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How much have you paid for your brake job?

3K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  GreenMachine 
#1 ·
I'm curious to see how much people pay for a brake job and if they overcharge you because it's a cadillac? I was looking at my cost for parts and pads are 15-35 dollars and rotors are 23-46 dollars. I have a feeling I'm going to need to get the replaced in the near future.
 
#2 ·
$340.

Premium Bendix rotors and premium bendix pads for the front. Wearever drums for the back and premium Bendix shoes for the back.

Somer other BS thrown in with the mix, and some tools... money spent on brakes parts only ~$300.

Did it all myself on a Saturday, at my apartment.
 
#4 ·
I went the autozone route. I can't remember exactly but I know for a fact it wasn't over a $100 for the front or rear axles. Lifetime pads and Its been about 3 years now and brakes are still good. I though I brought a rotor for $30 dollars new. The cheapest. BY the way I'm the cheapest man In America but I doesn't pay off 100% of the time. I believe we 're on the same page. Keep up the good work.
 
#5 ·
99 Deville - NAPA's best rotors (made in USA) 2@$64.29/each, and their ceramic pads were $59.99. Total = $201.77. Whole job took 30 minutes, included clean up, and killin'a couple beers.

In a couple weeks I'll be getting the rear rotors cut & replacing those pads. Any tricks with the rear pad/rotor R&R?

Tim
 
#7 ·
carmaster said:
I'm think of upgrading to the ceramic pads too, just because I like them being dustless. How much of a difference is there with braking with the premium parts?
the dust alone is reason enough, and I to have the Napa pads on mine, local shop where we know the guys well uses napa so figured may as well use them. Replaced them in November 2003 and had first problem with them this winter, noticed in january, sometimes there would be a squeel with them (they said something about a possibly warped pad), replaced under warranty and all set now. The sound was intermittent and you know that intermittent sounds never make noise when you want to show the mechanic so only now just got it taken care off because with the warmer and dryer conditions it did it alot more.

Supposingly the ceramics have better heat tolerance and offer better stopping distance, from the point in which we bought this one and switching I noticed a differance...but that was partly because the brakes were really worn down by the time we switched. I'd recommend it and almost wonder why cadillac (and GM for that matter and all the other car companies) don't do it simply for the brake dust reason.
 
#8 ·
I went factory pads for many reasons.
One was, my thinking goes, the fact that I had my rotors machined.
I could have gone with long life pads (which means its harder and resists wear) but that just means it will wear out the rotors faster. Since I was using old rotors and new pads, I want the pads to take the wear and spare the rotors so that I can replace them both at about the same time in a few years.
Plus, OE brakes should mean less chance of wierd noise or vibration.
 
#9 ·
powerglide said:
I went factory pads for many reasons.
One was, my thinking goes, the fact that I had my rotors machined.
I could have gone with long life pads (which means its harder and resists wear) but that just means it will wear out the rotors faster. Since I was using old rotors and new pads, I want the pads to take the wear and spare the rotors so that I can replace them both at about the same time in a few years.
Plus, OE brakes should mean less chance of wierd noise or vibration.
alot of cases OE parts as simply from the lowest bidder too :)
 
#10 ·
GreenMachine said:
alot of cases OE parts as simply from the lowest bidder too :)
Thats true.
But usually they are the only parts that have been extensively tested and qualified for use on your particualr vehichle.

Buying aftermarket usually means you end up doing their field trials for the manufacturer.

I have nothing against aftermarket parts generally, and I use them myself. But when it comes to brakes, I think it can be a hit or miss.
It’s a part that’s ripe for vibration/thermal/acoustic problems…..not to mention seriuosly mission critical. ;)
 
#11 ·
powerglide said:
Thats true.
But usually they are the only parts that have been extensively tested and qualified for use on your particualr vehichle.

Buying aftermarket usually means you end up doing their field trials for the manufacturer.

I have nothing against aftermarket parts generally, and I use them myself. But when it comes to brakes, I think it can be a hit or miss.
It’s a part that’s ripe for vibration/thermal/acoustic problems…..not to mention seriuosly mission critical. ;)
yeah just playing devils advocate on that. The main reason I switched is that the ceramic brakes they put on the car were highly recommended, otherwise I'm usually likeing the idea of factory parts, the service center owner had them on his lincoln and one of the customers who brought an Audi there also had a similar on his. I also like my wheels to stay shiny :). Had these same type brakes put on the 92' deville because it got the break dust reeeeaaaal bad.
 
