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As some of you have read, I did a little research on brake pads for our 9-5's. The research didn't amount to much other than there are few choices when it comes to pads. ATE/GM (OEM, dusty), Pagid (dusty), EBC-Green ($90), and Rotex Gold (less dusty) were the options. I went with Rotex Gold which are a Kevlar-Metallic pad from http://www.brakewarehouse.net for $75+S/H. Rotex says less dusting, so I will watch for this. I did not buy new rotors- also available from brake warehouse. X-drilled, slotted, solid, or any combination can be purchased for about $115/ rotor.
What I have determined by replacing the pads on my '01 9-5SE with 24K miles:
The pads on my car were Ate/GM and extremely worn.
The inside pads were more worn than the outside.
The Rotors were at ~23.25mm (22mm is the minimum thickness).
The rotors should have been replaced due to wear.
The rotors and pads for these cars are too soft from factory.
If I were to do this all over again, knowing what I do about the OEM rotors, I would purchase aftermarket slotted rotors and have them Cryo-Treated (see Frozen Rotors for more information). It is a little more costly, but will extend the life of the braking system.
Installation was a breeze. Tools required- 7mm allen wrench, lug-wrench, jack, jack stands, large flat-blade screwdriver, brake piston compressor ($5 at any auto store), towels, rubber gloves. It was not necessary to open any brake lines. Although, the correct procedure is to compress the piston with the bleed valve open so that the old fluid gets replaced rather than re-used. A full system flush will fix that.
Initial impressions on the pads are that they are better than OEM. They provide an earlier pedal response and slow the car quicker. I would guess that even new OEM pads would feel similar, though. I think that the Rotex pads will continue to feel this way, where the OEM will deteriorate over time. I will report back on the dusting or lack there-of.
posted by 4.65.10...
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