Who does their own brakes?

[jlee]

Hey, if they advertize lifetime warranty they have to IMO, I guess the manager got pissed that in your case it's "lifetime" was one hour LOL!..

Heh he was like "you're not supposed to be putting a 3 foot pipe on it, you know" - and I'm thinking...oh, if you only knew.

 

[JCH13]

Heh he was like "you're not supposed to be putting a 3 foot pipe on it, you know" - and I'm thinking...oh, if you only knew.

Hehe. Ever seen a socket explode? THAT is some scary shit.

 

[DrPizza]

Buy the parts from Rock Auto - I would buy Akebono pads if they make them for your car.

Take the parts (rotors, pads) to a independent shop and have them done. Should cost you $150 - $200 tops for labor.

No sense in getting OEM parts, but don't cheap out and buy crappy rotors.

Buying tools and possibly breaking something is not worth the $200 in labor it will cost you.

I think you're missing the whole point of "The Garage" if the idea is to just take the car to the shop for even the most minor of repairs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlGu9Hs5UsI
Even little kids can do brake jobs. Both of my kids could change the brakes on a car before they had their driver's permits. I couldn't even guess at how many thousands of dollars I've saved by doing my own work for simple repairs. Heck, as a parent, it was easy to say, "hey Michael, go change your mom's brake pads." I just put in a new starter & alternator in my wife's car today. That alone saved me a few hundred (both were easy. Getting all the parts out of the way to get to the starter was the hard part. Whoever designed a vehicle such that you could ONLY use an open ended wrench - not enough clearance for a socket or even a box ended wrench - to remove certain parts, should be smacked with a wet trout.

I've had things go wrong - and those things would have gone wrong for a mechanic as well. I had a leaky brake cylinder. Attempting to replace it resulted in braking part of the brake line. The outcome would have been exactly the same for a mechanic, and instead of the $25 for the part, it would have been $45 for the part, and charged an extra hour for labor.

Big Caesar sums up best why you do your own brakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMw8R_6RsXA (everyone ought to watch the first 17 seconds & compare/contrast it with the other link above.)

 

[jlee]

Hehe. Ever seen a socket explode? THAT is some scary shit.

I've never seen an impact socket explode..have seen regular sockets fractured/split though.

 

[BUTCH1]

I've never seen an impact socket explode..have seen regular sockets fractured/split though.

Yup, same here, removing a head with a $9.95 socket set is a really bad idea!

 

[Mandres]

if you do a search on youtube I bet you can find an excellent step-by-step tutorial video for your exact model. God bless the internet.

I did the fronts on my Grand Cherokee a couple months back. It was a pain in the ass, it took 10 minutes of beating on the old rotors with a sledge to break them free.

Brakes are one of those jobs where it's not too hard, if you have access to a garage and decent collection of tools. You never know what may go wrong or how stuck some of the bolts may be. It's guaranteed to be harder and take longer than you think, at least the first time.

 

[manimal]

Yup, same here, removing a head with a $9.95 socket set is a really bad idea!

what do you mean duralast doesnt last? Kids today dont know how good they have it. they can buy cheap tools and have them explode. In the old days we had craftsman which wasnt exactly cheap and that crap you could buy at a flea market that makes chicago electric look like snap on.

 

[Zap]

I'm gonna do it myself, with some help.

Got a call today from the cousin of a friend of mine. Her boyfriend needed some computer help. I was working on his computer and we were talking. He does all his own work short of taking apart the engine, so he's offered to help me out when I'm ready to do the work. I'll probably tackle it when it gets warmer, probably in June since I'll be doing a lot of traveling before then.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

...Particularly if you have slotted or drilled rotors that nobody wants to touch.

This. My new Akebono pads bedded just fine on my old slotted + drilled rotors.
Old pads were more than half worn, but squealing and generating a lot of brake dust = gotta go.

 

[jpeyton]

New rotors and Akebono ceramic pads on the front and rear for my Accord were $240 off Amazon shipped. I paid a local shop $120 to install it. $360 for a brake job that the dealer wanted upwards of $650.

 

[BUTCH1]

what do you mean duralast doesnt last? Kids today dont know how good they have it. they can buy cheap tools and have them explode. In the old days we had craftsman which wasnt exactly cheap and that crap you could buy at a flea market that makes chicago electric look like snap on.

Well for -most- of routine things like alternators, brakes, ect, a cheap set works fine, just don't expect them to hold together removing/installing a head, that's were I had problems..

