What is a good price for changing brake pads and disc machining at the mechanic (including labor fee)?
I've gotten quotes in the $300-500 range. I'm looking mainly at independent mechanics instead of dealers.
Brake Pads and Disc Machining
[Deactivated] on 28/10/2014 - 23:51
Comments
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Is it common to only change the front brakes? Correct me if I'm wrong, a conventional sedan has 4 pads, one for each tyre?
Front brakes wear out faster in a front wheel drive as far as I know. I'm not that car savvy but that's my understanding. My back brakes didn't need doing at the time.
They wear out faster in all cars, unless you are reversing everywhere..
When you brake, the car's weight shifts forward and the front brakes have to deal with that. Depending on the car, it could be as much as 70% of the braking load.
Spend a little time looking at the brakes of cars as you walk past them.. The fronts are always bigger, normally vented, sometimes slotted… The rears are lower grade, and sometimes even drums still.
On a side note, when you combine this with steering responsibility, and acceleration (in a FWD car), this is why it is so important to keep your front tyres in good condition ;)
Is it common to only change the front brakes?
yes, rears only wear at 1/2 the rate that the fronts do, i can get all technical and explain brake bias etc but it will probably be over your head
Correct me if I'm wrong, a conventional sedan has 4 pads, one for each tyre?
ok ill correct you :)
the front disk brakes have the main rotor (the shiny metal thing sitting inside your wheel) and on each side of that they have a brake pad so for the front end you have a set of 4 pads (2 for the left and 2 for the right)
on the rear it can get a lot more tricky depending on what type of brake you have. you could have the older drum system, the newer rear disc brakes or a combined disc with internal drum (usually for the handbrake) so you could have anywhere from the same 2 pads each side if its straight disc, 2 shoes each side if its straight drum or 2 pads and 2 shoes if its disc/drum (like my nissan is)
HTH
unless you are reversing everywhere..
actually that would make no difference because its the bias not the weight that is wearing your fronts faster.
yes you get weight shift when you brake and the fronts can brake harder than the rears, which is why as you said the front brakes are always more substantial than the rears but the reason the fronts wear faster than the rears is because there is also a brake bias which sends more "power" from your brake pedal to the front brakes than it does to the rears. some cars like utes and vans also have a brake bias adjuster so if it has a heavy load in the back it can give more bias to the rearsWith the brake bias I can practically brake with the front brakes only by braking softly, I noticed this when the rears wore out and started to screech on the wear warning spring, but if I braked softer I wouldn't hear it. Still the reason for the bias is the weight going forward, so the fella is still technically right too
how many km's have you done since last machining? I haven't machined in over 90,000km's and all fine. Just changed the pads and all good. Mechanic recommended to machine and I told them no thanks as not required.
Ultratune said my brake pads were well due last time I saw them. I checked them and I thought they were fine. 20K km later I had it in at another mechanic who checked them and confirmed they had plenty of tread left.
I think $300 sounds about right. Just ring around, get quotes for pads and machining just in case and go with the best priced (and reviewed if possible).
The keyword is trust. Do you trust the mechanic to give you an honest advice based on the conditions.
Unless if I linger around the workshop and watch them fit the new pads, I won't even know if they have fitted used pads or new ones. All comes down to honesty I guess.
Ultratune also said they took it for a test drive, but my in car camera showed they didn't.
Good and lousy mechs everywhere so I just try and do as much as I can myself.
Last time I went to ultratune was when I first bought my car 8 years ago, never went back since then. I came in for a new air con belt, negotiated the price down from $80 to $60, thought I made a good discount there :) problem was he never even tightened the belt, and my old used belt was still there, all he did was loosened it! I knew then why they didn't allow customers in their workshop, it's not because of safety reason, it's to rort their unsuspecting customers.
A few weeks later I turned on the air con and nothing! Went to an independent mechanic and asked for a regas (assuming Ultratune did their job properly), the honest mechanic asked me who changed the belt? I asked why? he told me it wasn't tightened. Thanks Ultratune @ Fairfield :) I loss $60 but at least you didn't take any more money from me or cause any more damage had I gone back to to rectify the situation.
