Got My First Brake Job
12-13-2010, 06:38 AM
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Got My First Brake Job
I have a 2006 Touring with standard disc brakes. The last time I went in for my usual basic service the car had roughly 22.5 K miles on it. The tech that was doing the work told me my rear pads were getting critically close and the fronts were not far behind. He recommended I get the pads replaced the next time I came in. He also told me my battery was testing as "marginal" (I had to get a jump start last winter after letting the car sit for 3.5 weeks).
So last weekend I decided to go ahead and get the brakes done and a new battery. The mileage is now at 25 K. I figure 4.5 years is pretty good for the original battery. The brake job cost me around $650. I was surprised when the service manager told me the pricing. I was under the impression I would only need to replace the pads since the discs had no metal on metal wear. But the manager explained they strongly recommend have the discs cleaned to remove any glaze from the old brakes...otherwise my new pads would wear much faster and I would be back in getting the whole thing done anyway and it would cost me even more.
This sounds reasonable to me. I thought I would post and ask for feedback. The dealer I go to has a very solid reputation and does not engage in pushing service work that is not necessary so I do trust them. I think I'm mostly interested in getting educated about brakes and brake jobs.
As you can see, I don't drive the car much (25K in 4.5 years). Most of the driving is city/suburbs with one or two long distance trips a year (1K total highway miles round trip). My driving style is somewhat spirited but I don't do anything crazy. I mostly accelerate quickly and drive to avoid congestion if possible (I call them "car clusters").
So last weekend I decided to go ahead and get the brakes done and a new battery. The mileage is now at 25 K. I figure 4.5 years is pretty good for the original battery. The brake job cost me around $650. I was surprised when the service manager told me the pricing. I was under the impression I would only need to replace the pads since the discs had no metal on metal wear. But the manager explained they strongly recommend have the discs cleaned to remove any glaze from the old brakes...otherwise my new pads would wear much faster and I would be back in getting the whole thing done anyway and it would cost me even more.
This sounds reasonable to me. I thought I would post and ask for feedback. The dealer I go to has a very solid reputation and does not engage in pushing service work that is not necessary so I do trust them. I think I'm mostly interested in getting educated about brakes and brake jobs.
As you can see, I don't drive the car much (25K in 4.5 years). Most of the driving is city/suburbs with one or two long distance trips a year (1K total highway miles round trip). My driving style is somewhat spirited but I don't do anything crazy. I mostly accelerate quickly and drive to avoid congestion if possible (I call them "car clusters").
12-13-2010, 06:49 AM
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25k in 4.5 years with your driving style as you explained.......odds are your rotors are fine...
go to autozone and get some 29.99 pads and have any local shop install them...
As for a battery, same thing........buy one and have the same shop install them for you...
should be a simple hours labor rate...99 bucks max i would say for labor alone...
LMFAO at 650! wow..just wow...but I believe it comign from a steelership...
-J
go to autozone and get some 29.99 pads and have any local shop install them...
As for a battery, same thing........buy one and have the same shop install them for you...
should be a simple hours labor rate...99 bucks max i would say for labor alone...
LMFAO at 650! wow..just wow...but I believe it comign from a steelership...
-J
12-13-2010, 06:57 AM
#5
Like the two mods said above, $650 is way too much for brake job. Learn how to do it yourself or go somewhere els. Since you don't give your car much you could afford the down time to learn how change out pads and rotors. Search this forum, many DIY for pads and rotors change, it will save money for yourself in the long run.
12-13-2010, 07:48 AM
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DIY! DIY! it cost me about $120 for new pads and all 4 rotors turned and about a few hours in my drive way. here i just added this thread hope it helps.
https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance...intenance.html
https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance...intenance.html
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12-14-2010, 07:30 AM
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Okay...I was expecting these sorts of replies. In a perfect world things would obviously have been different. But I live in an apartment on the 8th floor and must keep my car in a large open parking lot with no access to electricity or shelter from the elements. Car maintenance in the parking lot is forbidden. I also don't have any friends or relatives where I can go do the work. So in these respects I can justify the cost. I've done enough auto repairs myself to know how much can be saved by doing the work myself but it's not always possible to do that. The most important thing for me is taking care of the car...which I have accomplished.
As I said before, I'm mostly interested in getting educated about brakes and brake jobs. This does not mean doing the work myself necessarily but rather to understand what happens to brakes as they wear and how that wear drives what maintenance is needed. In this case I was expecting to only replace the pads but the service manager said it is strongly recommended to clean the discs, too. I thought since I had not worn the brakes down to metal that the discs would be fine. Perhaps that is also true and it comes down to personal preference. Some will say I should have just replaced the pads. Maybe some others will say it was probably good to get the discs cleaned.
As I said before, I'm mostly interested in getting educated about brakes and brake jobs. This does not mean doing the work myself necessarily but rather to understand what happens to brakes as they wear and how that wear drives what maintenance is needed. In this case I was expecting to only replace the pads but the service manager said it is strongly recommended to clean the discs, too. I thought since I had not worn the brakes down to metal that the discs would be fine. Perhaps that is also true and it comes down to personal preference. Some will say I should have just replaced the pads. Maybe some others will say it was probably good to get the discs cleaned.
