did I get ripped off on this brake job?

Not all brake parts NEED to be replaced in pairs. Callipers and wheel cylinders either work or they don't. With that said, I would change them in pairs because they are not that expensive (usually). Rotors will always work but their effectiveness is proportional to their condition. Again, I would normally replace in pairs because they are relatively cheap (usually).

Here is a price list from AutoZone for the parts you've mentioned.

99.00 - Pair loaded callipers (after core charge) 70.00 - Pair front rotors (guessing, couldn't find a price) 20.88 - Pair rear wheel cylinders

I'm in Canada so I don't know the quality of AutoZone... just a name to me nor do I know anything about the shop you went to. I think you got stiffed for about $150-200... not the end of the world, you're not the first person, not really worth making a fuss about.

-Brian

I don' t know, 200.00 is a lot to me. If these guys aren't challenged they will never be checked. Unless it's an emergency I always get a quote outlined and then check around. In addition I check the part(s) cost at the local parts store. For example, I had a quote of 90.00 for a Universal joint R&R. I checked at the local parts store and it was around 10.00 so I pulled the drive shaft and did it myself. Another way you can go is bargin with the shop before you commit. They know if you leave you'll most likely find another place to get it done and they've already spent time to look at it. I can tell you I've gotten free oil changes and dropped estimates just be asking if they can bring the price down.

Just my 2 cents

Bill

I did the front and rear brakes on a 95 YJ. The front for new pads, rotors and calipers cost me $95CDN

The rear for new cylindera, shoes and drums caoust about $110CDN

It took less than 1 hour to install.

-Dan

Bill, It's a lot to me as well but I don't know the whole story... quotes? part brands? franchise/sole proprietor? etc. You have to evaluate your time vs. probability of reimbursement.

I recently had a problem with XXXX Auto Centre. They butchered my vehicle and charged me $400 for the work performed. I called their head office in Toronto on a Friday, got a call back on Monday from the local rep. He viewed the vehicle Tuesday and had it picked up by a flatbed towtruck within an hour. The vehicle was repaired by a different shop and returned two days later by flatbed towtruck.

The local rep didn't not think I should have to go beyond for front porch to take care of this matter and also installed/bead sealed/balanced/20 new chrome lugnuts my MT/R's for my trouble because he saw the tires and rims sitting in my garage. Probably $100+

Having said all of that, the bill for the work performed seemed high ($140 over quote) but if it was done right I would have just left it alone. The nice thing about dealing with a franchise operation is that there is likely pee-on who enjoys nothing more than bawling out a store manager in the name of customer service.

-Brian

: > -Brian : >

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Those calipers, rotors and wheel cyclinders were definately marked way up. Typical for just about any shop. Labor costs are about right. Mr. Bill at a 4 way stop.....the vehicle with the largest wheels has the right of way My Jeep is not an SUV....your SUV is not a Jeep

Geez, should have been

20 for belt 160 front and back rotors ??? calipers (I haven't replaced mine) and about 4 hours d.i.y. labor. (oh and 6.99 for a good sixpack) Nick (oh most likely the leak was somewhere that needed to just be tightened)

aww, c'mon Bill. I am not trolling! I've done business with these folks before and I thought I only needed the simple pad/rotor turning job plus going ahead and putting on a new serp belt. It's one of those things where they already have it up and tires off and you've pretty much got the day planned etc.

I know how it works, I knew I was going to be "sold up" on this but I'm also sensitive to "the aggravation factor" of running around trying to get the best deal. If I am paying an extra 150.00 or so to have it all done and over with then I can live with that. If I got stiffed 3 or 400 bucks, that's another story. and anybody here that can get a new wheel cylinder and put it on in 30 minutes then I say God Bless 'em. I did my own brakes one time and that was enough for me to pay somebody else. here's the scoop... and Bill, the pads came with the rotors or calipers. and they didn't replace the shoes I don't think.

================================================================================ Kauffman Tire

*check brakes/Grinding *check Serp Belt

057151 install serp belt qty.1 S1m2 DRB price 70.00 net 70.00

057151p serp belt qty.1 Slm2 DRB price 59.60 net 59.60

052100 install front loaded cal qty.2 S1m2 DRB price 63.00 net

126.00 052100p front loaded caliper qty.2 S1m2 DRB price 88.99 net 177.98

052100p Front Brake Rotor qty.2 S1m2 DRB price 82.14 net

164.28

052100 labor Rear Wheel Cylinder qty.2 S1m2 DRB price 45.00 net.

90.00 052100p Rear Wheel Cylinder qty.2 S1m2 DRB price 47.55 net 95.10

Sub Total; 782.96 EnVmnt/shop: 27.40 Tax 6% 31.46

Inv Total: 841.82

This was the invoice pretty much as I see it in front of me.

The belt sells for about 30 at the do-it-yourself store.

That is a bit steep. It takes about 10 minutes to install.

I have NEVER replaced a caliper, let alone two of them.

This seems high, but to replace two calipers would take about an hour of labor on each side. This labor includes the rotor replacement that you were not billed separately for. I think this charge is a little high, but not alarming.

I bought rotors for my BMW recently, they were $50 each.

This is to much for wheel cylinders, by about double what my instincts tell me is appropriate.

This is a little high.

You can't escape this charge. Think about how much trouble you have to dump the crap that you take out of your car, they have the same kinds of trouble disposing of these fluids. There is a certain amount of "profit center" in this charge, but most of it is a government charge.

If you could have done this job yourself, it would have cost you $50 each for rotors, $50 for a set of brake pads, and $50 for the wheel cylinders. $200 bucks for parts, plus fluids and your time. The fluids cost $15 for a

30-pack that you share with your helper, and you need a pound or two of ground beef to smash out a few burgers, some buns, cheese and a few ears of corn. The burger fixin's run about $20. I think your costs were a bit on the high side.

Not to put to fine a point on it but, this is the type of thing a jeep owner should be able to do him/her self.

I didn't realize that a pre-requisite for owning a Jeep is to know how to do a complete brake job.

Tom

It's not. Just enjoy it. Just for the heck of it, though, look into what it would take to do it yourself if you're interested. I've found that the offroading hobby involves a lot of "breakage" and that sometimes fixing the stuff myself is kinda therapeutic. Plus it's a good excuse to buy more tools. ;-) Good luck with your future breaks/fixes. Oh, and for what it's worth I don't really think you got ripped off.

Thanks for taking the time to itemize these costs for me. I screwed up and that's all there is to it. I won't go back there again, ever. Nothing else I can do now.

You could picket his business. Stand in front of his business with a sign telling how you got ripped off. Or put a sign in your car window advertising the business as a rip off and let them know about it.

First though you could complain about the price even though it's paid and see if there's any response.

I heard tell of one guy putting a sign in the back of his car and on side windows when he got ripped off with a cell phone deal or something to that effect. The issue got resolved right quickly.

Bill

I don't think you got took.

I don't think you got the cheapest job in town, but I don't think you over paid by much if any.

When you start messing with brake line fittings, it can be 'way' more work and cost for a driveway job than a shop with torches and impact tools.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's