Wholly crap! The price of brake pads from GM!

On the other hand it cost more to drive without them ;-)

A couple of years ago I needed pads for my Venture. At $60.00 the dealer was cheaper than Checks and Autozone!

Try here. I've bought a lot of parts from them for my '93 Eldo. Local dealer charges bust out list plus 20%. Brasington seems to be a bit more than just half. While on the subject, does anyone know similar discount sources for Toyota and Mitsu parts?

-GV

I found that dealer brakes last atleast 3 times longer than after market. Last time I bought pads from them, it was 40.00 for pads all the way around the car :( Of course this is a different car.

I just got pads for my 92 lesabre. They were $18.99 a pair so $38 for a complete brake job (put them on myself). I got the same ones the last time I did the brakes which was about 25k miles ago and I am pretty hard on them so I'd say they wore pretty well.

-Adam

Somebody doesn't know the meaning of getting what they pay for in today's world. They need to learn what many times exact fit replacement can mean.

There is a are expressions that may explain someone's problem: "Are you so cheap you squeak?" or "He must be Scottish to have the first nickel they earned".

snip

Why are Toyota Camry pads from the dealer $35 then? It seems with Toyota, the initial price of the car may be higher, but from there on out they are less expensive to own and maintain. The parts are priced the same or less than GM, and they require far less replacements. This assumes of course the Toyota parts are not from GM, like the batteries and Corolla alternators, which it turns out are among the most failure prone Toyota parts. And the Toy's resale value is a much higher percentage of the original price. I bought an Alero with the 3.4 engine, and while I like the car generally, I can see it turning into a money pit fairly rapidly. GM was too damn tight to even invest in an extra 2 inches of carpeting to extend under the snap in plastic threshold at each door opening. Auto tranny torque rating is barely what the engine puts out, open throttle first to second shift starts, but will never complete unless you lift. And then it is a DynaFlow type slide more than a shift. At smaller throttle openings, the shift is nice and crisp.

I agree, you get what you pay for. That is why Toyotas are more expensive than GM's, model for model. And I don't want to hear about lazy American workers, because I imagine the workers from Kentucky, California, and Indiana are not that different than they are in Flint, Lansing or KC. The problems I am noting are mostly from design, engineering, and procurement, not final assembly. Well, OK, the metallic green paint in places is not as good as on a Toyota. Orange peel on the hood, etc.

On the upside, the engine in this Alero is surprisingly powerful in daily driving, and it has never delivered less than the EPA mileage ratings. It typically is well over that. On the highway with no A/C at posted speed limits it can occasionally deliver 34 MPG, and I have checked both the odometer (deadly accurate) and purchased gas from several different stations to verify it is not just one inaccurate gas pump.

Lee Richardson

Cleever,

Your probably being charged the LIST Price for the pads.

A buddy of mine works at a Chevy Parts Dept. I pay his cost for my parts.

Front Brake pads List - $73.13 My cost was $51.19 + tax $4.23 = $55.42

========= Harryface =========

someone doesn't know that you can buy the same OEM pads from other than the dealer.... who do you think makes the pads for the car manufacturer? and yes they sell the same pads aftermarket...

long lasting pads are harder and promote early rotor wear. softer pads don't last long but grip much better and extends rotor life.

brake squeal is caused by disk vibration (softer pads are least likely to squeal) cheap pads don't come with antisqueal plates, but those are reuseable if you saved the OEM ones...

light squeals can be dampened by applying silicon grease on the pad backing.

checking the brake fluid level is a good indication of pad wear. if it's getting on the low side, replace those pads. don't wait until you hear the low pad contact skreach.. it's digging into your rotor.

Oh really!

not necessarily!

yes and no, depends if they are metallic!

Dear Mr Unavailable "127.0.0.1" :

What you are proposing is similiar to buying a rice rocket with no consumer loyalty.

If that is true why do those "same OEM pads" don't have GM preprimary branding?

Who does make them for the car manufacturer?

Do they have the same quality control as OEM (Only Every Monday?)?

you need to find those answers for yourself...(i'm surprise you don't know them already) as for me, i've gained alot of knowledge working 3 years as a dealership mechanic (crappy pay on warranty work). but that was over 10 years ago. i wasn't a master mechanic, ASE's on electrical/brakes/steering&Suspension/AC..

it was more lucrative working at a brake & muffler shop... those questions are more relavent to marketing than TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

answers: marketing (to keep dealerships happy), depends on car model/make, yes (they will still say Original Equipment Manufacturer on them but sold elsewhere from the dealership at a less price)

but feel free to spend more and support your local dealership, it's your money...

Mr. "127.0.0.1" read below. Lets do not get confused. This newsgroup obviously is about " alt.autos.gm".

Why do you suppose I asked you?

Were you employed at a GM dealership?

Congratulations, you probably have a personal pride that exceeds that of a parts changer. My career in the automotive aftermarket parts business exceeds 35 years.

As a brake system technician, would you rather buy Asian, OE replacement or US made aftermarket branded rotors?

A spark plug is not a spark plug, a oil filter is not a oil filter, so on and so on.

There are quality control standards that really limits GENUINE OE PARTS with copyrights; trademarks; UAW agreements being sold with the same quality, differing brands; at a lower price.

Is that Midas?

Your answers are a simple band-aid excuse for why auto parts are marketed through many complex supply channels. This is why many long numbered GM & Goodwrench parts are dealer items. ACDelco are aftermarket with short part numbers sometimes cross referenceable to long GM part numbers.

