Brakes/Calipers cost?

[daxb]

Hello, wondering if someone can help me. I had my front and rear pads and rotors replaced in June of 2000 for my 96 AWD Explorer. I live in the Boston area. I average 10-13K/year mileage. Total mileage is now around 117K.

My brake light indicator went on so I took the truck to the place I had the brakes replaced in 2000. The only warranty still in effect was the lifetime warranty on the brake pads (part only, no labor).

Shop's inspection revealed that front right caliper was completely "frozen" and not working at all. Suggested replacement of calipers (@ $120 ea, plus labor). New pads were also needed, rotors could be refaced. $109 covered labor for front pad/caliper installation, refacing of rotor, plus $240 for caliper parts.

On the rear, the emergency pads were 90% worn, suggested replacing along with the regular brake pads. Emergency pads/shoes were $60 for pair. $109 labor to replace emergency set-up, reface rotors and reface pads.

My question: Is the $530 total reasonable considering the actual brake pad cost was free?

thanks,

Dax

 

[daxb]

Umm, make that replace pads in rear, obviously not reface.

 

[88vert]

Thats not a bad price,my last brake job lasted 2 years and it cost me over 500,thats before I started doing everything myself

 

[410Fortune]

Well lets see,

Autozone lifetime calipers $12 ea
Autozone lifetime carbon metallic premium pads $39 a set
Rear calipers $14 ea
Rear pads $39 a set.

covered for as long as I own my truck, cant beat that!
My truck has a 92 front axle and a 97 rear, but it should be similar.

the parking brake stuff comes from Ford and is expensive, like $90 for the parts.......

 

[daxb]

The cost issue surrounds the front calipers. I couldn't locate any calipers under $35.99 per side for my truck.

I don't have the time right now to do the labor, so that's basically a non-issue.

Just spoke to the shop I have the car at and they're using OEM parts. That would explain the cost. They also already have over 4 hours of labor invested as of now and they're finishing up.

My front right alignment was off, so I told them and they said they'd throw in an alignment for free. Not bad service.

thanks for your help,

Dax

 

[410Fortune]

Drive it for a few weeks and then talk about the service you got....also in the time you spent typing on this post you could have done the brakes.

My point is that I see it all the time and I personally got sick of it happening to me. You spend $700+ for all new everything and then you willbe back in 6 months to have it done agian because they did a crappy job the first time and used sub standard parts. I'm surprised they didnt tell you that you need new tie rods too.....

Maybe you got a good shop there and they did a good job and you will be okay, I just find it not so amusing that I spent almost $1200 at Midas about 7 years ago and EVERY SINGLE THING THEY TOUCHED TURNED TO CRAP. Seriously, the tie rods they put on went south, the brakes gave me nothing but problems and I was back 4 times in a month, the warranty had loopholes everywhere and they kept charging me for new parts, bearings, labor etc..... Everything they did on my truck I had to re-do myself again eventually. I paid them about $750 for all new front and rear brakes that lasted less then a year. I went back and did it myself for under $300 including new rotors, calipers, bearings, pads, etc.....I just couldnt believe how easy it was to do and how much $$$ I saved. Of course at the time I had no idea how to do all that stuff, now 6 years later I have rebuilt my whole truck and I have re-done my brakes probably 5 times.

that was just my experience, over the years I read about it all the time...I even teach some of my girl friends (friends not lovers) how to do their own brakes so they wont get screwed..........

 

[daxb]

a) thanks for your input

b) they're the same ones that replaced my brakes 2.5 years ago. Pads were free. I've had various things done by them and been happy, was just curious on the price.

c) I'm a fast typer, but at work, so I couldn't have replaced anything in that amount of time.

 

[88vert]

as long as you are happy You are the one that has to drive it and pay for it.But like 410 said brakes on the ex's are easy and the parts are cheap

 

[410Fortune]

I know silly but you get my point.......

Good shops are hard to find, thats all.....

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by 410Fortune
. . .I paid them about $750 for all new front and rear brakes that lasted less then a year. . . .now 6 years later . . .I have re-done my brakes probably 5 times.
. . .

It doesn't look like you did much better

 

[410Fortune]

Robert, you forget I have swapped axles from a D28 to a D35, from a 7.5 to a disc braked 8.8, I tow a big boat with my BII and I go through a set of pads a year......the calipers are free so I replace them every coupld of pad changes...etc....you see, its so damn cheap to do that I figure if I have the wheels off I minea s well do the brakes! Like 2 weeks ago I dropped my front diff to install 4.10's and an ARB so I re-did the pads and calipers again.

