Almost $500 for rear brakes?!

[CJ]

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.

That and the rotors are already especially thin.  I don't remember the exact words of my auto tech teacher, but he said to never machine the rear rotors on Accords like Cougs' and other Honda products.  We did try to machine one rotor just tos ee what it would do, and the chatter marks were crazy.  Same thing on the E39 M5 brakes we did.  LOTS of chatter marks.  The guy ended up getting new rotors just because we couldn't machine the rotors without the chatter marks.

[Rupert]

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.

That doesn't sound like Les Schwab to me!

[GoCougs]

That doesn't sound like Les Schwab to me!

No kidding. It's outrageous. Replacement all-season tires (albeit their top tire) for my car are $162 per! Used to be Les Schwab had no-name but quality stuff and great prices. Same no-name stuff but prices have sky rocketed.

If they're going to charge premium prices, might as well go to the dealer and brand name tire places, which is what I think I'll recommend to others from now on. That and they don't do reservations.

[Rupert]

It's all since old Les Schwab himself died a few years ago.

[Secret Chimp]

I thought Les Schwab just sold Toyos now.

[Rupert]

They still have their own brand. For truck tires, they are still a pretty good deal. I love the AT tires I got from them.

[GoCougs]

It's all since old Les Schwab himself died a few years ago.

DAMN YOU DEATH. DAMN YOU TO HELL.

At least anecdotally, at least where I'm at, demographics have moved up the socio-economic scale substantially. I think it's more simply that demand is way up - people are willing to pay more for the same items and service because they won't/can't do it themselves.

[S204STi]

That and the rotors are already especially thin.  I don't remember the exact words of my auto tech teacher, but he said to never machine the rear rotors on Accords like Cougs' and other Honda products.  We did try to machine one rotor just tos ee what it would do, and the chatter marks were crazy.  Same thing on the E39 M5 brakes we did.  LOTS of chatter marks.  The guy ended up getting new rotors just because we couldn't machine the rotors without the chatter marks.

Well, I managed to machine quite a few rotors without ruining them.     

Yeah I get it, it's tough but it can be done if you don't care about the chatter marks.

[Rupert]

DAMN YOU DEATH. DAMN YOU TO HELL.

At least anecdotally, at least where I'm at, demographics have moved up the socio-economic scale substantially. I think it's more simply that demand is way up - people are willing to pay more for the same items and service because they won't/can't do it themselves.

Part of it might be that, but I have noticed a marked decrease in service levels since the old man died.

[Laconian]

Are they still doing Free Beef Month anymore?

[GoCougs]

Service I'd say, at least in the shop I use, is still good though they no longer do the Schwab trademark run-to-your-car thing when you pull into the lot. (Which was kind of a gimmick - you still have to talk to the girl at the counter).

And LOL about the free beef! I remember that but I think that's probably long gone now. Haven't heard about it in years.

[Rupert]

I think they still do free beef...

[The Pirate]

Per wikipedia, Free Beef month is only in Oregon.  Yes, I was puzzled enough by free beef at a tire place that further research was warranted.

[r0tor]

Some rotors actually do have a lip on them even when brand new.... my usual philosophy is unless I'm feeling some vibration in the pedal I'm slapping in new pads and maybe greasing the caliper pins and then calling it a day.


Speaking of that, my RX8 now has 70k miles on its OEM rear pads and they arent even close to dead yet 

[GoCougs]

I went 10 years and ~170k on my Tacoma on the original brakes.

To me the pads looked okay but there was something funky going on with the wear indicator. I'm pretty sure it came lose from the pad, and was rattling around somewhere in the caliper. I've got more than 50% left on the front pads.

How it is people go through brakes in 30 or 60k miles on an average car I'll never understand.

[Cookie Monster]

I went 10 years and ~170k on my Tacoma on the original brakes.

To me the pads looked okay but there was something funky going on with the wear indicator. I'm pretty sure it came lose from the pad, and was rattling around somewhere in the caliper. I've got more than 50% left on the front pads.

How it is people go through brakes in 30 or 60k miles on an average car I'll never understand.

Seeing the way some of the people I know drive, as in slamming on the breaks at the last possible second while coming to a stop instead of applying the brakes earlier, it wouldn't surprise me if they ate through brakes.

[hotrodalex]

Seeing the way some of the people I know drive, as in slamming on the breaks at the last possible second while coming to a stop instead of applying the brakes earlier, it wouldn't surprise me if they ate through brakes.

I always laugh when I see people keep on the gas until the last second and then slam on the brakes. I just coast, saving gas and my brakes. It's not like I'm in a hurry to get to the red light.

One time in my BMW I started coasting a bit more than 1/8 a mile away from the red light since I know it's a long light. I was going 55-60 MPH but the car has such good engine braking that I actually had to get back on the gas again to get up to the light. 

[r0tor]

I replaced my fronts at about 30k as I tend to drive aggressive.

My parents old Grand Am would eat front brake pads in about 15k miles... all because the rear calipers would only adjust themselves if you operated the ebrake or slammed on the brakes in reverse - so 90% of the time the front brakes would do 100% of the job

[Morris Minor]

I have a friend who runs an independent shop; he's a good guy. He prospers in economic hard times because people can't afford the prices charged by the big guys, so they come to him. They also keep their cars longer, and people feel disinclined to spend big money on old cars. So next time around, you might want to seek out a decent independent shop.

I always like being able to speak to the guy who's actually working on the car, which is nigh on impossible at a major dealer's service department.

[Rupert]

Per wikipedia, Free Beef month is only in Oregon.  Yes, I was puzzled enough by free beef at a tire place that further research was warranted.

[sportyaccordy]

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.

That's $200 in parts right there

If it was just a rotor + pad job I'd say that's too much... but bleeding the brakes and all that for the calipers... yea that's definitely a $500 job (if they have to change the calipers).

Cars, even Accords, need maintenance.

[Rupert]

It's the calipers that are the rip off.

[giant_mtb]

'Twas $550 for a full rear-brake job last summer when Bravvy's left-rear caliper decided to randomly snap off.  Granted, my parents insisted on going to shitty-ass Midas, but whateva.

[GoCougs]

Unbelievable - get my oil changed and I explicitly stipulated 5W-20 (per the manual) - "oh, we just put in 5W-30." No, you will put in 5W-20.

Sure enough, while putting away my paperwork for the week I see the receipt and it says they used 5W-30.

Unbelievable. It's the dealer from now on.

[CJ]

Take it back.  Make them redo it.  You specified something and they failed to deliver. 

[Rupert]

Yeah, I'd go back for sure.

[r0tor]

oh noes... your engine will aspl0de using the oil weight it would be using if it were delivered outside the US

[GoCougs]

Yeah, not going to happen this week. Too busy to muck with it, and they're only open till 5 pm. Looking at viscosity charts it's not a huge difference (but then again such charts have a log y-axis masking differences).

[sportyaccordy]

oh noes... your engine will aspl0de using the oil weight it would be using if it were delivered outside the US

Lol.

[GoCougs]

Unbelievable. I call to reschedule an appointment for the correct oil only to be told, "oh, we don't stock 5W-20, we'll have to go the local parts store to get it." This is a full-line new car dealership (albeit not Honda)! Click. Incompetence, only bred by the people who tolerate such BS service no doubt.

People are idiots.