I made a post some time ago regarding upgrading the small (10.25 inch diameter) Girling front brakes to the Big front brakes (11.25 inch diameter). The information is in the 700/900 FAQ along with the information on the Jumbo brake upgrade.

Today I did a little parts fitting and found that you can install the Big brakes (11.25 inch diameter front rotors) on the early 700 series which are equipped with the small (10.25 inch diameter) rotors on the front. Assuming that you already have the separate hubs and rotors with your 10.25 inch diameter front Bendix brakes, all you need are the caliper holding brackets for Bendix (Girling calipers take Girling caliper holding brackets as noted in the 700/900 FAQ) and the larger (11.25 inch diameter rotors). I would encourage anyone with the small front brakes to upgrade to the Big brakes when doing a front brake job. It is quite easy and does not involve opening the hydraulic brake lines like the installation of the Jumbo brakes on my 1987 745T.

If you don't already have the separate hubs and rotors, the separate hubs can be purchased inexpensively from a wrecking yard.

Hi John,

As you know I have a 1991 940GLE 16 valve with ABS. I was lucky because last week I changed the tyres and managed to see whats in my car. The front are Girlings, thats what written on the brake mechanism that holds the brake pads. And the back are ATE i.e uses smaller square brake pads. Can I change the front and back to jumbo brakes? What are the parts needed? Can I get those parts from your area? How much it would cost? Can I D.I.Y?

A little bit of extra braking power sure will make a world of difference.

Thanks


regards

velan
kuala lumpur, malaysia

You may already have the Jumbo brakes. You almost certainly have the Big brakes. Your Malaysian Volvo always throws me for a loop, as I am unfamiliar with that status of Volvo. Do you have single piston, or dual piston front calipers? How thick are the rotors?

What about on 10.50 inch diameter on a 90 740?

Thanks.
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Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

You may upgrade to the Big brakes just as described, whether Bendix or Girling.

right, but you only mentioned 10.25, not 10.50, that's why i asked. someone replied a while ago saying the FAQ was incomplete in that there was a 10.25 and 10.50 and an 11.25 and yeah, it was missing an entry in any case. :)
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Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

I think the rotors are actually metric, and 10.5 inches diameter and 10.25 inches diameter are used interchangeably to describe the same (small) front rotor.

i'm not so sure about that. FCP groton lists separately a 10.5 and a 10.25" diameter rotor... let me see if i can dig up that posting from the other person.

edit: here we go:
http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=517992

by the way, how much are those caliper brackets anyway?

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Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

FCP Groton also lists a 12 inch diameter front rotor for the 700 series, and there is no such thing.


To quote from the Volvo New Car Features for the 1984 model year, "Brake disc diameter has been reduced from 287 mm (11.29 inches) to 262.4 mm (10.33 inches)." Volvo only made one small rotor for the 700 series (and that started in 1984 and continued through 1990 to the best of my knowledge), some call it the 10.25 inch diameter, and some call it the 10.50 inch diameter rotor. These are called nominal sizes (meaning in name only), although I am sure there is some difference in exact diameter based on the manufacturer.

As you suggested, lets look in the 700/900 FAQ and check on brakes. You will find there are only three rotor sizes listed; 287 mm(Big brake rotor), 262.4 mm(Small brake rotor), and 280 mm(Jumbo brake rotor). I will add that the early 287 mm rotor and brakes are a different critter, and rarely seen.

If you need a set of caliper brackets, contact me off line and I will pick you up a set when I can at the local U-Pull It.

At least the ones on our 87 760T were/are.

Our 87 760T came with Bendix ABS unit hubs/rotors....dealer replaced with Bendix 11.25" diameter rotors and separate hubs under factory warranty.

It's really a shame they didn't put the BF brakes on ALL the volvos back then. So much for volvo safety.

You are correct as to the upgrade to the Big front brakes being 11.25 inch diameter rotors. I just wanted to explain to the brickboard's RWD Forum reader's that this is a simple and inexpensive upgrade. There are many older 700s in service with the original 10.25 inch diameter front rotors. I have seen the 10.25 inch diameter front rotors installed through the 1990 model year.

A 1987 760T would have originally had the one piece hub and rotor of 10.25 inch diameter. The calipers were probably Bendix, which seems to be found on most early 760s, while the Girling are found more on the 740s (some 740s are Bendix).

As usual, a fantastic post.

Now, what do I do with the 744Tic? It's gathering dust.
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Warren Bain - '86 744Ti M46 >290Kmi, '99 V70Glt > 45K mi, '96 965 >100Kmi Wifemobile near Manassas Va.. Check the 700/900 FAQ via the 'features' pull down menu.

all u need is some girling caliper brakets and thats all u need besides the big brake kit but acctually in my opion the girling are better because the fronts have dual calipers instead of singles likehte big brake kit has.

Both the Girling and the Bendix have dual pistons (even with ABS) until the introduction of the Jumbo brakes on the 91 740 turbo cars. The cross sectional area of the Jumbo single brake piston is exactly the same as the cross sectional area of both pistons of the earlier Girling or Bendix. The original purpose of the dual pistons was to supply both front calipers with braking action from both sides of the dual master cylinder. Volvo retained the dual pistons but fed both pistons with one brake hose when they went to ABS brakes.

The Jumbo brakes have a massive rotor that looks like something you would see on a later 1/2 ton Chevrolet or Ford truck.