While at AutoZone on a OBDII mission, I priced their front brake pads for my 1997 965.

All over the map! House Brand DuraLast was $24.99. They list a goodly number of choices, lots of Beck & Arnley types. Basic = $41.99. Ceramic = $109.99. Something called OE = $55.99. There were others, even one called Organic.

Money talks, even louder to those who know not the value of the alternative selections. Is Beck&Arnley the OEM maker? Would the $55.99 pads be same as volvo pads? I haven't call dealer for a quote yet, but I will.

The Universal Fit catalytic convertor at $122.99 is a Wells brand. I have never heard of it, have you? Universal means NOT drop-in means MORE work and (maybe) lower quality, to me.

The car is driven by wife.sig, and she's harder on the brakes than I am. Current pads are probably Volvo, as PO had most all things done at dealer.

Any recommendations will be received gratefully.

Thank You,

Bob

:>)

If you go to the website of the nice folks at fcpgroton , you'll come out ahead on those parts. If you want actual volvo pads, they have them, I personally like the PBR ultimate ceramic pads I put on my 940t, some folks don't like the dust, I just like the way they stop no matter how hot you get them . I had the volvo pads on before and the ceramic are way better. I have the pbr delux on my 240 wagon and it does a nice job stopping , but I can feel a difference on hot days when working the brakes hard, a small amout of pedal fade . http://www.fcpgroton.com/VolvoBrakes/volvo960brakes.htm

Beck arnely doesn't actually make anything , it is stricly a re-box distributor like Scan-tech, and a good portion of TRW stuff

They also have a cat that you can just bolt in, as opposed to a universal fit one, that would require you either cutting the old one out and welding the universal fit one in ( that most likely won't last half as long as a good one, and probably won't flow properly for your system, and you'll have a new cat welded to old pipe...which will likely outlast the cheap cat, but... ) or you'll have to take it to a muffler shop and have them do it for between $30 and $150 depending on how well you know the guy ( of course alot of shops won't put it on unless they sell it to you)

--------Robert
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD for sale

OH!, so those Ultimate Ceramics are supposed to dust??????? I though I read somewhere they were low dust and someone had "done me". They dusted so bad, more than twice the OEMs, I took them out while I researched the issue. I went with the PBR metal-masters and they seem OK.
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'96 965, 16' wheels, Michelin Pilot Sports, rear 18mm bar + Koni, 201 HP cams, 128K. Put 200K on '85 745 TD.

PBR (Axxis ) Metal Masters are the way to go!