Is that some kind of sick joke? That happened to me a couple years ago. I bought a 99 Monte Carlo. The next day, the left front wheel just came off while turning a corner. It's not like the lug nuts came off, all the lugs broke! LOL Needless to say, they got the car back. Oh yeah, I was only 30 miles from home.
I'm with Mike - the job was a bit high when you figure the DIY costs, but it's not out of line with quotes I see from the franchise shops. Remember, they markup the parts by at least 50%. Heck, my daughter got quoted $150 for what they call a "friction reline" which means nothing more than swapping the pads and shoes - normally an hours work even if you figure in the time for a beer or two. And they are counting on being able to stick her for more when they try to turn the rotors/drums and find they are beyond turning limits. Then they find the "leaking" brake cylinder or a ridge in the caliper bore. Oh, and those hoses don't look very good. And while we're in there...
I don't buy the "pairs" bit they fed you and the parts are a bit high but remember that a lot of mechanics (pardon me: technicians) get a significant fraction of their income from upsales over the comeon price so it buyer beware. It's surprising how many parts you really don't need if you pin them down to justify each part but that's the game you asked to be dealt into.
I agree. It usually will take a half a day or more for an amateur without air tools to do this work. You also have to understand the overhead involved and the amount of convenience the customer is buying. I'm a DIYer myself and I recently got a used compressor and some chinese air tools from Harbor Freight. I've been wrenching by hand for quite a few years now and the air tools are a new and different experience. You have to know when not to use them or you can really screw things up.
Like the OP said, he needed it done and I don't think he has his own tools and experience to do that job. So he has to either start buying tools and learn how to do it on his own which could conflict with his employment or trade in his vehicle once the warrany runs out so he won't have to deal with this kind of expense but he will have to deal with another kind and that is having a car payment.
It all equals out in the end.
I live in the rust belt and when I see one caliper or wheel cylinder gone bad I always recommend the person change both if it is possible to do. (some are so rotted we just thank the stars we got one side dome ok)
They went in in pairs, they were made in pairs, they usually wear out in pairs.
The last two folks I helped with rear cylinders have both come back within 6 months needing the other side done.
There are exceptions. I broke the bleeder screw on my CJ's front caliper because I was in a rush to go bush running. Rather than mess with it, I spent the $19.00 for a remanned one. The other side was still in very fine shape.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Thanks for all the comments. Yes, I have done brakes before but this time I did not want to do it myself. My biggest problem is that I had already gone to the trouble of making the time to go to the shop and expecting to have just the pads replaced and then being sold up on all the other stuff.
It's me figuring that I'll have to have this done sooner or later, probably sooner and I'll either be trying to decide to do the work myself,(inexperienced) or find another shop to do this work and then find the time again to take it in. It's part ignorance and laziness. That is my fault. I got a bad case of "oh,what the hell,go ahead."
If you don't know how to do your brakes, and don't have tools, you did OK. You could buy a bunch of tools and take an auto shop course at night school, and might enjoy it. When I do someone's brakes, I never use the cheapest parts available. I prefer quality parts to chinese crap. I can buy a new, German made, Benz rotor for as low as $26, but that has nothing to do with the price of a Jeep rotor. One Brembo rotor will cost me $96 for a 99 TJ + tax. Then, I mark it up 15%, so I would charge $237.36 for top quality rotors, or you bring me kragen's crap and I don't guarantee the job. I also try to do things equally on both sides, in pairs. If a caliper is seizing, or a cyl leaks, how long will it be until the other one malfunctions? Murphy's law says about a week, so I won't take the risk with your life, or my reputation. The "ev/materials charge" is illegal in California, they have to itemize individual supplies. Let's see, one can of brake cleaner, one quart of brake fliud, 2 pairs of nitrile gloves, mop the floor,
Probably a good idea, but not too many of my parts die a natural death
- I usually wind up snagging a brake line, bashing a wheel, get gravel imbedded in one brake pad, etc. Case in point: cracked a brake pad and wiped out a rotor. A quick check with a mic showed that the other rotor was well within limits so why spend $60-$70 for the second one when a light touchup pass was all it needed? I guess it boils down to judging every case on it's merits if you have the luxury of time and knowlege. Now, when I was helping the Father-in-law in his garage it was totally different: anything to avoid comebacks from a customer who didn't understand the tradeoffs.
My daughter has gotten to the point that she comes over and does one full repair herself just so she knows what to look for when they start the "here comes another blonde" routine. It's fun to watch her working the poor unsuspecting grease monkies over .
It is a learning experience. Learn, and live.
I was trying to save myself from snipped-for-privacy@anon.none.net, but wouldn't let me go...
| On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 13:26:11 UTC Mike Romain | wrote: | || I live in the rust belt and when I see one caliper or wheel || cylinder gone bad I always recommend the person change both || if it is possible to do. (some are so rotted we just thank || the stars we got one side dome ok) || || They went in in pairs, they were made in pairs, they usually || wear out in pairs. || || The last two folks I helped with rear cylinders have both || come back within 6 months needing the other side done. || || There are exceptions. I broke the bleeder screw on my CJ's || front caliper because I was in a rush to go bush running. || Rather than mess with it, I spent the $19.00 for a remanned || one. The other side was still in very fine shape. | | Probably a good idea, but not too many of my parts die a | natural death - I usually wind up snagging a brake line, | bashing a wheel, get gravel imbedded in one brake pad, etc. | Case in point: cracked a brake pad and wiped out a rotor. A | quick check with a mic showed that the other rotor was well | within limits so why spend $60-$70 for the second one when a | light touchup pass was all it needed? I guess it boils down | to judging every case on it's merits if you have the luxury of | time and knowlege. Now, when I was helping the Father-in-law | in his garage it was totally different: anything to avoid | comebacks from a customer who didn't understand the tradeoffs. | | My daughter has gotten to the point that she comes over and | does one full repair herself just so she knows what to look | for when they start the "here comes another blonde" routine. | It's fun to watch her working the poor unsuspecting grease | monkies over .
Is she single?
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