Almost $500 for rear brakes?!

[GoCougs]

I took my car in for investigation of a weird noise (I was thinking suspension) but they said it's just time for rear pads. They want to replace rotors and calipers resulting in what I think is a drastically high price - this would mean a full brake job would be $1,000 for what is a very a plebeian car! Been going to this shop for 20 years (well, at least for tires) but this sounds ludicrous and like a rip-off to me.

When I asked about the high price they they said the only way they could warranty the brake job (and still only for 25k miles) was by replacing everything. That I guess I understand - no telling what was on there before and I don't know if the average brake tech has the tools/experience to accurately measure/inspect a rotor and calipers to make sure they're good enough to be able to warranty just pads.

I don't think I've ever paid for a disc brake job. In years past I've always just thrown on pads without replacing calipers or even refinishing rotors. Never had a problem (that I could tell at least). Admittedly it's been a while (my last car went ~170k on the original disc brakes and then I sold it).

I'm thinking of just swapping out pads as I used to do, but don't know the affects on more modern cars, especially with ABS and the like. Not looking for advice per se, just venting. I've got ~115k miles on the car and this is the first brake job, and only the rears at that, so I guess I should be relatively happy but if I can spend $30 and 30 minutes on new pads in place of almost $500 and 1-2 hours at the shop I'm game.

[mzziaz]

Sounds fishy. Calipers are only changed when there are something wrong with them. It would be quite a coincidence for both of them to fail at the same time (as long as you haven't driven the pads all the way down to the metal or something.) Since you are unloading the car soon anyway, I would have only changed the pads and maybe the rotors depending on the condition of the latter.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Might as well get a sports car and have some fun with your insane repair costs. How's your Camcord now? Ha! Idiot.

[GoCougs]

Might as well get a sports car and have some fun with your insane repair costs. How's your Camcord now? Ha! Idiot.

My "Ignore" list has increased by one.

[GoCougs]

Sounds fishy. Calipers are only changed when there are something wrong with them. It would be quite a coincidence for both of them to fail at the same time (as long as you haven't driven the pads all the way down to the metal or something.) Since you are unloading the car soon anyway, I would have only changed the pads and maybe the rotors depending on the condition of the latter.

Actually, they even didn't say anything was wrong, it was just a matter of course of how they do business. I dunno, maybe all shops do this here. I find it hard to believe a 4 wheel brake job would be ~$1,000 for an Accord. Sounds absolutely crazy.

After taking off the wheel the rotor has a huge outer wear lip. So much so it'd be a real PITA to take the caliper off (i.e., backing off the piston) and I'd be super surprised if the rotors were still in spec judging by the lip. But this is good. Right about I discovered the lip I remembered why I utter HATE working on cars.

As to a new ride, well, I'll be starting a new gig that will be paying less so that may be delayed for a time.

[MX793]

I paid about $320 just for rear pads and rotors last year.  I could easily see calipers being $100 a piece.

[GoCougs]

A little perusal shows I can get pad ($12), rotor ($35) and caliper ($53) pretty darn cheap. Suffice it to say a brake shop buying in national-level bulk is getting these parts cheaper. But I guess at the end of the day it's not what things cost that sets price, only what people are willing to pay. Sigh, I'm just going to have to bend over and take it I guess.

[Onslaught]

Why new calipers? And are the rotors so bad they can't be cut?

[hotrodalex]

I usually just do brake jobs myself. They aren't that hard, just take awhile and can be frustrating at times. Can't say I've replaced a caliper, though. I also can't see how you would need that. I would think you would notice more than just a squeak...

[Speed_Racer]

If you've got half a day to spare, it's really not a complicated repair. I don't know if its a possibility in your situation. At least that would save you on labor.

[Secret Chimp]

The only hard part on rear brakes is retracting the piston without goofing the parking brake mechanism. Older Accords needed some strange tool to insert into the piston to keep from breaking the ratchet in there, I doubt newer ones use the same though.

[GoCougs]

I've done plenty of brake jobs in time past I just hate working on cars now.

I didn't get a mic/dial indicator on the rotor but the lip is pronounced - I'd say .040" or so.

I've come to the conclusion that the whole caliper replacement thing is a rip-off. They won't be doing that on my car.

[The Pirate]

I too see no need to replace the calipers unless they are seized or leaking.  Tire Rack shows Brembo rotors to be $56 per unit, and OEM quality pads to be $25 per set.  Brakes are one area where I don't get the cheapest option available, personally. 

Those prices are all actually cheaper than parts for my car.  Parts for newer cars just seem to cost more.  I remember getting a remanufactured brake caliper for my '88 Pontiac for something like $30.  The last remanufactured rear caliper I bought for the Proteg? was $170 at NAPA, and that was not the most expensive one they had.

Same trend with all other parts I've replaced on my vehicles, swaybar end links, pads, rotors, plug wires, etc.

Higher cost for higher performance, I guess.

[CJ]

I did the rear brakes on an '04 Accord 4-cylinder in auto tech this year.  You DO NOT reuse the old rotors.  If you have them resurfaced, then they'll be out of spec.  New rotors aren't expensive, and it's cheap insurance.  Just go to the Honda dealer and get parts there.  You'll spend more, but you're getting a quality product.