From my experience, don't trust the larger chain mechanics (Kmart, ultratune etc)
Had a personal experience where I was unaware the timing belts needed changing after 100k kms. Had been to mechanic 3/4 times for regular servicing. They never brought it up, never decided to check or recommend it, which any basic mechanic should advise on.
Long story short, timing belt snapped. Had to have the engine top end replaced and cost a few grand. Didn't realise it was their carelessness at the time, and had them do the work as well, lining their sales figures and pockets very well.
I've commented on this before, but even aside from my personal experience it makes sense that they are less likely to care about their service etc. Kmart probably pays them a salary and they have sales targets to fill. They have no incentive to provide exceptional service as their pay check will come in everyday. Plus being dodgy will earn them the bottom line figures. It might not help build their long term brand value but that's least of their worries.
In comparison, independent mechanics are more inclined to be providing better service as their reputation and brand is on the line. Their pay is based on what they bring in, and to have a business they need to be more cognizant of long term and not just doing dodgy work for a quick buck. Find a good independent mechanic is always my advice now. Ditch the chains!
Obviously their are exceptions to the rule, but i think my insight is generally true.
Man, if this turns out to be a thread where everyone talks about their bad mechanic experience this can totally end up being the longest thread on OB, however I do agree, and count NRMA Motoserv at Marrickville in that, terrible service and pricing.
Problem is, some of these chain stores are actually decent. For mainstream vehicle tyres the local k-mart provides excellent service. It depends on the manager (or are they franchisees?).
Bought this as a second-hand car 2 years ago and haven't changed the brakes since. According to the RWC, brakes were 70%. I've only done 20,000kms during the 2 years I had it. A mechanic suggested me to machine the discs because it is rough and I can hear screechy sounds when breaking at low speed.
A mechanic suggested me to machine the discs
its always "best" to machine them when ever you change pads but a lot of people dont (myself included, unless they are quite bad)
you also have to concern yourself with "minimum thickness" of your discs as well. a lot of cars wear the discs out almost as quickly as they wear the pads (fords and holdens for example)
if i were you i would take your car to a couple of brake specialists and get them to quote you on this. specifically ask them all what your disc thickness is and what the min thickness can be for your model/year car. if you go to 2 or 3 brake specialists and get a quote you should quickly see if one is being dodgy and quoting things you dont need.
Wearing out of pads are more due to the materials of the pads being used, with heavier metallic type pads having a higher impact on rotor wear.
@zeomega: I think you meant to say wearing out of discs? I've been told it's also due to the fact that car manufacturers are totally tight arsing on the disc thickness, I've heard of people being unable to machine their discs the first time they needed to change the breaks, either dodgy mechanics or dodgy manufacturers?
Sorry.. yeah. Wearing out of rotors I meant.
AFAIK, manufacturers will always state the minimum thickness for a disc, I have yet to come across a workshop manual (from the car maker) that does not specify the minimum disc thickness. I reckon all should state it as it's a safety issue, ie. liable for a lawsuit.
I personally only will ever machine my disc if it's in need for a resurface (too much grooves due to stones or crap getting stuck inbtw), not when it's "warped". Why i say "warped", because discs do not really warp. Have a read of the following articles:
http://www.mossmotors.com/SiteGraphics/Pages/brake_discs.htm…
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-pa…
Could be glazing too, just do a few stops from 80klm to zero on a quiet street, brake quite hard but not so hard to lock up. Do this 3 times, if still squealing check your pads
if you do 20k klms on the highway pads could have plenty of life left. If its only stop start traffic they are probably worn
Agreed, you need to bed brakes in when they are new and it's even more important if the rotors haven't been machined, as you want the disc to wear the pads to match, hence bedding in the brakes. Also may help with lessening any squeal.
Your break pads will either squeal or feel rough when they need replacing… and this tells you that you have worn them into the last few mm's were the compound is different to the main pad. only change the front or back when the indicator shows it is time. don't be fooled thinking that you only have a few mm's left… the new ones only have 7mm or so anyhow, so don't be in a hurry to replace.
