S40 Rear Brakes

S/V 40 Rear Brakes

Replacing the rear pads and rotors

Replacing the rear brakes on the S/V 40 is a bit different than 850 or the S/V 70 Volvos. The rear calipers need to be compressed as they are turned. The tool to do this can be purchased at most automotive stores like Track Auto, or what ever store is available in your area. You could also get the Volvo tool from a Volvo dealer, the part number for the compression tool is 999 5782. Brake grease is applied to the pads and connecting parts on the caliper, the part number for the grease is 1161325. It is time to replace the rear pads when the remaining pad is at 2mm. The rotors should be replaced when the thickness reaches 8.9mm. Before you start the job, remove some of the brake fluid to ensure it doesn't overflow when you compress the pistons on the calipers.

First remove the tire. Then to make it easier to work the caliper off of the rotor, remove the clip that holds the brake line in place on the stantion. The yellow arrow is pointing to the clip that needs to be worked out to make it easier. Once the clip is out, push the line back to free it up from the holder. You are not going to have a lot more room but it will help.

Once the clip is out and the line is free, remove the 12mm bolts that hold the caliper in place (the red arrows). When putting the 12mm bolts back on they are torqued to 33nm. You will need use a wrench to hold the caliper pin from turning when removing the 13mm bolt. (Blue arrows) Once the 13mm bolts are out of the caliper slide pins, you can pry the caliper off of the rotor. The inboard pad will stay with the caliper piston, and the outboard pad may stay stuck to the caliper as well, just knock it off with a hammer. Notice the silver anti-seize on the center of the wheel hub, that is to make it easier for the wheel to be removed later. The wheels tend to bind if not treated this way.

Once the caliper is removed and the pads removed, you will need the special tool to rotate and compress the pistion back into the caliper. Using this tool requires some practice so if it seems to be giving you a hard time, thats normal if you are not use to using it, it took me several rear pad jobs before I got comfortable with the operation of turning the wrench, turning the arm to push the caliper in, all while not breaking the attached brake line. Be gental and take your time.

It is a good idea to remove the slide pins and clean all the old grease off the slide pins and apply new brake grease to the pins. Just pull on the slide pin and the rubber boot will release and come off with the slide pin. When pushing the slide pin back in, just push it in all the way and twist a bit and the rubber boot will secure on the lip of the caliper bracket. If you are going to change the rotors as well, you have to remove the bracket so you can get the rotor off. The bracket is held in place with two 13mm bolts on the inboard. When putting the bolts back on they are torqued to 55nm. The rotor is held in place on the hub with one hex bolt, remove that hex bolt and then tap or bag depending on how hard it is held to the hub to get the rotor to break free. Once the rotor is off, use a wire brush or wire wheel if you have air tools to clean up the hub where the rotor and wheel sit.

Above is what the pads should look like once you have grease them up.

Also ensure you grease up the bracket the pads sit on and the face of the piston you have compressed. Don't forget to put the brake line back in the holder and slide the clip in to hold it.