12-14-2010, 07:55 AM
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well the old brake pads make there own grooves lets say on the rotors, if you just put new pads with out cutting the rotors the new pads will get beat up real quick and need to be replaced sooner and could make your braking less effective but if you get the rotors cut so the new pads have a new clean and smooth surface to make there one grooves in the wear in period they last a lot longer and will work better. for non-brembo the stock calp. pushes/uses most of pressure on the inside of the rotor and wears the inside pad out faster. i would replace the pads and cut the rotors. you can only cut rotors about 1 time.
you dont have any friends where u live that you can take up about 5 hours in there drive way. you dont need any elec or shelter and you pay rent so i would still do it in the parking lot. just tell them "hey you want rent money right, i need my car to make money at work"..haha
you dont have any friends where u live that you can take up about 5 hours in there drive way. you dont need any elec or shelter and you pay rent so i would still do it in the parking lot. just tell them "hey you want rent money right, i need my car to make money at work"..haha
12-14-2010, 08:36 AM
#13
Given your situation.. It doesn't sound like you had much of a choice. Even if you did have a location to perform the service yourself.. I'm sure You would have to buy the tools needed to do the work.. then have a place to store those tools, etc...
Sometimes spending more money is the only option. Hopefully they did a good job.
Sometimes spending more money is the only option. Hopefully they did a good job.
12-14-2010, 08:36 AM
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well the old brake pads make there own grooves lets say on the rotors, if you just put new pads with out cutting the rotors the new pads will get beat up real quick and need to be replaced sooner and could make your braking less effective but if you get the rotors cut so the new pads have a new clean and smooth surface to make there one grooves in the wear in period they last a lot longer and will work better. for non-brembo the stock calp. pushes/uses most of pressure on the inside of the rotor and wears the inside pad out faster. i would replace the pads and cut the rotors. you can only cut rotors about 1 time.
you dont have any friends where u live that you can take up about 5 hours in there drive way. you dont need any elec or shelter and you pay rent so i would still do it in the parking lot. just tell them "hey you want rent money right, i need my car to make money at work"..haha
you dont have any friends where u live that you can take up about 5 hours in there drive way. you dont need any elec or shelter and you pay rent so i would still do it in the parking lot. just tell them "hey you want rent money right, i need my car to make money at work"..haha
12-14-2010, 08:42 AM
#15
Okay...I was expecting these sorts of replies. In a perfect world things would obviously have been different. But I live in an apartment on the 8th floor and must keep my car in a large open parking lot with no access to electricity or shelter from the elements. Car maintenance in the parking lot is forbidden. I also don't have any friends or relatives where I can go do the work. So in these respects I can justify the cost. I've done enough auto repairs myself to know how much can be saved by doing the work myself but it's not always possible to do that. The most important thing for me is taking care of the car...which I have accomplished.
As I said before, I'm mostly interested in getting educated about brakes and brake jobs. This does not mean doing the work myself necessarily but rather to understand what happens to brakes as they wear and how that wear drives what maintenance is needed. In this case I was expecting to only replace the pads but the service manager said it is strongly recommended to clean the discs, too. I thought since I had not worn the brakes down to metal that the discs would be fine. Perhaps that is also true and it comes down to personal preference. Some will say I should have just replaced the pads. Maybe some others will say it was probably good to get the discs cleaned.
As I said before, I'm mostly interested in getting educated about brakes and brake jobs. This does not mean doing the work myself necessarily but rather to understand what happens to brakes as they wear and how that wear drives what maintenance is needed. In this case I was expecting to only replace the pads but the service manager said it is strongly recommended to clean the discs, too. I thought since I had not worn the brakes down to metal that the discs would be fine. Perhaps that is also true and it comes down to personal preference. Some will say I should have just replaced the pads. Maybe some others will say it was probably good to get the discs cleaned.
12-14-2010, 08:49 AM
#16
Always good to ask for a description/price of the work to be performed if you are not DIY - that way no shock and it gives you a chance to compare pricing. But at least you are comfortable with the work performed. I am always shocked at what shops charge for brakes since I always do them myself. I installed 4 slotted rotors, SS brake lines, new hi-temp fluid and Hawk pads for less than that - took about 3-4 hours by myself, including complete bleeding/flush. I have quite a bit of experience on that though.
12-14-2010, 09:18 AM
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No I haven't posted there but will certainly make the effort to develop some contact for the future. That would have been a good option had I known. Hindsight is always 20/20.
12-14-2010, 10:44 AM
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What you said about cleaning the rotors is what the service manager said so that's a comfort. I don't know exactly how much "surface" was taken off my rotors to clean them. The manager said they just graze the surface if the rotors have not been damaged and mine were in very good condition. Depending on how it plays out the next time, I may try to coordinate taking my car to one of my relatives who has two 3-car garages and all the tools in the world (he's a doctor). I'm sure I could easily do the brakes there...it was just not feasible this time.
12-14-2010, 10:55 AM
#19
yeah the specs on cutting rotors is that they measure the surface and if it has enough meat on it then they turn very little just to smooth it out. some places charge about $25 per rotor to turn. its kinda guy why they charge so much just to have a machine do all the work for less then 15 mins per rotor but supply and demand. it takes about 4 tools to get the job done. 19, 22 socket and ratchet, a C clamp and jack and jack stands.
+bleeder wrench .. maybe 10mm and 8mm on non-brembos?
+eye dropper or something to remove fluid from reservoir when sqreezing the pistons back in,
+rags,
+bleeder tube/bottle,
+brake fluid,
+2nd person or power-bleeder to bleed after the pads/rotors,
+PB blaster on the caliper bolts,
+breaker-bar to get the caliper bolts loose
+2nd car to get to the store when you break something trying to get caliper bolts loose
+rubber mallet on the rear rotor - cuz it's so easy to remove after 4 years of being on the car,
+caliper grease for the sliding parts,
+screwdriver to pry off the old shims,
+a straight deserted road to bed those new pads and rotors in,
yeah.. it's an easy job.
