The Nissan Dealership wants $841 to change my brake pads
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: San Jose, CA
Well, I just bought the pads on ebay and saved about $100...my friends uncle has a mechanic shop so I'm gonna ask him to install them for me.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NISSA...5247QQtcZphoto
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NISSA...5247QQtcZphoto
its not as hard as you think to change the pads. all you need to do after removing the wheel is to remove 1, just one bolt from the caliper to flip it up and replace the pads. you will then need a vise or something to press the pistons back into the calipers. i'd say its easier than an oil change.
Originally Posted by shinkuu
its not as hard as you think to change the pads. all you need to do after removing the wheel is to remove 1, just one bolt from the caliper to flip it up and replace the pads. you will then need a vise or something to press the pistons back into the calipers. i'd say its easier than an oil change.
is a vise needed for the oem brembo? I thought the oem non brembo was a floating caliper (which need a vise or c clamp to retract) I may be wrong tho.
I think the brembos are non floating...need to search but the connection here at the hotel is practically dial up.
Wow, that's a rip off!!!
I agree completely with everyone here who says you should do it yourself. Find someone in your area who will help you change them. If you lived near me, I would do it for free. Let them show you on the first wheel, and then have them supervise you on the remaining 3. It is super easy! Here's all there is to it on most cars with disc brakes (note: I don't have Brembos, which I've heard are even easier to change, so these are generic instructions):
1. Loosen lug nuts
2. Jack the car up
3. Remove wheel
You should know how to do these 3 steps in case you ever need to put a spare tire on.
4. remove 1 bolt from caliper & swing it up.
5. remove old pads.
6. use c-clamp to push pistons back in (it helps to use an old pad to spread the force of the clamp evenly over the piston surface).
7. put Brake grease to the back of the pads (on the shims) to help prevent squeeling.
8. put the new pads in.
9. swing the caliper back down & put bolt back on.
back to spare tire changing skills:
10. put the wheel back on & hand tighten the lug nuts.
11. lower the car.
12. tighten the lug nuts.
Hopefully the only things that are new to you are steps 4-9. Steps 4 & 9 are just a matter of knowing which bolt to loosen. It's pretty obvious, but since you're doubting your ability, that's why you should have someone help you out. You'll have a light bulb moment part way through the first one, where it all clicks. At that point you'll be pissed that a dealer wanted to charge you close to $900, and then you'll be really happy that you saved so much money.
Here's a good DIY article with pictures, https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-suspension-diy/58195-how-to-change-brake-pads.html. And, it looks like the pads you purchased come with instructions.
It's probably a good idea to clean the pistons using brake cleaner before pushing them back in. The Nissan service manual doesn't list that step, but it will help prolong the life of your calipers.
The other item the dealership was probably going to charge you for is removing the rotors and turning them. IMO, many shops will turn rotors when it's not needed. Turning is shaving off a little bit of material to make them perfectly flat again.
After installing the pads, make sure you bed them. See http://www.hawkperformance.com/motorsports/faqs.php#Q5 for an example of bedding procedure. I doubt the dealership does this for you...
I agree completely with everyone here who says you should do it yourself. Find someone in your area who will help you change them. If you lived near me, I would do it for free. Let them show you on the first wheel, and then have them supervise you on the remaining 3. It is super easy! Here's all there is to it on most cars with disc brakes (note: I don't have Brembos, which I've heard are even easier to change, so these are generic instructions):
1. Loosen lug nuts
2. Jack the car up
3. Remove wheel
You should know how to do these 3 steps in case you ever need to put a spare tire on.
4. remove 1 bolt from caliper & swing it up.
5. remove old pads.
6. use c-clamp to push pistons back in (it helps to use an old pad to spread the force of the clamp evenly over the piston surface).
7. put Brake grease to the back of the pads (on the shims) to help prevent squeeling.
8. put the new pads in.
9. swing the caliper back down & put bolt back on.
back to spare tire changing skills:
10. put the wheel back on & hand tighten the lug nuts.
11. lower the car.
12. tighten the lug nuts.
Hopefully the only things that are new to you are steps 4-9. Steps 4 & 9 are just a matter of knowing which bolt to loosen. It's pretty obvious, but since you're doubting your ability, that's why you should have someone help you out. You'll have a light bulb moment part way through the first one, where it all clicks. At that point you'll be pissed that a dealer wanted to charge you close to $900, and then you'll be really happy that you saved so much money.
Here's a good DIY article with pictures, https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-suspension-diy/58195-how-to-change-brake-pads.html. And, it looks like the pads you purchased come with instructions.
It's probably a good idea to clean the pistons using brake cleaner before pushing them back in. The Nissan service manual doesn't list that step, but it will help prolong the life of your calipers.
The other item the dealership was probably going to charge you for is removing the rotors and turning them. IMO, many shops will turn rotors when it's not needed. Turning is shaving off a little bit of material to make them perfectly flat again.
After installing the pads, make sure you bed them. See http://www.hawkperformance.com/motorsports/faqs.php#Q5 for an example of bedding procedure. I doubt the dealership does this for you...
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,951
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From: USA
Originally Posted by fr0ng
Well, I just bought the pads on ebay and saved about $100...my friends uncle has a mechanic shop so I'm gonna ask him to install them for me.
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