New Brakes

[Les_Worm]

I don't know much about cars so I was hoping someone would help me out. I do know that the grinding sound my brakes makes is not good, lol. Anyway, I am going to go get new brakes on my car tomorrow. Anyone have a ball park figure I can look to spend to get new brake pads and rotors? Of course, I'll get a free estimate but I don't wanna be shocked when they give me the number.

[ProZachNation]

Do it your self! I needed new brake pads my rotors were still in good shape and me and my dad got new brake pads for the front brakes for under 30 I think. He did the passenger side and then he watched me do the driver side.


It depends on your car how much new pads and rotors are, my car was a 95 dodge spirit so its was pretty cheap. If you cars a 2005 2004 its gona be more.

[Les_Worm]

I don't how to do it myself and if I did, I'm probably too lazy. My car is a 2002.

[Warpe]

If they're grinding you're down to the rotors. Could be machined out if they're not too bad. You're dropping $300-$500 anyway, but that's CDN money.

[a500lbgorilla]

Obviously brakes are the safest place to start when it comes to learning how to fix cars.

[ProZachNation]

Obviously brakes are the safest place to start when it comes to learning how to fix cars.

Not to complicated and sorta hard to fuck up fixing just brake pads, like brake line and stuff I wouldnt fuck with but with brake pads it needs to be right or you cann get everything back together.

[Les_Worm]

If they're grinding you're down to the rotors. Could be machined out if they're not too bad. You're dropping $300-$500 anyway, but that's CDN money.

Ok so like $50 USD. Hopefully the rotors can be machined.

[Greedo017]

there is a good chance they will recommend new rotors regardless, this depends on your car too (bmws are $$$ for example). don't be shocked if they throw a 3-500 figure at you.

i don't know if you meant to say 50, but even if they just replace pads, it will most definitely be at least 100-200. an hour labor alone is like 80 bucks and they will double charge you at least for the pads.

[Les_Worm]

i don't know if you meant to say 50

I guess you didn't get the joke.

[Greedo017]

haha, i get jokes

[Rabid Dog]

Pull your tire off and check your rotors yourself. If they have deep groove in them then take them and get them machined. If you go to some place like autozone or oriely's they may tell you that there is not enough metal on the rotors to turn them and you need new rotors. Before you dish out the money on new rotors take them to a machine shop and see what they say. Reason being is most of the clowns that work at autozone or oriely type stores dont even know how to use a caliper much less read one.

If the rotors dont look too bad (just have some scratching or light lines, not too deep, you can tell) then just go to autozone or oriely's and pick up some brake pads. Will cost in the $20-$30 range probably. If they have not been grinding long, this may be the case. It is good practice to have them turned whenever you do a brake job. But its not always necessary.

To remove the caliper. You need a C clamp (8-10 incher will do). Use the C clamp to press the brake pads together, this compresses the caliper so you can get the caliper off the rotor. After compressing the pads, there should only be a single bolt you take out and the caliper will just swivel upwards off the rotor. From here you will need to use the C clamp to compress the caliper until it is flush. Make sure to leave the old brake pad on the caliper for the C clamp to rest on.

After this, just clean it up a little bit, taking care not to puncher any of the rubber in the caliper. The new brake pads go back in the same way the old ones came out, they just pop into slots. Place the calipers with new brake pads back over the rotors. Replace the bolt and tighten bolt snug, do not over tighten, you dont want to strip anything out. Put tire back on and your good to go. Also to remove the bolt from the caliper you will either use a socket wrench, a closed or open end wrench, or a large allen wrench. You just have to check and see which one is required.

Some things to remember. Before taking the car out of park after you have replaced the brakes. Make sure you pump the brakes after starting to build the brake pressure back up to where it should be. The last thing you want to do is replace your brakes, then jump in start the car and throw it in gear. You'll get moving and step on your brakes and find there's nothing there. So pump them up to build the pressure before you ever take car out of park.

Front disk brakes are very easy to replace on a vehicle. Only do one side at a time, that way if you forget where something goes you will have the other side to look at. Mostly this pertains to the rear drum brakes, but you can use the same theory on the front disk brakes.

