How much should a brake job cost?

[silverz51]

A while back the mechanics that did an alignment to my '94 F150 said that my front brake pads were getting thin and I should consider replacing them. Since I think the front bearings need to be repacked anyway, I thought I'd get the front pads replaced and the rotors turned if necessary.
The question is, how much should it cost to have this done at a shop? The guys down the street said $225~$275 but they thend to be high on their prices and I don't particularly trust them. There is a "Just Brakes" place nearby and they said $99.95 or something like that.
However, I did a search on the web and there are a lot of complaints about rip-offs from those guys as well as from Meineke.
I would do it myself, but the truck parts are pretty big and heavy plus there is the hassle of getting the supplies (grease, buckets, solvents, etc.) for cleaning and repacking the bearings and then getting rid of the waste. So it would be worth it to me to pay a fair price for a shop to do the work. But I don't want to get ripped off.
What do you guys think? Oh yeah, if I do do it myself, what brake pads are recommended for my '94 F150 XLT supercab?

Thanks

 

[F150]

Do it yourself. And use OEM parts.

 

[73F100Shortbed]

There wouldn't be much waste to get rid of if you do it yourself. If you do it yourself you could probably get new rotors for the price of what some places charge for turning them or maybe a little above. If you are still into having it done somewhere get a few quotes from different places. The chains (Midas, Meineke) are usually higher costs because of the royalties they pay for them name so expect to pay more. I would guess prices to range from $210 to about $285 + tax. That's the range charged at 2 places I had worked for. Prices will vary depending on where you live. If you do it yourself and can wait for parts to be shipped rock auto usually has some good prices on oem / oem quality parts. At least this has been my personal experience. FWIW get a price from the dealer as well. Some dealers around here wind up quoting the same or less as Midas.

 

[smokey]

Rockauto list pads for around 40 bucks.
A tub of grease about 6 dollars.
And 2 hours at the most for a first timer doing this type of job.
pretty easy job on the mechanical skill level about a
3on a 1-10 scale.

 

[Truckin4life]

If your pads are getting thin replace the pads, if you catch it early enough you dont even have to touch the rotors.

I turn rotors about every 3 sets of pads it seems.
Or put new rotors on.

But what ever you do get to it quick before you have to replace the rotor!!!

You could do it your self in less than 2 hours and less than 100 bucks, with out rotors..

Heck ive done brake jobs in 30 min before. It really is very simple
Pick up a chilton manual if your feeling leery it will guide you through it step by step and its simple enough chilton cant screw it up.

 

[5.0Flareside]

very simple job, just couple of hours, get a chiltons or Haynes, and do it yourself..

and yeah the price of around 200-275 is about right... i got charged that to have my brakes done by a very reputable shop, and one that i trust, when i had nowhere to do them.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Rockauto list pads for around 40 bucks.
A tub of grease about 6 dollars.
And 2 hours at the most for a first timer doing this type of job.
pretty easy job on the mechanical skill level about a 3on a 1-10 scale.

x2

Wagner ThermoQuiet has been recommended over and over on forums and
some of the guys actually sold and installed lots of different kinds and that's
what they tended to use for themselves and so also recommended.

For all that money, what pads were the guys at the shop going to use?
Cheap pads or good pads or fancy pads that dust up your wheels or squeak
to beat hell or... just what were you going to get for all that money?

As far as not ever done one before many of us on here were in the same
boat (but without the internet) on our first brake job, we just looked in the
book and did it.

If you live in an apartment or that sort of thing... well heck. :/
That's what friends are for silly.

And red wheel bearing grease. Who knows if it ain't all made by the same
plant and labeled different for different outfits but from what I can tell, it-is
superior to the black moly-disulfide-greases. What were the guys in the shop
going to use? See? You can control the quality of the work if you pick the
parts and do it yourself.

You can do this job better and pocket the money difference.
Are you game?

Alvin in AZ

 

[silverz51]

You guys talked me into it. I'll go get the pads and stuff tomorrow and should be all done pretty soon. I've changed pads in several cars and even brake shoes back in the dawn of time . Probably the hardest thing will be jacking up the truck and removing the wheels. I'm glad I've researched a little bit about it though, I was going to get Advance Auto Parts pads but everybody says they suck. I'll see what some Duralast cost and get them or similar.

Thanks

 

[5.0Flareside]

i really like the pads that O'Reilly's carries, and the duralast i've also had good luck out of...

 

[O'Rattlecan]

I always spend a lot on pads because I hate brake dust. When I buy rotors, I usually get the mid grade stuff because it's just a piece of smooth steel.

Ryan

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Duralast is what dusted the crap out of my front wheels.
But just typical carbon metallics maybe?

