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Strictly speaking, this is an opinions and/or aftermarket forum topic, but I'll make it an RWD post anyway.
Anyone care to comment about Textar pads in their RWD Volvo's compared to something like PBR/Axxis or Volvo pads? The PBR Metalmasters seem roughly equivalent in price. Comments on braking? fade? dust? squeal? rotor wear? I also found the Textar pads for 240 front Girlings had one heck of a chamfer on the trailing and leading edges, way more than I recall on the PBR pads. I remember chamfering was a standard trick to help avoid squeal, but this looks like overkill. The chamfer is deep enough to still be there when the pad is worn out -okay, maybe I can accept that. But it's also quite a shallow chamfer which concerns me about stopping power because of the smaller initial braking surface area. When new, it's barely 2/3rds of the full pad area at the backing.
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For those who are interested, here's a little extra brake pad info I compiled during some recent investigation. It's based on assorted sources, so please don't take this as gospel.
OE pad suppliers can vary for any car mfr, often by caliper brand which varies by model. Pad grades and their OE suppliers will also vary by vehicle characteristics and typical application (different car models are aimed at different types of drivers and uses). It's whatever pad a mfr can get that meets or exceeds their current specs for that particular model of car for the best price. Obviously long term master purchasing contracts are made, typically with one or just a few suppliers, so they would likely work together to refine a suitable pad formulation. Seemingly every pad manufacturer brags about being an OE supplier to many, if not all, car makers. I guess all it takes is one small shipment of pads for just one model of car assembled at one branch factory to call it OE.
The TMD Friction group is one of (if not the biggest) suppliers of OE brake pads, especially in Europe where they're headquartered -subsidiaries and plants all over the world. Their brands and self-claim to fame include:
o Textar -premium quality; OE supplier typically just for high end car models; found on many Mercedes, some BMW and some Volvo; only looks like one grade of pad available aftermarket.
o Pagid -high quality; probably the most common OE brake pad for mid-range passenger cars; commonly used on BMW, Mercedes, Saab, VW and Volvo passenger vehicles among others; multiple pad formulations supposedly available aftermarket.
o Cobreq -good quality; OE on a lot of mid to low end models, especially North American and Asian, also some BMW and Mercedes, but *not Volvo*; don't know about aftermarket.
o Mintex -good quality; strictly a basic aftermarket pad.
Pagid is specifically mentioned on one part site as the current OE pad for both Volvo 240 Girling (always front caliper) and ATE (always rear and sometimes front caliper) brakes. Other brands of pads would have been used on Volvo RWD's depending on what years you're talking and what factory the car came out of. For example, when Volvo had their squealing brake problems in the 140's and early 240 years, they would have changed pad brand when they went to their softer pad and again when they went to a less dusty pad and again to the better performing pad they use today (seemingly the Pagid). According to a note from one Volvo technician, for awhile Volvo was changing pad types so often they couldn't keep count.
PBR started out as a joint venture operation between Bendix of U.S. and Mintex of Australia to make pads strictly for the aftermarket under the Repco name. Eventually Mintex became part of TMD Friction (as above) and the old joint venture spun off as Bendix Australia. When that happened the Repco name ceased and the pads are now sold under the Axxis (U.S. brand), Bendix (Australia and Asia brand) and PBR (international brand) labels as well as house brands. They are OE suppliers for Australian and some Asian and North American cars, but not European.
o PBR Ultimates -ceramic/Kevlar high performance pads; plan on changing your rotors with every set of pads; good for racing/rallying.
o PBR Metalmaster -a premium semi-metallic performance pad; harder and longer wearing pad; less brake fade so good for towing/hauling; plan on replacing rotors maybe every second pad change.
o PBR Deluxe (and Deluxe Plus for certain applications) -an all-purpose OE-type pad; good for everyday driving in everyday vehicles; by far their most popular pad; the first non-asbestos formulation of the Deluxe pad was apparently a disappointment to some European car enthusiasts, but no complaints now.
According to PBR their pads are consistently tops in dust and noise reduction within their pad class. That comment was echoed at other car enthusiast sites.
The Bendix brake site has a generic applications chart. Depending on your driving habits, it would seem their equivalent of the PBR Deluxe pad would be the recommended pad for everyday street use in your typical Volvo RWD car. I think I've always used PBR Deluxe and found them adequate in my Volvo's, but others seem to turn their nose up at them.
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Dave -own 940's, prev 740/240/140/120's
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