Personally I think machining the discs is often a bit of a rort. If it is done unnecessarily it ends up costing you new discs down the track. Good opportunity to try a new mechanic - take it in and tell them to change the pads. If you get a call telling you the discs need machining then you will have to do it and have more reason to trust the first mechanic in future. If they don't pipe up about machining and simply change the discs you save dollars and have possibly found an honest and sensible tradesperson.
*simply change the discs or pads?
My mechanic spayed a red coating on my pads to stop them squealing.
wow so much misinformation right here…
Personally I think machining the discs is often a bit of a rort.
nope, its "best practice" as when you change pads. the discs are always scored from the old pads which CAN cause issues with things like braking performance and noise. for most drivers this is probably not a big issue but for some people who struggle to drive safely at the best of times a brake peddle that dosnt feel/work the same as it used to could well be the cause of an accident.
ive worked as a mechanic as well as built and ran race cars and heavily modified road cars, i know a thing or 2 about brakes. my advice if people ask me is to get your discs machined always because if you dont already know everything about brakes yourself you could be one who needs the "safety" of brakes working at there optimum.
My mechanic spayed a red coating on my pads to stop them squealing.
that can help with some sorts of squealing but it depends on the cause and severity of the squeal. its certainly not a cure all for squeals
Can you machine slotted and vented discs?
What about those that are built as a one piece unit with the hub?
Can you machine slotted and vented discs?
yep just the same way as you would any other.
What about those that are built as a one piece unit with the hub?
agian yep, most places will machine the discs on the vehicle anyway (which is he best and easiest way anyway) so again they are simply done the same way.
You didn't read it right.
He said you have to machine them if the mechanic says so. Otherwise, the mechanic will change the discs/rotors for new ones.
AFAIK modern disc brakes have a small metal finger on them that when the pads are worn near their limit the finger will scrape on the disc and make a squeal sound. Red coating won't help that.
AFAIK modern disc brakes have a small metal finger on them that when the pads are worn near their limit the finger will scrape on the disc and make a squeal sound.
you are absolutely correct, some pads have a wear indicator. back in the 'ol days you wouldnt know the pads were low till the metal backing of the pad started touching the disc causing damage to the rotor surface
Personally I think machining the discs is often a bit of a rort.
I would tend to agree, in many cases it is pure over-servicing. Any mechanic worth his salt will tell you that machining is not necessary unless the discs are badly scored or seriously glazed. What we must remember here is that even the hardest pads are still much softer than the rotors, so of course you're not gonna need to machine every pad change!
No, I have to agree with the comment above. It is best practice to machine the discs, if' they're not badly scored/undercut they only need a light skim to clean up. Otherwise you can get hotspots on your new pads that will reduce their life. Rotors can often get glazed which also reduced braking efficiency.
As to your argument about pads being 'much softer' it's not true with modern pads, anyway, have a look at your discs and you will see they're not flat. What they told you in secondary school about hardness is not quite correct, the harder material will still get damaged by the softer one.
Best practice for the mechanic is about all…turns a simple $100 pad change into a $300 windfall for the workshop. If you're doing this every pad change then you've been suckered into pissing your money away.
I'm not sure where a lot of you guys are getting your crackpot ideas from, but the pads have to be inherently softer than the rotors, it's basic physics…that hasn't changed in decades, nor should it, basic disc brake design hasn't really changed in this time either. The rotors also don't have to be perfectly flat to work fine, as I said just not badly scored or glazed…you'll also soon know if they're warped, your right foot will get the hint…FFS, it's just commonsense.
Seriously, a few plausible-ish sounding buzzwords in a few comments & you guys will believe anything…
@StewBalls: I have it from a mechanic turned brake specialist that you are correct, leading me to believe you are a geezer, because most people that know this aren't on a computer posting on forums.
However the younger generation spend much more time paying for servicing than doing it, and often obsessing over a car means spending more money rather than doing things themselves, but that just a general comment that you can take or leave. Unless you live in a world where money is not object and unlimited resources are available, you don't machine unless you need to.
This is very controversial. I agree with both grammar and nosdan (he knows his stuff). My point of thinking is machining is good for a few time when the brake disc is good. The more machining is done, the thinner the disc is. When it is thin, it can become warped with all the heat of braking.