#12 ·
I bought my '96 Deville with a couple of simple fixes to be done. The first was replacing the Camshaft Position Sensor $30. Replace unworking power antenna with flex shaft, $7.50 alignment at Sears $50. Pull out the pass. front fender where the loose trim caught the door free.
Raybestos ceramics from Pepboy $50.
Turn front rotors $16.
anti squeek $2.
$68.
heaven for stopping and dust free!
 
#14 ·
semi-metallic pads are part metal....

Any time there is contact on a surface, it'll wear it... the rotors take a beating, thats why there is a minimum tolerance, they get too thin, then can't disperse the heat good.

I should have got ceramic pads when I did the brake job with new rotors... oh well.
 
#16 ·
Well I'm about to eat my words, or atleast wish I either went to the dealer or did the job myself, when I make left turns at one point in the turn the car makes a rough sound. Taking it back to the shop sometime this week, might never go back there again, the last 2 services done have had to been done 2 or 3 times, figured maybe it was a fluke the first time, but a second time certainly shows service going down hill. (First time was checking leaky tires, they remounted one, then had to go back because they "forgot" to check the other, then had to go back again because the tires they remounted to the rims they didn't rebalance, so vibrations were pretty bad. After the balance the car felt totally differant, smooth as silk.)
 
#17 ·
I just did my front before putting on my 20" rims for the summer. Since working at a local O'Reilly's I bought my brake stuff cheap. I had did my front brakes 3 times the past 2 years, but that is because I bought Bendix pads thinking they were the best. Well it turns out that I replaced them the thee times because of the excessive squealing. Even with using caliper grease and the orange sticky crap you put on the back of the pad. Well now I am using Wagner Thermoquiets. Run about $50 retail a set and I also put on some Brakebest Rotors (made by Wagner), about $20 retail a rotor. So far I am liking these alot better. No squealing, hardly ant brake dust and seems like the stop me alot faster. I am not pushing O'Reillys by any means, since I used to work there, but I do feel like their products have benefited me more.
 
#18 ·
funknice said:
Mr. Powerglide, How are the pads going to wear out the rotors? I thought that happened when you go metal to metal.
Any friction surface will wear.
Although the amount of rotor material removed by contact with the pad is minimal compared to amount of material removed from the pad. It still wears.

Furthermore, the rotors will eventually come out-of-plane (warp) due to repeated thermal and mechanical cyclic loading. At which point, the rotors will have to be machined flat (turned).

Because my rotors were turned twice already, they are almost at minimum thickness. Therefore making it more succeptible to mechanical/thermal warpage.

Its a small point, but I wanted to tilt the equation slightly in favor of the rotors.

Furthermore, as I mentioned before, I feel better about using OEM pads for mitigating noise and vibrations issues that may/may not occur.

Hope that clears things up......

FYI I am a Dr. not a Mr.

;-)
 
#19 ·
I did an upgrade to my 94 Concours in the fall and replaced the original rotors (yes I mean original, the car doesn't get driven much) with Brembo rotors on all four wheels with Halk Ceramic pads. I believe I paid $400 for the parts and performed the work myself. The difference was very dramatic. Much better stopping and even better traction control response. I was very impressed with the combination.
 
#21 ·
powerglide said:
Any friction surface will wear.
Although the amount of rotor material removed by contact with the pad is minimal compared to amount of material removed from the pad. It still wears.

Furthermore, the rotors will eventually come out-of-plane (warp) due to repeated thermal and mechanical cyclic loading. At which point, the rotors will have to be machined flat (turned).

Because my rotors were turned twice already, they are almost at minimum thickness. Therefore making it more succeptible to mechanical/thermal warpage.

Its a small point, but I wanted to tilt the equation slightly in favor of the rotors.

Furthermore, as I mentioned before, I feel better about using OEM pads for mitigating noise and vibrations issues that may/may not occur.

Hope that clears things up......

FYI I am a Dr. not a Mr.

;-)
ya know I bet its the rotors that were/are bad (like I had suggested actually to the service center, non-dealer) since I am experiancing worse symptoms (screetch, squeel, rubbing sound when turning left now too) since they replaced the pads. My brakes also want to put me threw the windshield with just the slightest touch. Takeing it in to them again this week, first day I could have sworn when I pulled out of my driveway the pedal went to the floor then back up.
 
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