Brakes - where and how much

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Booker T

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OK< I've been shopping around to replace my front pads and turn the rotors of my 02 Trac with 32,000 miles.



I ca't believe how much everyone asks for that service...$150 is average.



Should I keep shopping?
 
do yourself a favor and just buy new rotors. The stock rotors are open hub throw away rotors and can be dangerous if you turn them. They can wear down too thin below spec, then fail.
 
Ok here goes my opinion. I have put brakes on my truck three times now and I only have 78k on it. The first replacements were not for they were aftermarket. Those pads were shot at 12k then I bought some ford pads they were motorcraft not true oe ford. If you want to save yourself some money go buy the pads from ford and ask for the oe true ford pads. I just bought some on saturday and they cost me 119.00 my cost wholesale. The rotors were somewhere around 98 each. So you can do it your self but remember what you pay for is what you get. So buy the best and you wont have to do it as often. Again just my opinion.
 
Bought slotted rotors of the internet and pads with them, that was last year and over 20k miles ago at least. Did the brakes myself was a 3 beer job (took about an hour) :D
 
AutoZone basic pads: $19.95 lifetime warranty. Installed at about 40,000 miles. Just put the second set on for free at 82,000 miles. More dust but better stopping than stock. Second set doesn't seem to be as bad about dust. We'll see!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Same deal as dreman, AutoZone lifetimes at 40K. Didn't mess with the rotors, they looked fine. Took me about 3 beers per side though.
 
Last few vehicles I've needed brakes for, I've used NAPA Ceramix pads. Good feel, very little dust, I like them.
 
Turned the factory rotors at 26K (2WD) and put Carbon Metallic pads on. Trac now has 50K and needs brakes again. Might go with aftermarket rotors this time since I don't think I can get a second cut out of the rotors....
 
Booker T, the pricing may seem high. But when your ST doesn't stop when you need it and you hit something orsomeonewhat do you think you might say about saving a few dollars now?
 
I have to agree... AutoZone 15.99 Lifetimers.... 1 hour... leave the rotors unless they are warped. Caution though:



The new pads are bigger than the OEM (which I finally replaced at 60K) and will need to break-in the areas of the rotors that the OEM pads did not touch. Mine squeeked for about 1400 miles until the high spots were knocked down. Also, when done replaceing the pads and you go out for a test, do not come back and touch the rotors.... HOT! (Don't ask me how I know:eek:)
 
OK, I think I might do it myself...



would the rotors really be warped at 30,000 miles?



Thanks for everyone's help...maybe I should write up a project!
 
Stock rotors are junk take them off and throw them away. I cant beleive anyone would just replace pads without turning their rotors, especially stock units. The word that comes to mind is safety!!
 
As long as the stockers are not "pulsing" the brakes and are within specs, a simple scuffing with coarse sandpaper will do about the same amount of good as turning them.
 
Tip 1 - Don't Turn Rotors or Drums Unnecessarily

Some technicians think they have to turn rotors and drums every time they do a brake job. In many instances, resurfacing the rotors and drums is a good idea to restore a smooth, flat friction surface for the new linings. But if a vehicle is not experiencing any shake, vibration or pedal pulsation, and the rotors are reasonably smooth, free from grooves, cracks and rust, you might be better off leaving them alone.
 
53,000 miles on my Trac. Replaced the OE pads at 4000 miles or so. Do not like OE pads. Replacesd them again at about 45,000 miles. I not have 54,000 miles and I have never turned the rotors.





Tom
 
The only reason that I thought about turning the rotors was to knock off the ridge that the OE pads left. The passenger side inner pad had worn down to metal and left a few grooves in the rotor it self. I really don't see this as a big deal. I've seen rotors look much worse. If you ever hear about me crashing due to broken rotor, then you can say "told ya so", but that's not going to happen. Why spend an extra $200 if you don't have to? The OE rotors still work great for me. 62K miles on rotors, 60K mile on OE pads. No complaints.



Can rotors warp after 4k miles? Yep. Especially OEM rotors. My '96 Taurus was owned by my uncle who bought it new. He replaced the rotors origionally around 10k miles due to warping. I had them replaced AGAIN at around 95K miles for warping issues that happened before I bought it.
 
The truth of the matter is that if you do not feel any vibration or pulsing when applying the brakes, your rotors are not warped. However you may still have glazing, hot spots, or excessive grooving of the rotor surfaces which will prevent the new brake pads from seating properly. That will reduduce braking power and reduce the effective brake life. That's why most shops will require the rotors to be turned or they will not warranty their work.



If your rotors only have minor grooving and the depth of the grooves do not exceed the thickness of a business card, you do not need to have the rotors turned. You can save money if you do the work yourself, however you need to be able to judge the condition of your rotors and diagnose other potential brake problems. This can only be done with some experience. Other problems often overlooked by inexperienced home mechanics can include sticking calipers, cracked hoses, or broken and missing hardware like clips, springs, etc.



I agree that brake service can be a fairly simple task that most home mechanics can easily do, however I always recommend that you have an experienced friend or neighbor assist you the first time, preferably someone who has done more than one or two brake jobs themselves.



The $150 prices you have been quoted are actually very reasonable. Many shops will advertise lower prices to just to change out the brake pads, however they will alway recommend more work than just changing pads and you end up paying more than $150.



...Rich






 

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