I also re-did the rear brakes a few months back when I did the 4.10's and new parking brake shoes./wheel bearings.

1 set of cabon metallic pads a year for free = I save a ton of $$$$ on new rotors...plus I drive my truck daily and I have for going on 7 years.........

My brake job makes Midas look retarded, oh wait they dont need help with that....but thanks for your comment anyways....trust me I know what I am doing with my truck I built the whole flipping thing, I can "feel it" when a spindle nut is slightly loose, or if a tire needs air, we have a good relationship my baby and I...........

Right now Brett and I are working on some brake upgrades for 4 wheel disc explorer's that will blow your mind and put you through the windshield......


here's a pic for you...

Dead Link Removed

If you look real close you can see that I also painted my new rear calipers red last time I was in there......

Midas left out the anti ratttle clips when they did my brakes, they sold me a warped rotor, they used crappy pads, they messed up the drums so bad that it took one week before the rear was whining and warped, my RABS light was also on.......

My truck will stop with a #3600 boat in tow faster then you would believe. Without the boat it;s crazy how fast she can stop, in total control........

 

[88vert]

410

I love your truck Sweet I will trade you

 

[410Fortune]

Thanks dude! Youcan have the keys when you pry them from my cold dead hands......hehehe shes going to grave with me if not to my children......

Thanks for the compliment, there is nothing like driving something you built.......nothing like it in the world..except MAYBE sex...... hehehehe

 

[Laura69]

For anyone who may hit this post in the future, please know that if a chick can replace the pads on a 96 XLT, any man can. <grin>

Seriously, it took me longer to get the tires on and off than to replace the pads. VERY EASY. Now, I *do* need to do the calipers, probably replace front rotors (why not while you're all greasy) but...I can assure you I will never again pay some shop $300 labor for something that takes a few hours at most.

Only problem is...how to get rotors resurfaced when you only have the one truck. <grin>

Honestly, though - get a good manual, take a tire off one day and just LOOK at the arrangement. It's damned simple once you take a peek at it. Just my opinion for anyone out there with a slim wallet and the need for brake work.

 

[daxb]

Question on that, do you just put two jacks under one end and take off the tires? I have a sloping driveway, no access to a garage, and winter is coming on (ahem, 4 inches of snow so far today). I'm not afraid to get dirty on the weekends, but I don't have tons of tools and limited space to use them in. Advice?

 

[Laura69]

Well, I happen to have a good jack and jack stands. If you have room on the Sears card, go ahead and invest in them. This would allow me to do both if I wanted to but I generally just do one at a time in order to allow for the most vehicle support. I suspect doing both sides at once will require jack stands as well as a very strong chock of the other wheels. You have to chock the other wheels ANYWAY but if one whole end is up, the other end has to be firmly wedged.

Of course, on an incline, you can figure out that it'd be better to have the chocked end on the upward slope. <grin>

Sorry about the lack o' garage and the plenty snow but...just keep thinking about the $3-400 you will have in your pocket vs. in theirs...that should keep you warm.

 

[daniel cauchon]

she`s right my friend you will definitly save alot ! and on top you will be proud to say ! hey I did it myself !! most people can`t !.

Laura I admire you for doing that !.

 

[Fischer]

Earth Disc Brakes are Easy!!

I changed all my pads on the 95 (first time I ever handled an actual caliper much less a brake pad) in about 2 hours. Very easy.

I also just changed my girlfriends Rotors and Pads on her Cherokee. Took about 2 hours and a few beers.
Cost about 150.00 in parts.

Rotors come right off on those if you remove the caliper.

Have not done the Ex yet. Hopefully there is some room for turning...

 

[daxb]

I appreciate all the comments regarding how "easy" it is. However, once the repair is done (for this time), my question was "does the cost seem right?" Next time, I'll do some research. For now, I'm glad I have it done today, especially with the 4 new inches of snow on the ground (not that braking on snow is good). Again, appreciate all the comments.

Dax

 

[Fischer]

I am not sure of the pricing, but if I were to have done what you had done I would expect it to fall in that realm.

ie. Rotors for the Cherokee were about $45 each! Those are the cheap ones. I would think that they would be that or more for the Explorer. So $120 for Calipers seems believeable / reasonable.