Brakes at National Tyres

IME, Nissan pads can be both hard to get hold of and expensive, depending on which calipers they fitted that day.

That's not too bad.

That's taking the piss. I'd actually be surprised if the rear discs needed changing. I've never had a car that could wear out it's rears.

OK, assuming the work needed doing, are you happy to have paid £75 for the work to be done instead of a few hours crawling about under your car doing it yourself? - if so, then don't worry about it.

Do you think National would have done it differently?

Simon Dean ( snipped-for-privacy@simtext.plus.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

National Tyres aren't a "garage", they're tyre fitters who also do brakes and the like.

They don't quote an hourly labour rate. They quote an all-in fitted price. Because they're not a "garage", they're tyre fitters who also do brakes and the like.

What on earth for?

You asked them to quote for a specific job. They quoted you two prices. They did that work - and charged you the lower of the quoted prices to do it. During that, other work became apparent. They did that work. They then gave you a discount on their "normal" price.

And still you want more off them because you found it cheaper elsewhere.

Do they give a "Find it cheaper, we refund the difference" offer?

If you're changing them don't matter how hard you hit them with a hammer.

Hrm. Sounds like Nissans. Im after an Oil filter for my mom's car. Same engine as mine, but according to the guy behind the desk, there's a choice of two oil filters!

Which is what I thought... before I found that the pads they fitted WERE FErrodo, and available in Halfords for £25.

Hold on. Let me get the photo out...

I'd have been happy to pay £30... which would have equated to Genuine Nissan Discs, with Ferrodo Pads... = £170... ooh, £30... That was my logic. Bad logic. That's why Im a bit angry.

They did... because I watched them... at least they had all the tools...

So on one hand, I feel like I've been cheated a bit with rather exuberant all inclusive prices... of course with the discount, bring those £90 quotations down to £70...

But on the other hand, they did the job professionally, when I wanted, with the right tools, and I got a guarantee... and more leverage when I go and buy more from them....

So...

Cya Simon

Unfortunately those discs are attached to something...

Cya Simon

Must remember that.

Sort of but not quite... that was certainly true for the pads... but the discs at £90 each was a bit steep in my opinion, and Im not on the ball recently, anyone can quote exuberant figures at me get me to believe it's the best deal going...

It's not really a case of being say £10 cheaper elsewhere, but I mean, in terms of physical goods, if I bought the parts, it would have been

50% less than what they charged me... and I realise their prices include labour and popping next door to get the parts from Car Spares... but at that, their costs would have been cheaper than mine, so when I break it down (since there's no break down of costs, as they're a tyre fitter remember), I figure I've effectively been charged £75+ for an hours work.

Im not sure I can justify that.

I know they offer a price match promise.

Cya Simon

Personally, I wouldn't have bothered.

But that's just me. YMMV.

Simon Dean ( snipped-for-privacy@simtext.plus.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Before the work? Or after? If after, then great - but get a like-for-like, not just a "But their parts are cheaper"

Simon Dean ( snipped-for-privacy@simtext.plus.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

But you *didn't* pay £90/ea for the disks.

You said you paid £200 for the lot to be fitted, of which £62 was the pads

- so you paid £69/ea for the disks, fitted.

On the Halfrauds parts prices (£50/ea disks, £25 pads), you paid £19/ea for the disks to be fitted, but the pads cost you £37 for fitting.

So, yes, if it only took an hour for the lot, then you paid £75/hour for fitting - but that's inc the vat, so £64+vat/hour. Sure, that's steep, for chimps. Perhaps you should have asked a proper garage first?

*Fast Fit Tyre Centre In Expensive Brakes Shocker* Hold the front page. Not.

However, on the Nissan dealer's parts prices (£70/ea disks, £60 pads), the lot was fitted for free.

Well, you *do* have to undo the fixings first :)

Si

Simon Dean wrote in news:3m3olvF15d2hdU1 @individual.net:

You must have a very greedy dealer. I replaced the rear pads on my Primera a couple of years ago for £28 inc VAT. That's for OEM Lucas ones bought from the dealer. The rear ones are the same pads for all earlier Primeras.

The discs for these are expensive wherever you go. I've never changed mine, but I'm sure you can get a decent quality pair for around £60.

Nothing wrong with that as long as he doesn't do it to the new ones ;-) When I changed the rear pads on my dad's Primera, the discs were coming off by theirselves, without having had so much as a tap!

Are you sure about that? - I never did the rears on my Primera, but know that Nissan used at least 2 different types of caliper on the front. Of course, mine used the one with unobtanium pads.

How do you know they used the right tools and did the job professionally? are you a mechanic?

snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) wrote in news:1h16z01.fcf6141qt9bbbN% snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk:

On the fronts, there was either Lucas (Girling) calipers or Bendix. Rears were all Lucas, AFAIK. The HBOL features both types of caliper for the front but only one for the rear. Perhaps they had to be standardised for compatibility with the handbrake cable arrangement?

OK, well, shall I say more professionally than my Dad.

No Im not a mechanic, but he is, sort of, well, he's more on the bodywork side of things but knows a thing or two about engines and brakes and s**te, and I've watched loads of times to know how not to do things.

Of course, whether you consider the Haynes book of lies to me more reliably... put it like this... at least the didn't take a lump hammer to the brake discs, and had a larger assortment of tools than a couple of screw drivers a couple of ratchets and a heavy hammer to prise the pad away from the disc, to tighten up according to feel, and to knock the shit out of the brake disc and hub...

I do a lot of things on the car myself, and have done the brake pads a few times... but I kind of draw the line at brake discs.

Wait a second... have I got this argument all wrong? Re-read... Yes I have...

How do you know they used the wrong tools for the job and didn't do it professionally? Do you have any knowledge of my experience? Were you there today?

Cya Simon

You should try here next time.

around £16 each. A set of pads about the same.£48 plus carriage in totalMike.

Some pads have built in shims and if the ones without shims are fitted they knock like f**k I've seen it and fxed it for another garage.

Some garages charge whatever they can get away with, or whatever sounds right regardless of how much the parts cost.

Heavy hammer to get the discs off, if only, some cars need the disc hub cutting with oxybottles mondeos get very stuck.

FUCK. Nice to see you feel brakes aren't worth bothering maintaining properly.

Sometimes you need to use a large hammer and a pry bar - usually on vehicles that have brakes as shitly maintained as yours.