get some shoes. Justparts looks interesting and worth looking into.
Ed

 

i just replaced my brakes and rotors (front) for under 60... i got the rotors for like... 20 each and pads were 20 i think... just get whatever autozone gives you... they wouldnt sell it if it didnt work... goodluck

 

Really? Wow, retailers must LOVE you....

let us know when they start squealing so we can suggest replacements that actually work right.

 

I've been using my brake/ rotor set up for 7 months now... Stops strong and never squeals...