Cool J

well i went into a shop today to get a quote on getting all my brakes changed. i told them i have all the brake pads and that i just need them to change them all. i asked them how long it would take and they said an hour or so and the cost would be $140. that seems like way too much since i thought usually mechanics charge about $60-$70 an hour for labor. what is the going rate to change all the pads with disc brakes all around.

goodhead

iTrader: (4)

should do it yourself its pretty easy since you are only changinging pads, thats like 4x5 lugs and 1x bolt per brake 1 hours tops

Cool J

even though i have no experience in doing it? also, i think my rotors may be warped or near the end of their life since when i brake i get slight vibrations.

goodhead

iTrader: (4)

i jsut did mine for the first time, everythign is ok easier than i thought but i think for the 140 are they going to resurface your rotors too?

Cool J

no, they quoted me $140 to just change all the brake pads for 4 wheels.

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

that's a ripped off.

Cool J

yeah that s what i figured so i walked out of there. what price should i expect to pay to get all my brakes changed and i supply my own brake pads.

goodhead

iTrader: (4)

probly like 60-80 bux? but it is really simple, im not very mechanically inclined and had no problems whatsoever, in fact it was the easiest thing i ever done to my car

lefty

I too was skeptical about doing the brakes myself when I first joined.

Now, I rather change my brake pads than do a simple oil change. Really, just take your tires off, and one nut later you are changing your pads....easy as can be.

amulla01

if you do it yourself make sure you pump the brake till its normal otherwise it ll fall to the floor

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

That is not a rip off.....some of you people think shops should just do work for free it seems. There are specific labor hours for every repair job on a car. Most labor rates are between $60-$80 an hour...replacing all four pads is about a 2 hour labor job. Can they do it faster than that...yes, but that is besides the point.

I would still suggest doing it yourself, it is a real straight forward job but I wouldn't call it easy. Ever tried pushing in the piston on our rear calipers....yhea, that is no fun.

$140 is not bad at all. It certinely is not a rip off.

ac465

not bad at all, i got all four of my pads changed and they went to get my rear left rotor resurfaced for 280, that price is pretty cheap

Turk

iTrader: (1)

Cheapest brake change i seen was $20 bucks for the brakes with life time waranty and me doing it free. It take about 30 min for me to both sides. Front

PeTeRtheEaTeR

i got all four of my pads changed for $60 so imo, $140 is a rip off.

Max96GLE

iTrader: (2)

First time newbie, $30 in the front and $40 in the back.

Second time, DIY

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

That is too high. I would find someone else.
I would recommend that you do it yourself, but it will take you longer than 1 hour if you are not experienced with brakes. The fronts are not hard, but the rears are a little more difficult.
My calipers were Biatches to compress back down.

madmega

im sorry but that is a rip off. 40 for the front, 40 for the back, as long as u supply your own parts...and thats multiple places that i have been to get my last 3 cars done

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

If a shop chooses to do it for less than the labor rate x the labor hours that is not another places fault.

Dubbya

iTrader: (16)

140 is a rip off. There is a place called Just Brakes (dont know if they have them where you are). $99.98 = new brakes, resurface rotors, bleed brake system. Best deal around if you dont feel like getting your hands dirty. Other than that, do it yourself. I have a write up for the rears and motorvate.ca has a write up on the fronts. Let me know if you want this stuff.

JetBlackMax83

iTrader: (4)

front brakes are easy as far as the back brakes they get a little tricky and if u run in to problems they can be a headache but on a scale of 1 to 10 i give brakes about a 6 for moderate knowlegde and common sense

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

I bet that is for one axel

Asian_N02

It's very easy to do it yourself...once you've done it, you can do it over and over again...I just recently changed my brake discs and pads...it took about one hour and forty-five minutes...pretty straightforward job if you ask me...the hardest part was getting the discs off...

Dubbya

iTrader: (16)

No sir. That is what they call a FOUR wheel friction realign. Includes all FOUR wheels. Like I said best deal around if you dont wanna get your hands dirty.

Dubbya

iTrader: (16)

http://www.justbrakes.com/reline.htm

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

Yep, that is a hell of a deal.......but I bet that price does not cover all models of cars. Just like when I worked at Firestone, we had out basic brake job for $129, which did cover about 70% of vehicles but not all. We didn't carry the cheap pads for every car.

twiggy144

$140 is expensive, but not a rip-off. The mech did not present after the repair a bill of $140. This was a quotation only. Up to the buyer to decide if this price suits him. The buyer is free to agree on the price and buy the service.

Now, the question should have been, is $140 worth an hour of your own time, if you have the time and the skills required to do the work yourself? For many (most?) people, changing brake pads is intimidating. I'm glad I was able to learn on my own, with the help of a $20 Haynes manual.

I think after learning how to change oil, spark plugs, coolant, and belts, brakes come as the next periodic maintenance item a car amateur should do himself. This is the next area with the most labor money to be saved.