I'm an average joe just driving to work daily and DIY my car in the garage. So taking into account the costs of machining vs cost of disc brake, I'd rather run the brake disc all the way and replace it at near end of its life. Because let's face it, machining or not, disc brake will need to be replaced at some point.
Paid 215 for front wheel machining and brake pads Just yesterday at my usual mechanic.
Depending on your car, new disks can be cheap. I had trouble with my front disks and just bought new ones at Repco and put them on myself. Pads were OK so I didn't change them. That was a 2006 Ford Falcon. Other cars may not be as easy to do. The hardest part was actually lifting the wheels back on to the hubs. Big alloys with big tyres weigh a lot. Pads on modern cars last a long time and as someone else said, they are only about 7mm to start with. If you work on the brakes yourself just make sure the brakes are fully working before going out on the road.
Definitely agree with this. Quality new rotors are often very cheap and its likely to be cheaper than getting them machined on the car. Another cheap option is to remove the rotors yourself and take them to a brake place for machining. I recall being quoted $20 per rotor. Replacing rotors and pads on Falcons is ridiculously easy and I'd assume many other cars are equally simple. Save a fortune.
If you don't want to do the work yourself, check the parts prices the mechanic is charging compared to Repco/SCA/local-car-parts-shop. Should be max half hour labour charge to replace front rotors and pads. I think people sometimes get ripped off on brakes because they mistakenly think its a big job.
The last time I had rotors machined it was at Turbo Auto Spare in Cabra, $5 each in 1997.
Price sounds for 4 pads and machining. I paid $620 for 4x heavy duty 4WD pads + rotors being machined. The dealer said I had hotspots on my fronts (which is fair enough, because I carry a lot of crap on the roof so when I brake the pressure gets transferred to the front)… took it too a local mechanic to supply and fit the pads + new front rotors… called me up a few hours later saying the rotors are fine and can be machined (hot spots weren't too bad)… saved me $100+.
I've resisted getting disks machined in the past as I've thought isn't that what the disk pads do each time you use the brakes? But a car nut mate explained it to me better that it buffs the surface so that you get a much better /safer engagement of breaking surfaces. Sure it wears stuff out faster but it's like the difference between cheap and expensive tyres - consider it like extra insurance for safety.
from new (front wheel drive)
1.change front then 12-18 months change back as required
2.next change, machine
3.repeat from 1
Dont over machine! Also keep your new tyers when replaced do an alignment (front) always
don't overmachine?… It is not within the control of the OP. It's not like brushing his own teeth that he can stop after 4 or 30minutes of brushing and wear out the enamel over time. For business to be good they will machine it so that new discs will be required sooner rather than latter.
OP obviously means dont machine every pad change….. i thought that was rather logical….
Average price is $40 for machining a pair and $60 for crap/std pads, retail. Plus labour.
Note: some euro cars use a very soft disc and will wear disc's before pads. In this case I would change to DBA disc's
You can run disc's thinner then the lowest tolerance, fine for suburbia, would not use on track or for towing a caravan etc. I wouldn't do this to say my sisters car, but I have done it on my own and as long as you have a lot (90%+) pads it will be fine for atleast 5k klm. If disc's are $80 each go and change them for peace of mind, mine were $900 a pair so I decided to put it off for a while.
Changing discs and pads is super easy and can be done at home, and of course you don't have to worry about you ripping yourself off.
It's interesting how people always can put up with risk/crap themselves but not for significant others. I guess people feel like they can manage within their self set tolerances?
If its your car you can remember what needs to be done and when. You cant always remember for someone else or even rely on them to remember themselves. Its basically one less thing I have to worry about that is not my business in the first place
In my particular case, disc thickness has ZERO effect on braking power or stopping distance. It only dissipates heat quicker and resists cracking, which is a non issue in road driving, even spirited road driving.
Group N rally cars can only use standard disc's, they can only change pads. The pads are very abrasive and used hard! You can use a pair of new rotors ($300 ea) on a race weekend easy. I used to supply old rotors removed from road cars to some guys, they didn't even care if they were on the lower limit and would race on them. Just put another used set on at the end of day 1. Brakes are not as fragile as people think.
