Vented rotors (archive)

Your Volvo will definately have vented rotors on the front, and solid on the back. The vented rotors can be identified because they are much thicker, and have fins in the centre of them.
Al
Brakes rotors come in 2 basic designs. Solid, and vented. All 320i's came with solid rotors after 1977. Grooving rotors can be done to either style, as can cross drilling. These are tricks done on race cars to help vent gasses quicker, and reduce fade. Very useless on a street car. Vented rotors are the way to go. 77 320i's had vented rotors. You can get the rotors, pads, and calipers from a 77, and bolt them on your 81. It makes a big difference. The adavntage of vented brakes is theat they dissipate heat much faster. HTH,
Al- 77 brakes on my 79

Al, You are right, the Volvo does have vented rotors in front. I did not know what to look for, so thanks for the hints. But, it does not have cross-drilled or grooved rotors. The V70 weighs 1,000 lb more than the 320i.

I installed new calipers on my 320i about 3 or 4 years ago (new, not rebuilt, and they cost a lot). So, I will probably follow the cheapest alternative and install stock solid rotors. Even with the solid front rotors and drum rear brakes, the braking action on this 20-year-old car inspires more confidence than the brakes on many brand new rental cars that I drive when I am on business trips.

In the 1970's, I had a 1971 Buick with 4 drum brakes. Talk about a massive amount of steel and huge engine with minimal braking power....

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Re: Vented rotors Al 15:31 9/08/2000 (0)

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