How much does this cost?

[GRocks10]

How much would this cost to fix? Problem with brakes.

Hey everyone... i'm not sure if this goes in this forum but if it does not please moderators/admins feel free to move it to its correct forum. Thanks! =)

Ok the problem i'm having with my 1999 Ford Explorer 4 door is this... My brother in law says that the problem were having is that the brakes have a special paste so when the disk brakes brake it will be able to break right and not mess up the brakes.... Well he says that the paste has already worn down on the Explorer and that we have already noticed a noise coming from it like when you break and you can feel it when your driving and your braking it just doesnt feel the same! What I want to know is how much can I expect to pay for the new pasting for the SUV knowing that mostlikely since this is a 4 year old vehicle but bought in late 99.. Also I was curious but is it possible that this could be something else wrong and not the paste because my brother in law borrows the car sometimes and let me say.... He likes to brake hard! Its like he thinks it a small little lightweight car and its not! Can that be a reason of this problem and if its not or is can you guys please tell me how much I can expect to pay to get this job fixed?

Thank you all VERY much!

-Gabriel

 

[Crankcase]

Paste????? The brake pads use friction, not fluids to stop....

 

[jimbo74]

Originally posted by Crankcase
Paste????? The brake pads use friction, not fluids to stop....

 

[JDraper]

From that post, I'd say your brother in law has his head shoved where the sun doesn't shine. He obviously knows squat about cars!!

First off, you say it doesn't feel the same. Do you mean it has a vibration when you brake?? If so, the brake rotors are probably warped and need to be resurfaced or replaced.

When you say you hear a noise, what kind of noise is it? If it's a grinding noise or scraping noise, your brake pads are probably worn out and you need to have them replaced. If they are worn badly enough, you may have also damaged the rotors. If the rotors are lightly damaged, they can be resurfaced (Machined down to create a smooth surface). If they are heavily damaged, they would need to be replaced.

Check out Dead Link Removed. There is some info there that might help.

Also, keep the truck as FAR away from your brother in law as possible!!!

 

[Alec]

Yup, someone don't know crap about brakes!

Most likely your pads are worn and/or rotors worn or warped. Just take it to a good reputable brake shop and have them look at it. Take it somewhere you trust as many shops like to hose people for brake jobs.

 

[GRocks10]

Thanks for the replies everyone.. Ok it seems that whenever you brake it makes a noise like if something is hitting against something like a scraping noise then you can also feel it as you brake. Like the brakes brake the same way but it feels as if something is hitting against something as you break and it sounds as if its going to fall apart and I don't feel to safe driving with the brakes sounding that way. Ok the next thing.. He told me that the paste is something that brakes have and that it has already worn down because the car has just turn 4 years old. And within time that sortof thing happens. I honestly I think he just brakes to damn hard and hes the one to blame for messing up the brakes but just doesnt want to admit it so he doesnt have to pay since i'm the one that drives it more but I never have problems like this because I always brake fine. Another thing is that he has been driving the SUV for the passed month in a half now everyday on the weekdays to goto work and I hate to see the suv go through this type of driving because I drive it responsibly. Well you guys are probably saying right now... WHY THE HELL is this guy letting his brother in law drive his car if he seems to mess it up!? Well the answer is that when we first bought the car it was being bought as a family car and the money to pay for the car was taken out from me, my brother ( he is disabled and doesnt drive ), and my sister ( she already has a car). So basically its my car and I get into many arguments about the way he drives that I don't want him to use the explorer and she always takes it against me by saying that she is part owner and ofcourse since he is married to her he has the right to use it.. Sounds damn unfair to me since she already has a car and he seems to be depending on me to let him use it all the time.. I have decided I don't want to take anymore of this sh*it and have decided that were gonna sell the SUV and i'm going to get my own car with all of my own money! Not to mention whenever we had a problem with the Explorer even if he used it or I used it.. guess who paid for the repairs? Like new battery, oil change, tire, and now the brake job... He says he checked with a mechanic and its going to cost $160 to fix. does that sound accurate? I'm sooo sorry for such the long posting but I need advice and I would appriciate any that you guys can give me. Let me just let you guys know before you start wondering how old I am and he is and why I don't take more action is.... I'm 17 and he is 28 and has to worry about a wife ( my sister) and a baby that is 3 months old and going to work ( I work to but not needing the car as much as he would ) and he currently does not have a car ( he just recently sold it to his friend and his friend is paying him weekly until he pays it off ) but my sister does.. what do you guys think?

Thanks
Gabriel

 

[Alec]

$160 sounds like a reasonable price, that's probably just for a pad change and maybe turning the front rotors. Make sure that this is a good shop.

Good luck

 

[GRocks10]

Alec,

Thanks for the response!

I have never expected to pay such a high price to get something like this fixed. Since he has been using the car for the passed month and a half everyday to goto work and it seems like its something he should be paying for since I noticed the guy brakes to hard... Can braking to hard cause something like this to happen? And whats this talk about a pasting that the diskbrakes have that have worn down? I really hate to see the Explorer go as I have done a few Mods to it.. Also I like to let you guys know that he already went to the machanic and got the brake job repairs done for $160 and I was wondering if that price was accurate and that he was telling the truth...

Thanks
Gabriel

 

[Alec]

There are 3 main components to disc brakes: the rotor, caliper, and pad. Think of the rotor as a large CD or DVD that spins with the wheel and tire assembly. The caliper is a clamp that clamps down on the rotor to stop it. The pad is the actual consumable surface in the caliper that touches the rotor.

Over time, the rotor and pads both wear down. The rotor can also warp if it is abused or too thin. Most of the time a brake service consists of replacing pads and either replacing or machining the rotors so they have a good contact surface again. The paste that was referred to is probably the pads.

Also a proper brake system has fluid in good condition and without any air in the system.

Brakes are a consumable item. It is normal to replace pads and rotors over time.

 

[MontanaGT]

Hard breaking like your bro-in-law does will make the brake pads wear out quicker. There isn't paste on the breaks that gets consumed, the break pads are what actually will wear out. Break pads usually don't just go bad, they wear over time but, hard breaking will definately make them wear more quickly.

I had new pads and new rotors all replaced at 62,000 miles. All 4 of my rotors were pitted and couldn't be salvaged. (I had bought it used with 42,000 miles and don't know if the brakes had ever been changed before).

I had gotten 2 quotes and the dealer ended up being the lower quote. I looked at the invoice from when I had my brakes done. Individual Costs: Front Pads:$50.00, Rear Pads:$50.00, Each Rotor: $105.00, Total Labor: $160.00. Total Cost: $680.00.

I suggest you look at the invoice to see exactly what was replaced on your truck. Brake pads and resurface rotors are normal wear components. If anything else was replaced then it isn't normal and must have been broken.

Good Luck.