Why get the discs machined?
Way cheaper to just replace them with a set of DBA. around $45 each for a standard car from covs
If you are driving a high performance car with massive race discs then machining will be cheaper.Pads and discs should coast around $160 per set,
If you are comfortable and handy with tools, have a go at replacing brakes discs the pads yourself. Plenty of youtube videos demonstrating how it's done. It will save you in the long run. It's pretty simple, usually two bolts holding the calliper in place. Undo the bolts take the pads out replace, bolts back in. Remember to lubricate where necessary. Bleed brakes. HOWEVER, if you are not comfortable, let someone else replace. Brakes should not be played around with if you have no idea what you are doing.
You can judge yourself whether disc machining is required. When the disc surface is developing scores and grooves. Most people should be able to remove a tyre.
Then its a visual check of the inner and outer surfaces, its really not that hard. No need for the mechanics opinion and you can monitor the disc condition between pad changes and decide when machining is required.
If not, find yourself an honest mechanic.
Unfortunately as appears here "most" people aren't aware that it's not just scoring or even warping which are issues. Glazing, which will at least partly negate the effect of your new pads, is(may be) just as big a problem. That's one of the reasons why some brake places (particularly for older/more mileage vehicles) may say 'no machining, no guarantee'.
Unfortunately it appears some people can surmise the entire knowledge of a poster from a couple of paragraphs.
Even if your own knowledge is adequate your generalised advice is irresponsible.
A good way to save money at the mechanic is to buy your own part and ask them for labour only rather than also accepting their inflated part prices.
Exactly what I did with my 4WD. Did the research, bought online at about half price (make sure you know about all the bits required eg shims - the seller should know, if not go elsewhere) then got some quotes for replacement. The brake specialist was half the price of others for the machine/replace job- a big surprise for me. Rotors were machined in situ and when they struck trouble (which I was aware could happen on my vehicle - a particular bolt on the calipers often seizes after about a decade) they rang me with some options, got the extra part required from a wrecker and only charged for the part, not the mucking around with the old caliper.
You might as well source brake rotors and pads from Brakes Direct for a lot cheaper.
Go to Brakes Plus. They are specialists, priced well, and really know what they are doing. My local Brakes Plus is the only mechanic I have ever (and probably will ever) trust.
Good wording for an advert… almost scored a plus from me…
Wow!! Like nosdan said before, there is a lot of misinformation here. As a qualified mechanic, i can say that machining disc rotors is very very important when changing pads and for overall life of the disc.
Its is all about face to face ( pad face and rotor face) contact.
Over time, wear and tear, the pads will rarely wear out evenly for many reasons, such as dirty driving conditions, heavy loads, heavy braking, riding brakes, sticky slides and broken return springs to name a few. This causes the disc to develop ridges (corrugation), hot spots, lips, glazing and warping (which is basically when the rotor is no longer its original shape and does not spin true - or in a straight line - this causes a pulsating brake pedal among other things)
So u can imagine the disc face is not flat anymore after yrs of driving, now u go install a new set of pads which have a perfectly flat face in. There is minimal face to face contact which will dramatically lower ur braking efficiency.
Cause there is minimal contact, this actually makes the pads and rotor work harder at those particular contct points to slow u down rather then the whole surface area and creates hot spots within the rotor - which weakens the overall structure (which leads to warping) and causes more noise.
If u machine ur disc rotors, the face will be flat with no ridges, lips, glazing and minimises warping.If u can, u can get onboard disc machiners that machine disc rotors while they are still on the car - this takes in to account any variations u have in wheel/disc/hub bearings u may have.
Tl:dr - maching disc rotors is very important.Agree totally. I should have read on before replying to bigticket.
There's minimal face to face contact if you don't bed them in properly. If you do the disc grooves the pad to match. If only there was an independent scientific study that would settle this question. The only real evidience I have for this apart from expert opinion however is that even after 2 sets of pads my rotors still look and feel pretty good (however I am just puttering about town, and not racing or towing).
Take 2.
Cant believe how much bs there is. A lot of money saving tips but very surprised how vague these tips are to help the OP.
