Brake disc size

[Simon J]

Simon,

I have the full monty on my car, including reinforced hoses and 5.1 fluid, and the brakes are still somewhat spongy, and have been from new - just like my previous auto T5. I've never driven a manual one so can't compare but they certainly aren't satisfactory. But
after seven years I've learned to live with them!
Rgds,
Simon J

I've driven a 2.4t V70 and all I had to do was rest my foot on the brake and it stopped. Loads of feel in the pedal. Where as my car is just like stepping in mud. No feel at all. I have just replaced all the hoses, fluid, calipers (front) and pads (front) so I have to brake them in first before I can comment back but under gentle baking the spongy feel is still there. It really stops you wanting to use the power for those short sprints between lights or roundabouts.

Ok I have found a different grooved/drilled disc from a aompay called Black Diamond. Anyone have any experience with these discs???

[Simon J]

Matt,

I fitted Black Diamond and Redstuff pads to my last T5 and quite honestly I could discern no noticeable difference between that set up and the standard one (apart from an almost complete absence of brake dust on the wheels). If anything they were not so good at slowish speeds in town and probably they need to be warmed up to get the best out of the Redstuff pads, but as has been said elsewhere, the Greenstuff pads, which appear to be better suited for ordinary driving, don't seem to be up to the weight of the Volvo for heavy duty braking.

Others will no doubt have different experiences and I know that Don Norchi has many satisfied customers with that particular set up (I didn't get mine from Don by the way).

There's no easy answer to this one Matt - it seems to be a very personal issue with some people being totally satisfied with set ups that others reject! But I'm convinced that there is something in this 'auto' business and that autos have different vacuum characteristics which affect the operation of the servo.
Good luck!!

Simon J

[jaytee]

There's loads of info here regarding pads/dics drilled/slotted etc. May be usefull in deciding??!!

http://www.fastfit.com/brakess.html#3

Jim

[Philip Fisher]

You should be OK with sizes if your V70 T5 has standard V70 T5 alloys, but for anyone else out there, remember that 850 T5 alloys do not fit over 302mm brakes (even though they look virtually the same and are 16in).

[NugentS]

I have a 1998 S70 Auto and the brakes are OK. I also drove a newer V70 a while back and the brakes were very different - very very +ve and in comparison to my S70 very powerful.

Sean