expensive brake job

[cableguynoe]

I took my LS in to the dealer today for an oil change and brakes....but they coudn't do the brakes because they said I also need new rotors which they didnt have in stock.

The Estimate they gave me for the brakes is $435...which i feel is a little high for a brake job.

Is this average?

SO my question is... am I better off having it done here or should i just take it somewhere else for a better price?...is a brake job just a brake job?

Also, is it possible that the rotors can hang around a while longer?

 

[GWL]

I took my LS in to the dealer today for an oil change and brakes....but they coudn't do the brakes because they said I also need new rotors which they didn't have in stock.

The Estimate they gave me for the brakes is $435...which i feel is a little high for a brake job.

Is this average?

SO my question is... am I better off having it done here or should i just take it somewhere else for a better price?...is a brake job just a brake job?

Also, is it possible that the rotors can hang around a while longer?

Check with a reputable brake shop in your area for prices. Good shops will measure rotor wear and run-out. If out of spec, they must be replaced. When it comes to brakes, do not go cheap, only deal with shops with good reputations.

 

[paulownian]

Damn, can't you buy all new rotors and good pads for less than that and do it yourself?

 

[TonyLS]

I suspect this is for 2 wheels. It sounds about right for a dealership. They get over 100 per rotor and the pad set is close to 100 plus labor.

You can try just doing the pads, my experience is that the rotors will soon warp and then start to pulsate.

I do my own breaks and when I do i always replace pads and rotors. Haven't needed to do it on the LS yet. To give you an idea on what the parts cost from a good auto supply shop; I paid the following for a break job I recently did on a buick century: pads $60, rotors $120 for two.

 

[black_lincoln]

be careful man.. i would try to stick to the oem stuff as much as possible because i just changed out my rotors and 2 sets of brake pads and now they squeek like crazy. the rotors i bought were from orileys for about 50 bucks each and the pads were some thrmo quiet ones that were guaranteed not to squeek but yea that didn`t work. so my next thing is to try to oem pads whick are like 50 bucks instead of the 35 i paid for the thermo quiet ones. car stops great though. :-s

 

[4RA's LS]

I just had my front brakes done by the dealer and now they sqeak all the time. I did the rear myself and they are fine. I think, somehow, the front rotors are glazed over. In anycase, it is better to buy the good stuff when dealing with brakes. 50 dollars and up for pads is reasonable if your doing it yourself.

 

[cableguynoe]

thanks for your input guys.

I'm thinking of going ahead and doing this myself....I've actually never done brakes but have a buddy that can help me.
Anyway, I was searching online and found that there are metallic pads and ceramic pads...both about $64.99...so I'm guessing these are the best
http://www.napaonline.com/masterpages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=430&CatId=3&SubCatId=1
Is one better than the other....or in one of these recommended for the LS?

Also, my biggest problem is I'm going out of town this next weekend and want the brakes done my then...so I'm not positive that I'll have a chance to to them....since i want the rotors turned and i dont think any shop will be open late when I'm off of work. So that's why it's conveniant for me to just drop it off somewhere....still have to figure that out...

What do you guys think of MIdas?....they do good work?
If not, any recommendations?

 

[02V8Sport]

Cableguynoe I would stay away from NAPA, AutoZone, PepBoys etc.. brake pads. Im on my 3rd LS since 2000 and Ive tried many of the pads out there. Surprisingly at place like NAPA and AutoZone, the most expensive pads are not always their best. The ceramic pads from there will squeal like a pig every time you step on the brake pedal. I highly recommend you finding these Bosch Ceramic pads at a store by you. I have used them ever since my first time I tried them. They dont squeal or dust up your wheels. http://www.boschautoparts.com/Products/BrakeParts/Ceramic Brake Pads

I was able to find them at Murrys auto supply by me for $50 a pair. I think its a nationwide chain. I would not recommend a Midas or Carx, they use the cheap pads from NAPA and charge you a ton for useless labor. I can replace all 4 corners on my car in less than 1 hour at this point. Air tools work wonders

If you cant do the job your self see if you can find a small shop that will put in the Bosch pads if you buy them and bring them in. Some shops wont put on parts that you bring in, mainly because then they cant mark up the price of the part to put more money in their pocket.

 

[cableguynoe]

Thanx for the tip. According to that site Autozone does carry Bosch products...I will ask for those specifically.

What about rotors?...how important is it that they get replaced or turned....
The dealership told me they needed to be replaced but my buddy said they last a LOT longer, but maybe should be turned.....
What happens if i dont do either, but just replace the pads?
More squeals?

 

[02V8Sport]

Thanx for the tip. According to that site Autozone does carry Bosch products...I will ask for those specifically.

What about rotors?...how important is it that they get replaced or turned....
The dealership told me they needed to be replaced but my buddy said they last a LOT longer, but maybe should be turned.....
What happens if i dont do either, but just replace the pads?
More squeals?

AutoZone does carry Bosch products, but I tried 2 of them by my house and neither carrys the pads. AutoZone has their own crappy pads they like to sell, probably cause of the mark up they make on them.

If you can get 2 or all 4 rotors off of your car. AutoZone will turn them for free. It depends on if the rotors are within spec to see if they need to be replaced. Rotors will glaze from heat and you loose brake effectiveness and will squeal over time. Or they warp, where your front wheels shake when you brake. Or the pads cut grooves in the rotor. I had the original rotors on my Nissan for 200K miles. I guess it depends on how they wear on your LS.

Ive changed brakes many time w/o doing anything to the rotors. Im assuming you should be fine too if your car doesnt have a boat load of miles.