The brake system is the chief fail-safe fitted on Volvo cars. It retards the motion of the car when the brake pedal is depressed. There are two kinds of Volvo brakes: the disc brake and the drum brake assemblies. Basically, both systems have a fixed part, either a caliper or a piston, tightening on a rotor. Disc brakes are used on the front wheels, the drum brakes on the rear. Because front wheels have a wider angle of operation, the emergency brake of the Volvo is fitted on the rear in the drum brake assembly. The disc brakes are simpler in designs than the drum brakes, which suit them for use in the Volvo front wheels. Less complicated disc brake designs, however, don’t mean the assembly runs short on braking power.

Race cars use disc brakes. Composed of a caliper and a rotor, disc brakes are not much at risk of heat buildup from friction. When the set piston or caliper engages the rotor, the kinetic energy from the rotating motion is passed off as heat. Heat buildup can wear out the Volvo brake system parts, which can result in brake fade or the diminished capability of the assembly to retard the motion of the car. Additionally, the disc rotor of the disc brake system can be engineered for heat dissipation, either cross-drilled or slotted, whereas the same cannot be done on the drum rotor. While the venting system of the Volvo disc brakes primarily keeps heat away from the system, it helps, too, in facilitating friction with the caliper.

The caliper in the Volvo disc brakes is fitted with a brake pad set. The brake pads bear the brunt of friction when the caliper tightens. It is pushed against the disc in the process of slowing down the wheels. These brake pads are equipped with a wearable friction compound, from semi-metallic, to asbestos, carbon, ceramics, Aramid compounds, among others. The resulting brake power is largely dependent on the brake pad set’s friction compound. When the pads make contact with the rotor, the pads rub the material on to the disc. The friction material then gets heated up and cleaves the disc to the pads.

The friction compounds in the brake pad set are categorized as per drive applications. Harder and less aggressive compounds are designed for Volvo cars used in city driving. Using this kind of friction material on performance cars can result in brake fade. Race cars, or performance Volvo cars for that matter, are fitted with a brake pad set lined with a soft and more aggressive friction material. Driving style and preferences are often valid considerations when deciding on brake pad replacement.

Because the heat vents on the disc brakes make the contact surface rough, the wearable friction material in the brake pads peels off at a fast rate. This is the unavoidable result of a necessary and critical car operation. Most Volvo cars have and in-dash brake pad sensor that reports on the status of the brake pad set.The Volvo brake pads is maintenance item. Over time, the pads water down through regular use and the friction material wears out.