Ok, Im not a do-it-yourselfer since I dont have any tools to work on my car, but I never want to take my car to an unknown autoshop again, even if it is reputable. First of all, the people there dont give a crap about you if they dont know you or dont think youve got a lot of cash. They will make you wait endlessly while your car sits in there doing nada and they order pizza. They wont share with you what they are doing, and they can give you any figure and you cant know if what they are telling you is actually honest since they wont let you in the garage most of the time. But maybe Im just a poor college student and hate paying a lot for things. You decide:

I bought my 96 Strat 6 days ago and I thought I was getting a good deal at $1800. The trans and engine work amazingly, the car is decked out with lots of power options. Ive checked the whole car, and the only problem I was aware of before I purchased it was the brakes. Foolishly, I trusted the owner when he said I just needed new back shoes and a sensor reset. I spent 6 and a half hours today waiting for new tires, an alignment and a brake system diagnosis. Apparently the brakes and brake system are so damaged it will cost almost the amount I paid for the car to get them fixed. $1650 to be exact. I am so pissed right now. I have driven this car for about 100 miles on apparently no brakes, just metal to metal, although I cant hear much. Yes, I know the brakes must be fixed, but $1650? Heres what they say needs to be done.

Front Calipers, Pads & Rotors,
Rear Wheel Cylinders & Shoes
Hardware? and Drums

That might be a fair estimate for parts and labor, they might be way overpriced. Anyone that knows stuff about brakes please lemme know. Also if anyone is in NE PA or even Allentown area and knows about brakes and wants to make some money and save me a bundle, lemme know. thanks

 

I'd say ur getting HAAAAAD!!!

I just got a 95 strat also........i also needed some brake work ( new rear drumbs and shoes), so:

I bought 2 new drumbs and shoes...........100$ if that!!
i installed the new parts......witch needs minimal knowledge(the tire iron, and a screw driver)

Then i took it to the brake shop to get a checkup........something was still wrong, and 1 new hardware kit later from them and another 240$ and i'm done!!

so lets say rear done for 350$

Front breaks same deal.........minimal knowledge needed, just nuts and bolts my friend.

Front endd stuff is a lil more pricey......but do the parts buying and grunt work on ur own and u'll save a bundle.

Good luck

 

I agreee with IceMan,that is robbery..
Bying parts and doing by yourself will save you at least half of the price they quoted.
Remember that when working with bolts,nuts etc.you need proper tools to avoid damaging those parts.
And other reason why you need good tools is that you need to have those bolts tight enough (ie.proper torque)
for your own safety reasons.This is especially with front brakes.
So after you have purchased parts step in to tool shop and ask a good quality set of keys.
The job itself is not difficult at all,just keep in mind when removing parts notice the way they are installed so
it is easier to install new parts.
If you have any friend or neighbour done these before ask for advice...asking won't cost a single cent.
But anyway,.save your money and do it yourself,I have done brakes for several of my cars and never had troubles.

 

ok at that price they must be doing brake lines also? what is thier going rate per hour? I mean when my shop does front brakes pads and rotors are common place now to do them without turning and installing new. i would ask them to see what the pricing guide figures on what it would be to replace the brakes.

83.76 for calipers both sides
40.00 for both drums
34.00 both wheel cylinders
40.00 both rotors
12.96 for rear shoes
19.48 for pads
15.00 for hardware kit

for a total of 245.20 for just parts.

 

wow you guys are so helpful. I knew it was robbery and I cant believe the guy could keep a strait face when he told me the amount. I Really Really Really want to do the work myself or with a friend, but Im scared that I might not do it right. I will take the car down to Midas tomorrow to get a second estimate as well as an opinion of what actually needs to be fixed. I feel I could definately change the rotors and the pads, but the calipers? And I also dont know the procedure for bleeding the brake fluid, although I keep hearing about this. If I could do this myself I wouldnt care if It would take me a whole week to do it, I would love to learn. I just dont know where to get started.

What tools will I need?
Where can I get the parts the cheapest? (Junkyard for the speed sensor?)
Will this mess up an alignment?

Pretend you are me ( a novice). What would you do first?

Thanks a lot

 

hees a link with some good info.

http://www.autoeducation.com/autoshop101/brakes.htm

http://diynet.com/diy/ab_brakes/arti...271408,00.html

 

thump, where are you getting these prices from?

 

You are seriously getting screwed. That said, it's pretty common place for most shops to want to use name brand, top of the line parts. I went to get my brakes done on my Dakota earlier this year. I got an estimate of 350.00-400.00 dollars just for the front wheels alone. It was like 150 for the rotors, 120 for the brakes, and the rest was labor. The fact is they are using name brand parts and trying to charge you more for them. It's ridiculous and I for one didnt put up with it. I spent roughly 75 min of my day swapping out rotors and brake pads for a whopping $94 and some change.

Now, the rear brake cylinders arent fun to do on your own, and if you arent very familiar with cars, I wouldnt suggest you do them ALONE. Ask a buddy or see if anyone you knows has a mechanic friend you can ask questions to. Those sites Thump posted are also chock full of information as well.

Changing calipers can be a painful thing. I dont do them myself. Definitely get second and third opinions. Places like Midas, Car-X, Meineke, etc etc. Lots of these places will give you a free estimate with a printout of what needs to be done.

Lastly, be wary of what they say needs changed. Often, some places will try and tell you that you need this this n that and really you only needed 1-2 of the 3-4 things listed. Places will try to get you to replace certain items because maybe they are 1/4 way worn and you would just be replacing them "soon" anyways. Good luck with your repairs and even if you do end up having someone do some work....least your saving some serious money.

Those prices are probably from Autozone.com or another similar autoparts website.

 

yea they were from a site, i can work up an estimate at work if you'd like as to what we would charge for brakes front and rear.

 

Well, heres some good news. I bought the two front pads myself and had a buddy put them in for me while I watched. It took him maybe 10 minutes for the whole job. The pads cost me 30 and I bought my friend a pizza. Even though I still dont have much as far as rear brakes go, I can now travel somewhat safely in the highway. The rotors are worn but they are driveable. I dont hear ANY noise, feel any vibration, or experience a delay when it comes to the front brakes. The Rears are a SERIOUS PROBLEM though.


While driving slowly, I can hear the rear scratching as I drive. Its not even quiet. When I brake, the scratching sound is awful. I know the more I drive the more damage im doing, but I really need my car. I wonder if a new drum and new shoes would do the job. The rear brakes are at least TRYING to brake, but it sounds like its just metal to metal, and the drums are probably warped. There seems to be hope. A friend of mine recommended a guy from Midas who would probably know a lot about brakes. He said he could save me a TON, whatever that means. Im hoping for the best.


I only did the fronts because I literally had 30 minutes to get the brakes installed, get my stuff in my car, and head to college. Poor planning by me, but I was willing to take the caravan as a backup just in case. Are auto websites the cheapest place to get new parts? If anyone can give me a link to an online store that would be nice. thanks