Never pay a mechanic the ungodly price they charge for something you can do yourself. Mechanics around here charge a minimum of $50 hr. A brake job will take 30 minutes if all your doing is replacing the rotor pads. Less if you multi task.

[DoGGz]

Never pay a mechanic the ungodly price they charge for something you can do yourself. Mechanics around here charge a minimum of $50 hr. A brake job will take 30 minutes if all your doing is replacing the rotor pads. Less if you multi task.

He already stated he probably was not going to do this himself. Maybe his time is worth more then that?

[Rabid Dog]

He already stated he probably was not going to do this himself. Maybe his time is worth more then that?

What you say may be true DoGGz. But I believe what he actually said was he didnt know how to do it and if he did he was probably too lazy to do it anyhow.

I gave the directions. I cannot do anything about the lazy part though.

Posted: Fri, 24 Feb 2006, 3:34pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't how to do it myself and if I did, I'm probably too lazy. My car is a 2002.

[DoGGz]

He already stated he probably was not going to do this himself. Maybe his time is worth more then that?

What you say may be true DoGGz. But I believe what he actually said was he didnt know how to do it and if he did he was probably too lazy to do it anyhow.

I gave the directions. I cannot do anything about the lazy part though.

Posted: Fri, 24 Feb 2006, 3:34pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't how to do it myself and if I did, I'm probably too lazy. My car is a 2002.

blah same thing. On a side note, I don't even change my oil. Way to easy to pay someone $20 to get down and dirty.

[Rabid Dog]

blah same thing. On a side note, I don't even change my oil. Way to easy to pay someone $20 to get down and dirty.

I dont do that either. There is a place here that almost continuously runs a $10.99 special for an oil and filter change. I cant even buy oil and a filter and dispose of my oil for that price. I am cheap though. I wont pay $20 for someone to change my oil. I use coupons at Goodyear, Firestone or Hibdons when the $10.99 garage isnt running their specials.

[Les_Worm]

Its not that I'm too lazy to change the brakes if I knew how to do it, I am just too lazy to figure out how to do it, then make sure I am doing it correctly. If I already knew how to do this, it would be no big deal and I'd do it. But I'd rather not fuck something up and then have to pay someone to fix what I fucked up and then fix the brakes. I am more of a hands on person and while I appreciate your post Rabid, I don't know if I would be able to read what you wrote and be fully confident that you didn't accidently forget something to tell me or that I might misunderstand and do something wrong.

[boost]

He already stated he probably was not going to do this himself. Maybe his time is worth more then that?

What you say may be true DoGGz. But I believe what he actually said was he didnt know how to do it and if he did he was probably too lazy to do it anyhow.

I gave the directions. I cannot do anything about the lazy part though.

Posted: Fri, 24 Feb 2006, 3:34pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't how to do it myself and if I did, I'm probably too lazy. My car is a 2002.

blah same thing. On a side note, I don't even change my oil. Way to easy to pay someone $20 to get down and dirty.

I know what youre saying, but this shit can be relaxing. Doing something that doesnt really take much thought, but takes time. You can just relax, know nothings going to go wrong, and accomplish something. This is why I like to work on my own car and cook food and stuff.

[boost]

Its not that I'm too lazy to change the brakes if I knew how to do it, I am just too lazy to figure out how to do it, then make sure I am doing it correctly. If I already knew how to do this, it would be no big deal and I'd do it. But I'd rather not fuck something up and then have to pay someone to fix what I fucked up and then fix the brakes. I am more of a hands on person and while I appreciate your post Rabid, I don't know if I would be able to read what you wrote and be fully confident that you didn't accidently forget something to tell me or that I might misunderstand and do something wrong.

truthfully theres nothing you can fuck up. Like, unless you over torqued a nut WAY too much and stripped it or something bad like that. Yah I know you waht you mean, if working on cars is not your thing then just have someone else do it. I would suggest asking freind and family for a mechanic you can trust. Whatever you do DO NOT GO TO THE DEALERSHIP, unless of course its under warranty. They are crooks, and you dont even get to talk to the mechanic themselves, you talk to the dealer, and we know car dealers are con men.

[Les_Worm]

Brake pads on all 4 tires + 4 rotors + 2 calipers + labor = $525.