Anyway they -really- sucked, two of my chrome plated
steel wheels are still stained from those dangged things! :/
Had always used Raybestos in the past and never seen
anything like it before. ...or since.

Alvin in AZ

 

[silverz51]

Duralast is what dusted the crap out of my front wheels.
But just typical carbon metallics maybe?

Anyway they -really- sucked, two of my chrome plated
steel wheels are still stained from those dangged things! :/
Had always used Raybestos in the past and never seen
anything like it before. ...or since.

Alvin in AZ

Wow, thanks for the info. The pads in there now make absolutely no dust. My wheels only get dirty from road dust. I see that O'Reilly has several brands. Among them are:

1. Standard
2. Brake Best
3. Wagner
4. Performance
5. Motorcraft

Motorcraft probably needs to be ordered. Which of these brands are most likely to work best?

 

[73F100Shortbed]

Duralast is what dusted the crap out of my front wheels.

That junk comes dusty in the box

 

[5.0Flareside]

Wow, thanks for the info. The pads in there now make absolutely no dust. My wheels only get dirty from road dust. I see that O'Reilly has several brands. Among them are:

1. Standard
2. Brake Best
3. Wagner
4. Performance
5. Motorcraft

Motorcraft probably needs to be ordered. Which of these brands are most likely to work best?

i have the brake best gold i think, on the firebird, and they cause alot of dust... so just fair warning...

 

[Evan's f250]

Wow, thanks for the info. The pads in there now make absolutely no dust. My wheels only get dirty from road dust. I see that O'Reilly has several brands. Among them are:

1. Standard
2. Brake Best
3. Wagner
4. Performance
5. Motorcraft

Motorcraft probably needs to be ordered. Which of these brands are most likely to work best?

motorcraft

 

[Mil1ion]

shops are charging for every little thing now. From a rag to a tightening a license plate bolt.

What used to cost $350.00 for a complete brake job replacing everything but brake lines,,, now costs about $800.00 -$1000 depending on where you go.

My 78 needs rear brakes but because it has sat so long I will have to replace practically everything back there.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

motorcraft

It's too bad they don't have brands and model numbers on the pads and
stuff so a guy could get the same thing over again if he's happy with it.

Too many brand-names and not enough actual-makers you suppose?

Alvin in AZ

 

[Lost]

rotors. wheel seal and premium pads . Less than$ 100

You will need wrench for hug if 4x4 . barrow or buy they r cheap

I do allot of brake jobs and the allot of the time I end up to touch up turn new rotors duo to pulse so don't be surprised . I put Motocraft on last time And they had to be turned.

I get my rotors cleaned up turned and can do this several times (have machine )

but most places (Auto parts) have seem to have one big setting . 1 time turned and rotors r to thin .

Good luck easy way to save MOney

 

[LEB Ben]

Flame suit on...

Typically, when it comes to brakes I now buy the cheapest SOB's I can find. I've done the $100/set of pads before, and those did nicely...but I didn't think it was worth the price tag. Outside of that, whatever the local parts house has, they've all gotten me to stop, and I can't say any one is better than the other. Admittedly, I've driven big ol tanks that were never intended to stop well, so IMO, if there's a few feet difference it's negligible (assuming I don't rear end someone). I don't think there's a brand the parthouse carries that I haven't had issues with. At one point or another, all the brackets have needed to be ground or cut, and I've also had pads disintegrate regardless of brand.


As for brake dust...that's what I always thought a hose and a rag was for.

 

[silverz51]

OK, here is the cost of parts and supplies for a brake job:
Brake Best Select ceramic pads $51.99
2 rotors (mine were shot) $67.98
Bearing grease $3.49
Cotter pins $2.49
Brake grease $3.00 (about)
Brake cleaner $2.19
total $131.14 plus tax
= $141.63
plus about $7 worth of gas (2 trips to O'Reilly)

Grand total about $150.00

I must say that the mechanics earn their pay on this job. Granted, I do not have the lifts, impact wrenches and all the tools they have so their job is easier. However, it was a pretty arduous labor. I started about noon and by the time I cleaned the garage and took the truck out it was 7:30

Of course, that includes moving cars out of the garage and parking them on the street, moving the truck into the garage, researching how to do everything on line and with my (useless) Haynes Manual, driving back and forth to O'Reilley (11 miles each way in Atlanta traffic ) and cleaning up after the job. I also took pictures of the steps I took doing the job so I can post a "how to" later.

Still, I would guess that even if I had everything I needed right there, it would have probably taken me at least 1.5 ~ 2 hours to just do the job.
If money were not an issue, I would have very seriously considered having it done. However, in addition to saving some pretty good cash, I have the satisfaction of having done it and the knowledge that I did it as well as I could and used good quality parts and did not take shortcuts or did a half-assed job,