Brake Job Price?

[Wischmaster]

Ok, I am a busy person so naturally, I have no time to do a break-job because I don't have any time. My brakes are really horrid so I went to a local shop and asked for an estimate. They said they could do 4 new brake pads, 4 new rotors, and installation for $290 even. Is this a good price?

I'm fine with the price, because when I buy brake pads, the pads alone are $30 or so... not to mention the rotor cost.

[Igovert500]

Well at first glance, that is an excellent price...reason being, they will probably use absolute crap pads and rotors. I'd do yourself a favor and buy your own rotors and pads on the internet and then take them in and ask them to swap them. Might be more expensive, but your have quality parts that will last longer and help you stop better.

[Wischmaster]

I was thinking of doing that... I haven't signed to anything yet so I could still do that. But my car does the chug, chug thing whenever I stop. And when I apply the brakes any more than slight pressure it almost sounds like a metal on metal sound. It would take like a week or two to order my own pads and recieve them. It's a hazard for me to be driving around with my current brakes.

I'd like to get my own and stuff, but OEM will do for now. I just need decent functionality. I will eventually get upgraded rotors and such but for now I just want... well, OEM stuff. Nothing wrong with that I don't think.

[Igovert500]

Well I'm saying I don't even think they would give you OEM...I think for that price you are getting cheaper than OEM...

Maybe I'm wrong, but I know I'd rather buy my own parts...just my .02

[privatebean]

that sounds really really cheap...last time i all the rotors and pads done it was like $600.

[exterra3000gtsl]

well, four new brake pads are only good for two rotors...i.e. front brake job...or did they actually said that they were going to actually change all four corners...
the price is not too bad...lets see...front brake pads can go for 40front, rear...40(for some good wagner thermoquiet) front rotor....20(if your going to drive this car in the city...you dont need cross-drilled/slotted or a $125 rotor...i paid $18 dollars for mine and they are working great...) now rear rotor those suckers are pretty high...somewhere in the $60+ category...depend where you get it..so far your looking at around $200 in parts thats w/o being mark up...so you might wanna go back to those guys and ask them if that's what they will charge you for all four...sounds to me more like 2. they gotta mark up those parts to at least 2x

[Igovert500]

If you only paid $18 per rotor...then chances are they simply resurfaced your old rotors. I wouldn't trust something that costs less than a case of corona.

[Wischmaster]

Well, when he gave me the estimate at the counter, I restated to him again:

"The $290 is for four new pads, and four new rotors, correct?"

"Yeah, four new rotors and pads and labor."

I forgot to mention, the guy is giving me a deal since I'm the sales dude at an import shop. So with a "discount," isn't $290 a good price?

[exterra3000gtsl]

yep. pretty good...hey go for it
well i got the rotors at that because i have an employee discount at an autoparts store i worked on...i put them on also...they have another brand a little bit higher but i didn't feel like paying for it...

[3KSL95]

Well i just had my brakes done today, 2 new front rotors and pads for $360 at a dealership (there the only ones i trust around here).

[TMD]

I paid $32 Canadian for my rotors.

Spent the extra money on the Ceramic Pads.
$76 Canadian.

Did the work myself.

TMD

[Linebckr49]

ya, i'm doing my brakes right now. its a pretty simple job if you have a jack and an impact wrench. just remove 4 bolts holding the caliper and pads, swap in new pads, push brake pistons back in, reinstall. oh, and don't forget to pump the brake pedal to get pressure back in the system after you're done.

i got some ceramic pads from NAPA for about $50 front and $25 rear.

i would say labor would be about 2 hrs. so at an avg. $50/hr, labor would put you at 100 bucks. of course this is just for changing pads, assuming your rotors aren't warped. if rotors are warped, simply turn them on the machine to make em smooth/straight. or you could buy new ones if you want.

[Wischmaster]

Yeah, I needed the whole works done. Just got the car but I knew it needed brakes right away.

The rotors are FUBAR'd. Scraped and gouged by the shitty, non-existent pads. But no matter, all getting replaced. As a matter of fact, the car is at the shop as I type this. I should be picking it up within the next hour or so. I'll tell you how things went.

[Linebckr49]

rotors FUBAR'd doesn't necessarily mean you need to replace them. but if you already bought new rotors, then i'm sure the new shiny ones will look better than the old oxidized metal look of the OEM rotors.

Often, when rotors get warped (they are gouged by uneven wear of the brake pads), the simple fix is to put the rotor on a machine grind and ever-so-slightly grind down the rotor surface until it is uniform. Obviously, you can only grind down the surface so much, so many times until it is too thin. But there are measurements and parameters for the rotor, and this can be easily measured with a caliper.

probably the best place to get this kind of stuff done is at Midas or someplace that specializes in brakes. they would give you a flat rate for all of this and do it pretty fast. and i'm sure it would come with a warranty.

but tell us all how the new rotors and pads turn out. how much was the whole thing?

[Twizted_3KGT]

I can't imagine spending $300 for brakes, I don't think I could do it...unless I was getting some Brembo brakes or something top end. I payed labor once in my life for a transmission swap a long time ago, and right then I decided I was gonna have to learn to do everything myself...which I now do.