Eg. DIY - which is fine if u know what ur doing. Would u know how to reset the caliper piston with an advanced ABS module. It is not simply push back the piston as it would damage a $1k abs module.
New rotors are easy enough but do u know how to clean them before installing them as they are coated in a rust proof coating. - if they have hub bearings, do u know how to install and adjust bearing tolerances.
While changing pads, do u do a comprehensive safety check of all other components? - brake lines, brake fluid quality, pedal height, brake booster operation(vacuum/mechanica), master cylinder, leaks, piston seals, caliper slides, shims, bearings to name a few. Some places charge extra but most places do checks regardless as it is 'good practice' and almost 2nd nature to check anyways.
Taking it to a good mechanic saves u a lot of trouble in the long run.
Brakes are very important - literally stops u from crashing into things and dying. If u have doubts dont take the chance n get a professional to do it."Eg. DIY - which is fine if u know what ur doing. Would u know how to reset the caliper piston with an advanced ABS module. It is not simply push back the piston as it would damage a $1k abs module. "
Can you elaborate here what you mean? Because I disagree, I would say you have been taught a myth of some sort, one I've never even heard before.
I've never heard of that one before either…sounds like a bit of misinformation to me too.
That said, I don't really advocate DIY for brakes unless you really know what you're doing; especially when you can usually get a professional to fit a set of pads (front OR rear) for ~$100, it's not worth the hassle & risk of doing it yourself.
When ABS became more mainstream about 15 yrs ago here in AUS, correct procedure was just to crack open the bleed nipple while u compress the piston back. The idea behind that said was it wouldn't push fluid back through the valves inside the abs module avoiding any possible damage. It may of been a myth but that's what we were taught by bosch on a training seminar when it came out in the VT commodore. Also, apparently very important to push back multi piston calipers back in sync. dont know y though.
We had an apprentice get lazy and didn't open the bleed nipple and just compressed the piston back, the abs module failed, we sent it warranty but they came back saying dirty brake fluid was cause on the outlet side of the pump - dirty fluid was travelling the wrong way - cost the workshop a little under $1k (part only). That was on a V8 Statesman with advanced ABS (for its time) rather then normal abs cause not only did it just have ABS, it had traction control and electronic brake distribution (which was just a glorified front and rear brake bias at that time)We didnt take that risk ever again.
it was best practice at my workshop to actually take apart the whole caliper and clean it out cause it was a very dirty environment where we were. Its not that big of a job - takes extra 10 mins (single piston) and u can be certain everything inside is ok. u would be very surprised how much dirt and grime is in there and u would be more surprised how often the outer rubber dust seal masks problems with a leaking piston seal. doing it this way u could also lower any chances of dirt causing problems later in and brake fluid break down problems - FYI brake fluid actually goes off too.
As for the sticker, not all new rotors have that sticker - but usually all have it written on the box. not everyone has access to brake cleaner fluid (which is the best thing for it). A lot of people just get out the petrol and give it a wash down with that. not my cup of tea but whatever takes ur fancy.
to address the OP's question. take a bunch of quotes and see who ure comfortable with. a nationwide or multi franchise workshop would be have more stringent procedures and ideally their mechanics 'should be' better trained like dealership workshops as they have to keep their skills up to date. this is NOT ALWAYS the case but that's what i have seen.
i ran a workshop for a few years and it was a big struggle with the boss to send us on (paid) training to update and maintain our skills. we did seminars and workshops once a yr when dealership mates were doing it 2-3 times a year on top of their specialist training (certain models of cars).there's a lot of back yard mechanics giving good mechanics a bad name.
also catch 22. mechanic recommends something so u think they're ripping u off so u don't do it, car breaks down because of it - blame the mechanic. proceed with recommended repair or maintenance, car doesn't breaks down because of it - thinks mechanic ripped them off. the struggle is real. haha!
Also, apparently very important to push back multi piston calipers back in sync. dont know y though.
if you only push one piston back in at a time one of the others will pop out. not a huge problem really more just a pain in the arse caus you have to then clean them all down properly and put it back in etc.
re: ABS yea makes sense that you wouldnt want any grit that might have got into the piston not going back through the ABS module, its probably not likely to happen every time you do it "wrong" but its that 1 time in 100 that something does go wrong that makes it worth doing the right way every time
Fair point about dirty/gritty fliud going back into the module. Feasible if the seals on the pistons are gone.
