Opinions on Midas brakes?

[beavis195]

For some reason, my dad keeps going to Midas to get the brakes fixed and within 6 months to a year they go bad and squeek like crazy. Sure there is a lifetime warranty but it's a pain. Anyway, My pedal pulsates kind of now, but I don't brake excessively at all. I remember a post that Midas doesn't put the anti rattle clips on. What exactly do those do? And could this be causing the pedal to pulsate or is it warped rotors? (The rotors were replaced 20K ago). I hope the brakes shoes aren't so warned down that they melted and warped the rotors. Anyway, where do you guys recommend to get the brakes done? Thanks.

 

[Robert]

I think the anti-rattle clips are to prevent the pads from rattling which causes noises. The pulsating is either due to warped rotors (most likely) or a glazed spot on your rotors (less likely). Usually if you glaze a rotor, you glaze it all the way around. If the Midas your dad is using is anything like the last one I used (5 years ago) they used an impact wrench on the wheels. That can cause the rotors to warp (especially Fords). My T-bird had warped rotors so I went to Midas and had them turned for $30. I watched them put my wheels back on using an impact wrench but thought nothing of it until my brakes started pulsating again 15K miles later. I did some searching and found: first the T-bird is notorious for warping rotors if the wheels aren't torqued to specs and second most Fords in general have weak rotors that warp easily if they aren't torqued properly. The guy we bought my Wife's Sable from said he had to replace the rotors twice in the 90K miles he had it. I put new rotors on it right after we bought it since they couldn't be turned anymore and so far 20K miles later the brakes feel like new. My Explorer I have never used anything other than a torque wrench on the wheels. I replaced the pads at 50K even though they still had a good amount of usable material left. I had all four rotors turned at the same time. Now at 80K miles, my brakes still look brand new and have never had a hint of pulsating.

 

[RTStork]

I've had excellent results with the Dual Friction brake pads from Auto Zone. They run about $50 for the front pads. I have 70,000 miles on a set on my S10 and they still have over half the pad left. I can't believe it. They have a lifetime warranty too. If you don't want to install them yourself, buy them and take to a shop and get them installed. `Their the only pads I'll use from now on.

 

[410Fortune]

Everything MIDAS touches DOES NOT turn to gold it turns to SH**

You dont even want to know my opinion.

I paid more then $1500 to those *******s to do all sorts of stuff to my 88 BII, of course this was before I knew how to do any of it.
Lifetime warranty my ass, thats only for the parts that wear out, and then they still charge you labor. Pads are cheap.

the anti rattle clip can cause a pulsating in the brakes, because the pad is basically loose in the caliper.

Do yourself a favor. Get the book, buy some Reabestos premium brake pads and do them yourself.
You will be shocked how easy it is.

Midas does not grease the slide pins, the do not service the hubs, the dont install all the parts, and they cant seem to turn a rotor or a drum. I would be scared to let them touch my wheel bearings.

Midas " fixed" my:
complete brakes, front and rear, rotors, drums, calipers, wheel cylinders, pads, shoes,
drag link & tie rods
rear driveshaft
front wheel bearings
shocks
and a bunch of other crap over the years.
I invested over $1500 in them

Every single item they touched has been replaced because it failed. They use substandard parts, they dont stand behind their warranty, and they dont know what the hell they are doing. You are better off with any ma and pa type shops then you are with Midas.

There are several other people I know that have had similar problems with Midas. we have reported them to the BBB a couple of times now, with good reason.
Midas is a Joke.

 

[01EB5.0]

Beavis195,
the pulsating is most likely warped rotors. I would do as others have said and replace the front brakes yourself...rotors and all. The pads I used are bendix premium and they have been great. also put ample grease on those slide pins!

 

[espnfreak]

get bosch rotors is that what they are called t?

 

[01EB5.0]

Bendix is what I got. they are great. No warping in the 25K i've had them

 

[beavis195]

Re: Everything MIDAS touches DOES NOT turn to gold it turns to SH**

Originally posted by 410Fortune
You dont even want to know my opinion.

I paid more then $1500 to those *******s to do all sorts of stuff to my 88 BII, of course this was before I knew how to do any of it.

I just looked in my glove box at all the stuff Midas has done to my X (my dad gave the X to me, he bought it new) The folder is almost an inch thick. We've spent close to 2 and a half grand for Brakes pads, rotors, new radiator, exhaust, Radius Arm Bushings, Shocks, etc. And what really pisses me off is with the shocks, The hardware they use to attach them to the vehicle frame broke on both rear shocks. One broke like a month after we got them. So the shock was moving around all over the frame and making all kinds of noise. We go back get it fixed, A week later the other one breaks! We take it back and I say I want new shocks. They give me new shocks but I watch them put them in. They have no idea what they are doing. They are struggling to get them in and I thought the X was the easiest shock change ever! They told me it was a screwy design. Whatever. But to make me happy, they put locktite on the bolts so it won't happen again, but didn't tell me until after he did it. I thought, great, If they ever need to be changed again, how the hell do I get them off. I had them put it in writing that they did that, and if ever they would be changed again (and they will, because the shocks suck) they would perform the labor free. Oh well, I'm going to show my dad this post. Thanks guys.