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Well for -most- of routine things like alternators, brakes, ect, a cheap set works fine, just don't expect them to hold together removing/installing a head, that's were I had problems..

Why did they not last? Just curious. I have a Husky socket set that's lasted me for 10 years and counting. Not a single split socket and ratchets still work great. I've replaced them with higher end tools just because but it wasn't due to them being defective.

 

[Jimzz]

I think you're missing the whole point of "The Garage" if the idea is to just take the car to the shop for even the most minor of repairs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlGu9Hs5UsI
Even little kids can do brake jobs. Both of my kids could change the brakes on a car before they had their driver's permits. I couldn't even guess at how many thousands of dollars I've saved by doing my own work for simple repairs. Heck, as a parent, it was easy to say, "hey Michael, go change your mom's brake pads." I just put in a new starter & alternator in my wife's car today. That alone saved me a few hundred (both were easy. Getting all the parts out of the way to get to the starter was the hard part. Whoever designed a vehicle such that you could ONLY use an open ended wrench - not enough clearance for a socket or even a box ended wrench - to remove certain parts, should be smacked with a wet trout.

I've had things go wrong - and those things would have gone wrong for a mechanic as well. I had a leaky brake cylinder. Attempting to replace it resulted in braking part of the brake line. The outcome would have been exactly the same for a mechanic, and instead of the $25 for the part, it would have been $45 for the part, and charged an extra hour for labor.

Big Caesar sums up best why you do your own brakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMw8R_6RsXA (everyone ought to watch the first 17 seconds & compare/contrast it with the other link above.)

I disagree. Many can install pads on a car, but that is only 1 small part of a brake job.
I have done so many brake jobs where the guides were worn badly yet the last person (boyfriend, neighbor, etc...) installed them and now the brakes wear uneven. Or cars that came in pulling after a "brake job" as the caliper is bad yet the person put a set of pads on as that is a "brake job". Or the brakes making noise for so many dumb reasons that a real brake job would have caught. etc...

Most don't need much other than lubing up the slides and guides but even then most don't do that. And the ones that need more waste their money and blame the brake issues on the pads, rotors, etc... and not the labor and knowledge.


Install brake pads =/= brake job.

 

[JCH13]

I disagree. Many can install pads on a car, but that is only 1 small part of a brake job.
I have done so many brake jobs where the guides were worn badly yet the last person (boyfriend, neighbor, etc...) installed them and now the brakes wear uneven. Or cars that came in pulling after a "brake job" as the caliper is bad yet the person put a set of pads on as that is a "brake job". Or the brakes making noise for so many dumb reasons that a real brake job would have caught. etc...

Most don't need much other than lubing up the slides and guides but even then most don't do that. And the ones that need more waste their money and blame the brake issues on the pads, rotors, etc... and not the labor and knowledge.


Install brake pads =/= brake job.

Agree 100% with this.

 

[Vdubchaos]

I think you're missing the whole point of "The Garage" if the idea is to just take the car to the shop for even the most minor of repairs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlGu9Hs5UsI
Even little kids can do brake jobs. Both of my kids could change the brakes on a car before they had their driver's permits. I couldn't even guess at how many thousands of dollars I've saved by doing my own work for simple repairs. Heck, as a parent, it was easy to say, "hey Michael, go change your mom's brake pads." I just put in a new starter & alternator in my wife's car today. That alone saved me a few hundred (both were easy. Getting all the parts out of the way to get to the starter was the hard part. Whoever designed a vehicle such that you could ONLY use an open ended wrench - not enough clearance for a socket or even a box ended wrench - to remove certain parts, should be smacked with a wet trout.

I've had things go wrong - and those things would have gone wrong for a mechanic as well. I had a leaky brake cylinder. Attempting to replace it resulted in braking part of the brake line. The outcome would have been exactly the same for a mechanic, and instead of the $25 for the part, it would have been $45 for the part, and charged an extra hour for labor.

Big Caesar sums up best why you do your own brakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMw8R_6RsXA (everyone ought to watch the first 17 seconds & compare/contrast it with the other link above.)

Big caesar forgot the MOST IMPORTANT step. Don't leave your car on a jack > always use Jack Stands!!!

I've done a TON of work over the years (anything from oil changes/brakes to Turbo/Suspension/Exhaust).

The most important thing about doing these sorts of things is SAFETY.

a) always use jack stands/make sure car is securely on it. Use jack as back up and sometimes I even like to throw the wheel under the side as well.
b) always have a friend with you while getting ANY Part of your body under the car (especially if you are stupid enough not to use jack stands).

