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Advice: Don't put off servicing your brakes

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by HR Dept, Dec 15, 2015.

  1. HR Dept

    HR Dept Contributing Member

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    Just got bent over for $700 worth of repairs, and right before Christmas too. Had I have just replaced the pads earlier I would've paid a fraction of that. But I allowed the rotors to wear down past spec. No one to blame but myself.

    Don't be like me. Procrastination kills, and it's even worse when you know better. Change your brake pads when you should. Merry Christmas.
     
  2. Surfguy

    Surfguy Contributing Member

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    Well...didn't you feel or hear the grinding? That's a tell-tale sign right there.

    The other thing you may not want to put off is if you have a cracked boot. Apparently, all the juice can leak out, it will rust up, and your wheel may fall off. lol
     
  3. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Contributing Member

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    The car shakes a bit when braking.

    Time to replace?
     
  4. HR Dept

    HR Dept Contributing Member

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    Of course I did. But I let "Man I should really have my replaced" go to "Is that my brakes or is my muffler dragging on the ground?"

    Shameful, I know.
     
  5. CometsWin

    CometsWin Breaker Breaker One Nine

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    I did the same thing to my car like 20 years ago. The brakes were grinding like crazy and smoking at the end. I spent about a grand to fix them, it was murder. DOH!
     
  6. Nook

    Nook Member

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    Go to Autozone.... get rotors and pads for $100.... do the work yourself in about an hour and pocket $600.
     
  7. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Could be brakes. Could be alignment. Could be wheel balancing.
     
  8. HR Dept

    HR Dept Contributing Member

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    Thought about that, but it would've took me much longer than an hour and parts would've been well over $100. Front quality front rotors on an F150 aren't cheap apparently.
     
  9. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    So, someone who has never replaced brakes or is mechanically un-inclined, can have the technical know how, ability and resources to accomplish this incredibly important task in an hour?
     
  10. mrm32

    mrm32 Member

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    This actually happened to me this weekend. Brakes had been grinding for a while luckily my rotors weren't too messed up that I needed new ones. Spent 60 bucks on break pad replacement by doing it myself.
     
  11. DonkeyMagic

    DonkeyMagic Contributing Member
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    more than likely that's an alignment issue.
     
  12. REEKO_HTOWN

    REEKO_HTOWN I'm Rich Biiiiaaatch!

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    YouTube. That's how I figure it out. Hell even my handyman dad uses YouTube to problem solve repairs.

    Btw, most big autoparts companies (autozone, o'reily) will lend you tools free of charge.
     
  13. HR Dept

    HR Dept Contributing Member

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    Just called the dealership and got a quote for over $1200. That plus lunch at Magnolia Grill while Im waiting has made me feel slightly better. Turkey bacon panini was out of this world.

    I watched a few YouTube videos on how to do it a while back, but I'd like to practice on someone else's vehicle first.
     
  14. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Contributing Member
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    What all did they replace? Did they have to replace the calipers or something?
     
  15. Bäumer

    Bäumer Contributing Member

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    YouTube has saved my ass so many times. I am pretty handy and stubborn and cheap which means I try to do everything myself. I credit 90% of what I know how to do to YouTube. People seem so shocked that there is more to YouTube than road rage compilations and cat videos.
     
  16. HR Dept

    HR Dept Contributing Member

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    Pads on all four. New rotors on front, machine smoothing on back. plus some other miscellaneous bs that totaled to about $50. At this point I just want it fixed and done right, so after haggling the price down to where it is I just said screw it.
     
  17. Rocketeer

    Rocketeer Contributing Member

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    I have a strange situation, sometimes I have to push down HARD on the brakes and most of the time it breaks normally with no excessive force. This happens about three times a week. I noticed this about two or three weeks ago, does anyone know what it might be?
     
  18. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    It is just that advice is not applicable to everyone. Especially, the one hour part. The whole task involves calling around to parts store ensuring that they have your parts in stock, driving to the parts store, waiting around for someone to help you, working with them to go though the necessary information to ensure they have the correct parts, making sure they supply you with the necessary tools to do the job, watching and re-watching the youtube video(s) to learn how to do it, having the space to actually jack up the car one wheel at a time (or perhaps 2), then performing this task on either 2 or 4 wheels.

    Not to mention, having to drive the rotors some place to have them turned.

    All the while, keeping in mind that you are working on one of the most, if not the most, important part of your car's safety system.

    One hour?
     
  19. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Fluid problem?
     
  20. Buck Turgidson

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    That's my guess.
     

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