Automakers have the proprietary right to police their own way of going to market so they do not compete with their own parts networks, violate marketing policies & labor agreements. This is why automakers limit many aftermarket parts to spark plugs, wire sets, ignition parts, filters, oil, etc. and others to discounters.

Just because a aftermarket box says "Original Equipment Manufacturer" that doesn't guarantee that part is specifically an OE replacement part.

Who is there to enforce that printed statement on the box when the product is sold?

I'll defy you to have a product tested at a certified testing lab to dispute their printed claims.

I have an issue with the "Original Equipment Manufacturer" statement. I have new defective and cheap idler arms on a Astro Van that still clunk like the defective ones.

Since you are a mechanic, visualize Astro/Safari vans having two (2) idler arms.

Originally, when the shop explained a cost comparison that I would save a lot of money. I chose aftermarket "Original Equipment Manufacturer" rather than Genuine GM Goodwrench. I wish now my choice was the latter.

I requested the defective worn parts upon work completion. The replacement boxes had printed "Original Equipment Manufacturer" statements on the boxes without the manufacturer name containing the defective ones. Does your explanation "What you don't see is what you get screwed on" suffice? I think not.

The unnamed manufacturer may supply similiar parts with more rigid OE quality control standards to the automakers. So you really don't know what you are referring. You are making a mountain out of a molehill in not understanding "you get what you pay for".

Simply put, would you purchase a NEW Ford Mustang thinking you will get comparable Chevrolet Corvette performance at a lower price?

My answers should be obvious: There is no comparison between the two cars. They are assembled using different QC standards by different manufacturers. Their cost basis and warranties are different. If you prefer exact fit replacement parts when needed will you purchase discount auto parts based upon your assumptions rather than an OE supplier.

There are alternates to purchasing GENUINE OE Exact Fit Replacement parts from sources rather than dealers. An independent OE parts outlet can save their customers money and in the case of the discounters Advance and AutoZone sell ACDelco parts at comparable prices to their printed jobber cost schedules. Most GM Goodwrench parts are only dealer items.

I have knowledge of this as a former GM ACDelco direct account purchasing at Warehouse Distributor cost schedule prices.

snip

Ken, Are you trying to say that if I buy AC Delco spark plugs at Autozone they are not the same AC Delco spark plugs I would get at a dealer? Or are you just saying don't trust the ambiguity of "OEM" ?? GW

Ken Hesl> Mr. "127.0.0.1" read below.

About 20 years ago I asked that very same question directly to a ACDelco Rep, he was very reluctant to answer as not the same.

Was he a close enough friend that you had reason to believe him? He could have just wanted to trick you into paying more.

It's been my experience that a lot of people either flat out make shit up, or are repeating stuff someone else told them. GW

Ken Hesl> About 20 years ago I asked that very same question directly to a ACDelco

Mr "Geoff Welsh"

No, maybe I need to further make myself clear to you.

Yes, I had many reasons to believe him as a trusted employee of General Motors over a handshake. It was comforting years ago to occasionally meet with our GM Rep that showed concern in indirectly thanking us for our business by treating us like a customer. In today's world GM like many other manufacturers have changed their manner in going to market. They do not have much to do with the little guy. Their intent was to bring customers back to the car dealer's parts counter.

The question my posting had expressed was a concern of mine and his answer was during a sales call meeting at my business as a wholesale customer.

There would not be anything he or GM would gain by misrepresenting the very products of GM. Besides, I could not justify purchasing AC or any other spark plugs at a higher cost from a discounter that could not supply any volume.

Did you read and understand my previous post of my business being a direct account of GM? You need to understand that during the course of business events wholesalers primarily are concerned about availability to supply key customers in volume or case lots.

The cost of spark plugs remained the same. My wholesale cost was actually less than someone like you would pay then for the same part number at a discounter. Product quality was the issue NOT price. That was the reason for my concern about any differences in product quality.

Are you insinuating that I am, in your limited vocabulary, "either flat out make shit up, or are repeating stuff someone else told them"? No, I am not making up what I posted. I will stand by my quote as the truth.

Unfortunately, customers like you that prioritize price before quality and act like rocket scientists caused the demise of many retail outlets. Those retail outlets really took pride in helping or offering product advice before and after any sale. Many consumers are dismayed at the lack of this type of customer service. How come do you think the remaining auto parts outlets like NAPA are expensive compared to discounters?

In today's world there are less wholesalers due to the changes seen in wholesale marketing. Mass discount marketers like Advance or AutoZone know that price, like a pacifier is to a baby, is compatible with many d-i-y mental midgets like you. You are the type of customer many stores know about that could care less about differences in a brands product quality sold through many different outlets. One example is power tools like Black & Decker are marketed having low acquisition cost are primarily for non-commercial and intermittent use.

Remember your very limited experience may not be very reliable. Also, the era of time 20 years ago was about the beginning pre-sold brand names such as AC spark plugs were being marketed through discount outlets.

Were you in diapers or nursery school in those olden days of the early 80's? Do you comprehendie?

What are you, a politician? I asked a simple question. Now I have no idea what you are trying to say.

I thought that you had implied that AC Delco sold their "good" spark plugs at the dealer and their "bad" ones through retail outlets, and that you believed that because a driver said so. I see no reference to that now. I also don't see why AC Delco would do that. GW

Ken Hesl> Mr "Geoff Welsh"

-- GW - Conservational Ergonomist - note incorrect email address "It's good to yell at people and tell them you're from Tennessee. That way you'll be safe." - Gary Busey