They are $10-20 bucks for god's sakes

 

[iamwiz82]

Like this kind of kit.

I tried one of those on the rotor screws of my fiance's Civic, totally ineffective w/ a 3lb hammer. They were REALLY stuck in there.

I've been there

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I disagree. Many can install pads on a car, but that is only 1 small part of a brake job.
I have done so many brake jobs where the guides were worn badly yet the last person (boyfriend, neighbor, etc...) installed them and now the brakes wear uneven. Or cars that came in pulling after a "brake job" as the caliper is bad yet the person put a set of pads on as that is a "brake job". Or the brakes making noise for so many dumb reasons that a real brake job would have caught. etc...

Most don't need much other than lubing up the slides and guides but even then most don't do that. And the ones that need more waste their money and blame the brake issues on the pads, rotors, etc... and not the labor and knowledge.


Install brake pads =/= brake job.

What do you mean lubing up the slides and glides? Isn't there just the caliper slides pins and the slide pin bolts?

 

[Midwayman]

What do you mean lubing up the slides and glides? Isn't there just the caliper slides pins and the slide pin bolts?

There are usually metal shims on the side of the pads. The pads have little tabs that go into the slot where this shim is. Normally you need to hit those with a brass brush and lube if you don't replace. Probably what he is talking about.

 

[Jimzz]

What do you mean lubing up the slides and glides? Isn't there just the caliper slides pins and the slide pin bolts?

Brake pads also sit on slides/guides that open up as the brake pad moves in due to wear. Once the area they sat in before is now open it can rust, get loose, etc... and cause issues. Many times taking a brass or soft metal brush to them and relubing will fix them but they need to be inspected.

Also many brake system used pushers or retainers on the pads and they need inspection etc...

Then some have boots and if they are cracked/damaged the lube can leak out and even if you lubed them they will not last if you used good pads.

My point is there are a lot more things that need attention other than just the pads wearing out. I have heard it a million times "I just had my brakes done it can't be bad..."

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Thanks for the replies guys. Im trying to understand the system so I won't be that guy that just slaps on pads and calls it good.

 

[JCH13]

Using this as a 'generic' picture I do the following:

-Clean and re-lube the slide pins (1) and their sockets and boots.
-Clean and re-lube or replace and lube the pad slides (4)
-Clean the piston and 'pad rests' on the caliper (2)

Edit: not that anyone really needs a picture, it just helps eliminate any confusion.

 

[waggy]

Using this as a 'generic' picture I do the following:

-Clean and re-lube the slide pins (1) and their sockets and boots.
-Clean and re-lube or replace and lube the pad slides (4)
-Clean the piston and 'pad rests' on the caliper (2)

Edit: not that anyone really needs a picture, it just helps eliminate any confusion.

nice.

thanks for the info. the "guides" i read online never mention that.

 

[BUTCH1]

Why did they not last? Just curious. I have a Husky socket set that's lasted me for 10 years and counting. Not a single split socket and ratchets still work great. I've replaced them with higher end tools just because but it wasn't due to them being defective.

Not all of them failed, 2 cracked trying to remove head bolts, I went down and bought a "3/4 drive set, breaker bar and a torque wrench to finish the job. A valve seat fell into the #4 cylinder, beat the piston to crap, had to remove head, remove piston (I pushed it up through the bottom) and replace. Since rings are sold in sets I pushed out the rest of the pistons and re-rung all 4.

 

[BUTCH1]

Big caesar forgot the MOST IMPORTANT step. Don't leave your car on a jack > always use Jack Stands!!!

I've done a TON of work over the years (anything from oil changes/brakes to Turbo/Suspension/Exhaust).

The most important thing about doing these sorts of things is SAFETY.

a) always use jack stands/make sure car is securely on it. Use jack as back up and sometimes I even like to throw the wheel under the side as well.
b) always have a friend with you while getting ANY Part of your body under the car (especially if you are stupid enough not to use jack stands).

They are $10-20 bucks for god's sakes

I use 'em, every time. I also don't like the idea of compressing the caliper pistons until AFTER I've got good fluid in there, pushing old, dirty fluid up to the ABS unit is not a good idea IMO..

 

[jlee]

I use 'em, every time. I also don't like the idea of compressing the caliper pistons until AFTER I've got good fluid in there, pushing old, dirty fluid up to the ABS unit is not a good idea IMO..

If you crack the bleed screw, that fluid will come out of the caliper instead of backfeeding through the system.