He said he could give me the Chinese import shit for like $50 cheaper, but who the fuck cares about $50 when you are paying so much.

[journey075]

Brake pads on all 4 tires + 4 rotors + 2 calipers + labor = $525.

He said he could give me the Chinese import shit for like $50 cheaper, but who the fuck cares about $50 when you are paying so much.

the attitude of a poker player. you have pot odds.

[Les_Worm]

It was actually the reverse implied odds. I don't wanna be paying more later on.

[boost]

Meh.. Chinese children make my 100$ shoes, and they stop fine...

[ProZachNation]

Brake pads on all 4 tires + 4 rotors + 2 calipers + labor = $525.

He said he could give me the Chinese import shit for like $50 cheaper, but who the fuck cares about $50 when you are paying so much.

That seems like an ok deal for getting it done at a shop.

[Rabid Dog]

Brake pads on all 4 tires + 4 rotors + 2 calipers + labor = $525.

He said he could give me the Chinese import shit for like $50 cheaper, but who the fuck cares about $50 when you are paying so much.

2002 vehicle shouldnt need new calipers. Well I probably shouldnt say shouldnt, but I wouldnt think you would need new calipers. Couldnt say without actually looking at them though. I just replaced the calipers on my 71 chevy p/u. First time they have ever been changed, and the only reason I changed them was I was completely rebuilding the front disk brakes on my truck along with replacing the Master cylinder.

Ok, granted there is a difference in a 71 and an 02. But my rotors were $60 new for the pair and $15 brake pads, for a total of $75. I dont remember what the calipers or the brake cylinder cost, but it wasnt over $50 for all 3 items together. Like I said, I'm cheap. So going off the $525 price, I saved around $400. But like boost, I like to work on my vehicles.

I do understand what your saying though Les_Worm, my brother in law is the same way. He would rather pay someone to do the work than do it himself. Not that he cant figure out how to do it, its just that he hates working on cars. I had to change the u-joints on his truck for him because he was going to pay some mechanic an unreal fee for what was only a one hour job. I just couldnt see him dishing out a few hundred to some guy for something I could do for him in only about an hour.

Hardest part of changing front disk brakes is jacking the car up and pulling the tire off. But its your $500 and you do want to feel confident that when you come to the stop light your vehicle is going to stop. So I would never chastise someone for paying a professional to do something they dont feel comfortable doing. And in your case that may just be the right thing to do.

[ProZachNation]

I think a lot of the time when you take your car in for brake work they have to cover their ass and replace everything, because say they odnt replace the calipers and a few days later the calipers fuck up they can be held responsible.

[Les_Worm]

So, I got the brakes done today. They work great now. However, the guy said I will also soon have to replace the wheeling bearing on the drivers side and possibly on the passenger side as well and they go for $270 per side.

[Rabid Dog]

So, I got the brakes done today. They work great now. However, the guy said I will also soon have to replace the wheeling bearing on the drivers side and possibly on the passenger side as well and they go for $270 per side.

Ouch. See you was right. When I wrote the how to, I left out the bearings. But you would have seen them when you pulled the rotor anyhow. Bearings are another simple procedure. When you pull the rotors the wheel bearing fits inside the rotor. Should have been done at the same time as the rotors were off. Everytime I pull my rotors I grease those bearings.

I need to open a brake shop with what their charging. I could be driving a Hummer within a year. At $800 a job, do 3 a day easily without breaking much sweat. Thats $2400 a day, minus parts at the mechanics discount. Probably for the $800 the parts would run around $300 on the high side. Thats rotors, calipers, pads, bearings and grease, all new. Gives me $500 a day times 3 for $1500 a day. Thats +EV for sure

Glad your brakes work good now, and the piece of mind you had them done right along with a warranty if something does go wrong.

Working brakes: $525.00
Piece of mind: Priceless

[Rabid Dog]

I think a lot of the time when you take your car in for brake work they have to cover their ass and replace everything, because say they odnt replace the calipers and a few days later the calipers fuck up they can be held responsible.

Makes sense. Boy they just dont make cars like they used to. I mean that car was less than 4 years old and thats some major brake work.