I would think these days perhaps, and definitely on cars which are not too old, you would not have this problem. As the fliud would be relatively clean, especially if maintained properly.
Admitedly, all the work I did was on cars less than 2 years old and only ~5 years ago.
You didn't answer the OPs question and your arguments against DIY are moot because the OP is merely asking about prices at the mechanic.
I would like to know of an exact car that has this stupid ABS feature but only costs 1K for a replacement ABS unit
Also, did you know that 99% of new rotors have a sticker warning about cleaning with a solvent before use?
Brakes are brakes.
must be one of the easiest parts on a car to fix/replace. rather do them than a waterpump.
difference with new (rear)callipers is you screw the piston back in rather than compress the piston, a lot easier.
just make sure you grease the calliper guide pin with the CORRECT type grease. (calliper guide pin grease)why would a advanced abs be any different to normal abs? as anything electronic is upstream from the callipers.
brake pad and discs don't require anything special, doesn't even require bleeding unless you open the bleed nipple.
obviously you have not worked on many of the newer cars, many of the newer cars you need to use a system tester for the electronic handbrake to retract.
just done a 2013 mazda6 is that new enough?
electronic handbrake cars have a emergency release cable, no electrical tools neededno
cant see a 2014 model car needing new pads unless they where made out of cheese
Many cars don't have a "release cable as it just a electronic motor on the back of the rear brake calipers.
depends on which manufacturers. Some as Tony has said actuates a cable which can be released.
Audi, VW, merc are amongst the FEW that have a motor on the calipers. So no.. not that many.
anyway my advise is to take it to a kmart tyre and auto, of all the workshops it seems that company has the cheapest prices for this sort of thing and have the equipment for it.
anyway my advise is to take it to a kmart tyre and auto
My advice would be to take it anywhere other than Kmart; IME many of them are run by con-artists!!!
My local and rather honest mechanic is an ex-kmart head mechanic (not sure the title, managed the workshop). He left because they kept jacking up prices and thinking of extra things to charge customers that he didn't think they needed simply to chase growth. He runs his own shop now and he's great.
Buy a hybrid!
70,000kms and 4 years since new.
Original pads = 70% new.
Why bother machining? A new pair of rotors (discs) roughly $100 , Brake pads are like $30-$50
Labor would be cheap since its an easy jobGot a quote from Audi to replace our A3 brake pads - roughly $500 for the front and $500 for the back. $1000 total.
If the rotors/discs need replacing it's roughly $900 for fronts and $900 for rear so $1800 total. Absolute rip off.
Got my tyres done last week at JAX and they wanted $150 for the rear fitted, didn't mention condition of the rotors.
Will it void my warranty to get non genuine parts?
http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Consumers/Motor_vehicl…
"If the vehicle is still under warranty and you don’t have it serviced to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule, you may void your warranty. As long as the service is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, any licensed repairer can do it, not just the dealer from whom you purchased the vehicle".
So no, not necessarily. You can go to any licensed mechanic.
What a rip off, i think your mechanic is taking the piss. Unless your taking it to the dealer thats understandable.
I got quoted 900 for front & rear i was complaining, golf 6 discs and brakes
golf 6 discs and brakes
6 wheeler golf? Must be a fast one! :P
its a common thought that replacing non genuine will void your entire warranty. They can only void a directly related part at most. All good quality aftermarket parts will come with warranty
Just wow in this thread. I would just get them to replace the rotors and pads at the same time. But then again I drive a Euro and they have soft Rotors.
new euro cars wont be able to machine the discs (includes 2005+ audi, merc, vw etc.)
Check your brakes first then you will know what you need.
Example: I went to get a rwc from local mechanic, they quoted me 350 for front brakes which include (machine discs and front pads) along with other parts i won't get into.
Checked front brakes, pads were very chunky no need to change, disc needed machining - got them done for $50 fixed all the other crap myself.