This is the new on-car lathe we have at school.  It's awesome

http://www.procutusa.com

[Rupert]

Out of spec just means they'll wear faster.

[GoCougs]

I did the rear brakes on an '04 Accord 4-cylinder in auto tech this year.  You DO NOT reuse the old rotors.  If you have them resurfaced, then they'll be out of spec.  New rotors aren't expensive, and it's cheap insurance.  Just go to the Honda dealer and get parts there.  You'll spend more, but you're getting a quality product.


This is the new on-car lathe we have at school.  It's awesome

http://www.procutusa.com

Sure rotors can be reused, if they're within spec.

[GoCougs]

Out of spec just means they'll wear faster.

I'd be worried about out-of-spec rotors not being able to take the heat under heavy braking demands; boiling the fluid, glazing the pads, maybe even cracking.

I agree with what you imply inasmuch that with many things it's likely an overly cautious spec.

[Rupert]

I'd think it's got to be pretty far out of spec for such things to happen. What I was getting at, though, is that if spec is to never re-use rotors, then spec is bullshit. However, when I do brakes (I or a shop), I re-use the rotors if they don't need to be resurfaced, or get new rotors. This is largely because I drive older cars with unknown brake job histories.

[Byteme]

Just pay the $500 and have it done right. 

[VTEC_Inside]

While I doubt the calipers need to be replaced, you should still clean and re-grease the slides when you are in there.

You will need to screw the piston back in on the rear calipers. Just be careful that the boot isn't binding on the piston as you turn it. They are pretty durable, but if you rip it, you'll be back there replacing the caliper soon enough.

[The Pirate]

While I doubt the calipers need to be replaced, you should still clean and re-grease the slides when you are in there.

You will need to screw the piston back in on the rear calipers. Just be careful that the boot isn't binding on the piston as you turn it. They are pretty durable, but if you rip it, you'll be back there replacing the caliper soon enough.

Yeah, good point on the slides.  For the first two years of ownership, the Mazda killed a rear caliper once every ~10 months.  I got in the habit of lubing the slides every time I rotate the tires.  So far so good.

[Tave]

Why do people continue to give advice as if he's going to fix it himself?

[VTEC_Inside]

Why do people continue to give advice as if he's going to fix it himself?

I don't think he's flat out said that he isn't yet...

He says he's done pad changes before. There isn't much more to it to change the disc and service the caliper.

[CJ]

Sure rotors can be reused, if they're within spec.

I know they can be reused, but not in this application. 

[S204STi]

Rotors I get, calipers though?  That's a ripoff.  There is no reason whatsoever to replace calipers unless there is something definitely wrong with them.

[S204STi]

I know they can be reused, but not in this application. 

What do you mean, not in this application?  I know that our Honda techs were weird about wanting to just replace rear rotors but I think it was because the brake lathes chatter on the thin non-vented types and they didn't know how to cope with that or something.

[S204STi]

Why do people continue to give advice as if he's going to fix it himself?

Same reason why a recent poll which asked, "Based on appearance which is your favorite truck?" ended up garnering all sorts of opinions about the reliability and so forth.  People only read what they want.

[GoCougs]

I know they can be reused, but not in this application. 

Sure they can be, if they're within spec.

[GoCougs]

Yeah guys, said doing myself wasn't in the cards.

They said it's been shop policy for years (they're a huge regional chain - Les Schwab) to always replace calipers; in fact they won't do a brake job otherwise. I started to make a bit of scene (albeit calmly) on how absolutely ridiculous that was but they said it's simply not negotiable.

I have a lot of driving to do this weekend and the wear indicator was making all sorts of racket, and I didn't have time to research other shops, so I just bent over and took it like a man.

It's a rip-off - even more blatantly worse than 3,000 mile oil changes. I'm severely disappointed in this shop as I've been going there for 20 years. I can't imagine who wouldn't question a ~$500/axle brake job ($465 to be exact) but I guess it's the same folks bending over for 3,000 mile oil changes.

I just might give the dealership a shot if/when I need front brakes. They're the only place I've ever seen to not push the 3,000 mile oil change interval.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yeah guys, said doing myself wasn't in the cards.

They said it's been shop policy for years (they're a huge regional chain - Les Schwab) to always replace calipers; in fact they won't do a brake job otherwise. I started to make a bit of scene (albeit calmly) on how absolutely ridiculous that was but they said it's simply not negotiable.

I have a lot of driving to do this weekend and the wear indicator was making all sorts of racket, and I didn't have time to research other shops, so I just bent over and took it like a man.

It's a rip-off - even more blatantly worse than 3,000 mile oil changes. I'm severely disappointed in this shop as I've been going there for 20 years. I can't imagine who wouldn't question a ~$500/axle brake job ($465 to be exact) but I guess it's the same folks bending over for 3,000 mile oil changes.

I just might give the dealership a shot if/when I need front brakes. They're the only place I've ever seen to not push the 3,000 mile oil change interval.

You got what you deserved. That's how capitalism works. Profit off the stupid who willingly throw their money away.