Conclusion - Never will i go to that mechanic again even for a simple service after trying to rip me off
Ps- generally its front brakes that get replaced due to the distribution of braking, Front brakes are 70-80% rears the other 20-30% which is why the rears last so long.
This slightly off topic but at least in Ford Falcons it is a required part of standard servicing to flush the brake fluid system with clean fluid every 2 years. Ford are not known to suggest over servicing so it seems to be a good recommendation.
I've heard brake fluid goes off after a while and becomes acidic, which can cause problems with brake lines. In the day everyone always changed the fluid at least every second set of pads, however because labour is the expensive component often people are lazy and just leave it until a brake line fails and then they change the brake line, it's bad practice but people are always looking to save a buck.
normal brake fluid is hydroscopic (unless using silicone/ DOT 5). Old brake fluid will have a higher water content and It lowers the boiling point, causes spongy brake feel and reduces the amount of bite/braking.
So yes. Any car.. unless using silicone , please flush every 2 yrs.
Bought my car 8 years ago and haven't had the front discs machined at all, just changed the pads only. My mechanic, dishonest to some extent, claimed that if I didn't machine it (4 years ago), my car will wobble, etc. well it hasn't! no noise either, however there is a very slight jerky movement (now and then) upon coming to a stop, but nothing serious at all. Mechanics these days, feeding off the unsuspecting mass.
My car has had a squeaky clutch pedal problem since 100K, now it's 160K, but I know how to fix it (for less than $2), imagine all the other people with similar problems? the mechanic, depending on the level of dishonesty, might tell the customer, oh, you need to get a new tranmission, just $2500 thanks. lol. Karma.
We just got the brakes done in the wife's car. Since the wear was picked up by the dealer at a regular log book service, we got a price from them first…when I asked, they said the on-special price was $259, not including machining discs, which they don't routinely do unless absolutely necessary…now, that coming from a dealer service dept (who are going to be quoting conservative manufacturer specs as well), gives us some indication of exactly how unnecessary over-machining really is!
Ended up going with a well regarded local brake place though, $85 for generic front pads OR $99 with Bendix…no brainer, we decided to splurge & treat ourselves… ;)
Yeah, I've learnt my lesson as well, never going to the likes of Peter Warren group ever again, these guys charge way too much and adopt the same "oh you cannot step into our workshop due to hazards" policy, ok…can I look at a distance, say 10m? nope, not allowed either, I have to be sitting in their office where I would have zero visibility of what's going on with my car.
A couple of years ago my fan speed switch failed so I called up Peter Warren and asked them if they could look at it and give me a quote, they said no, if they have to just look at my car, it's $150, really? independent mechanics check for free the last time I went? I can understand if I was a part of business myself or if they came out to my house. Even mobile mechanics charge less than that to come to your workplace or home.
It's a very good thing that the law changed a while back to allow customers to service their car any where they wish, not just at the dealership where the vehicle was purchased from.
OzBargainer2014
Add the costs up yourself (parts + labour).
Like others have said, machining cost around $40 per pair of rotors. Modern Euro cars need replacement rotors with pads.
Search ebay for pads and rotors. '2010 ford falcon brake' gave me a list of pads and rotors. In this case, a full set of pads cost around $90 or $180 with rotors ($10 more than machining your current rotors).
Add an hour labour (~$110). If you know the mechanic, or if they have low overheads, they might charge a half hour (~$55).
So for a 2010 Falcon, ~$200 for new pads (no machining) and $300 with rotors.
For a 2010 BMW M5 ~$1800 to $2000 to replace and fit everything.
As for RWC stated 70% life, driven for 20 000 km, brake life depends how hard and how often you brake. If you regularly slam your foot on the brake or ride the brake down hills to sit at the speed limit then you may need new pads before 10 000 km.
If you drive more consistently or intercity your brakes will last more km's, like Logical's 90 000 km rotors.
How about 200,00+km from pads and only very slight scoring on front rotors? Pre-2000 made in japan Isuzu, but pads contained asbestos in those days.
20 000 or 200 000?
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I had my 2008 Camry done recently at a local Ultratune, front brakes only and it cost me $280 all up including machining and pads.