Brake pads need changing

Supercell

Got a full service on my 02 Fabia the day before its NCT (which it passed).

The work was done by an official Skoda dealer and they were very professional and all, abeit a little dear at €350 euro.
They didn't do the brakepads at the time as they said new pads need wairing in and might cause an NCT failure. They said the pads were good for about another 1000 miles and to get them changed then , ordinarily they would have done them at the service.

I'm at 1100 miles now and am a bit worried that i'll hit the brakes some day and nothing will happen (though they feel perfectly fine - on the motor bike brakes on the way out fealt very spongy, not experienced enough in the car to know what a brake pad that needs replacing feels like).

Should I go back to the dealer for the work or is it safe enough to get a Kwik Fit type operation to do it for far less cost ?

Seth Brundle

You get what you pay for. I would trust genuine skoda pads ovewr Kwik fit yokes any day.
You could also get the pads from Otto or GSF and get another mechainc to do them - dunno whether Kwik fit would do that.

Lex Luthor

do you know if your car has brake pad wear sensors? Have they been triggered yet?

Fey!

Having experienced Kwikfit putting directional tyres on backways, I wouldn't trust them to do my brakes.

Otto do Greenstuff pads for around €100 for a 5 series BMW, which will probably, although not necessarily, be cheaper for the car (going on the theory that when a company hears a brand they up the price!). Any mechanic should be able to fit them.

sundodger5

It doesn't matter were you get the pads. All pads sold now have to conform to EU spec meaning that they have to be of similar spec to originals.
The Kwik fit yokes referred to above are the same pads you will buy in any auto factors.
Kwik fit (now fast fit) as far as i am aware no longer do brakes as they are concentrating on tyre sales. They were taken over by Bridgestone.
last bit of advice some fast fit operations in this country are sometimes nearly as expensive for mechanical work as the main dealer. Price the job before you commit to anything.
Last bit of advice do the brakes a.s.a.p as if the pads wear out completely you will also destroy the brake discs. More money and they have to be replaced in pairs.

overdriver

Why would you not do them yourself????

I just did the girlfriend's car's discs and pads - this very evening. Pretty simple, honestly.

AMurphy

While brake pads for a vehicle may last X miles on average, you could do 2X or ½X, depending on useage and terrain. So the mileage means very little. Useage and wear does.

Therefore the question you should answer is, how much pad material left on the pads. 3mm or 1/8" is about the min. Certainly they need changing if the "squeekers" are squeeking or the rivits are tearing up the disks.

Teh price of the pads does not necessarily dictate the breaking power, but may dictate the dust they create. I replaced the front pads on teh van recently with the cheapest I could find, cause I know I'll be replacing the disks soon, so did not want to be dong a premium priced job twicel. the cheap ones brake better than the OEM, but create a lot of black dust on the wheel rims.

So first off, check the thickness of hte remaining pads.

Seth Brundle

sundodger5 wrote:

The Kwik fit yokes referred to above are the same pads you will buy in any auto factors.

I would not buy yokes from any motor factors.
I tend to do a bit of research on brakes (and tyres, etc.) before buying. Just because they meet some EU spec means sweet FA. I would rather have top class disks and pads trying to stop me rather than something that was designed to meet minimum standards.

Supercell

Thanks lads, i'll call around and see how much, if the pads themselves cost about 100 euro and they're charging 200 - time for the Hynes manual to come out.
Overdriver, how big of a job is changing them?, on the bike it was a royal pain in the ass as brake lines had to be bled etc so just got them done by the local shop as it was just too much hasstle

billyk

take off wheel, take out retainer pin or spring, remove pads, push pistons back onto brake (nail bar is best), then put pads in and spring back on,
very easy dont ever pay to have it done, 1st time doing it will take no more than an hour but when you're used to it it takes 15 or 20 minutes

overdriver

Its a doddle, honestly. By the way, i used to work on a motor factors wholesalers. Parts like pads, clutches etc were ROUTINELY rebadged and put in different boxes to be sold as a dearer model. Get the cheap ones, or mid-price.

Tipsy Mac

Sounds easy enough lads.

How is the tension tightened or is there a need to? I am thinking of motorbike style breaks where there's a cable, is this the case in cars or do you just put the pads on and there's no need to ever adjust?

overdriver

"Brakes", not "breaks"!!!

They're hydraulic, so no cables. Just check the fluid level when you're done.
Is there a Haynes manual for your car?

Tipsy Mac

overdriver wrote:

"Brakes", not "breaks"!!!

They're hydraulic, so no cables. Just check the fluid level when you're done.
Is there a Haynes manual for your car?

Sorry, Brakes

Yes got a Haynes manual but always was under the impression it was best left to the pro's. I'm going to give it a go next time, seems the DIY'er can do it all bar a timing belt with fairly basic tools.

Squirrel

Brake pads and disks are easy. I was doing them on an Audi A8 on my first day of a work experience aged 15. They went on grand. Brake drums and shoes are a bit of a pain in the ass. And on the rear wheels there's the auto adjuster for the handbrake aswell, just so you know.

sundodger5

Just because they meet some EU spec means sweet FA.
The EU spec is not a minimum it means that Friction wise they have to be as close to original spec as is possible.
Making them comparable to pads you will get from the dealer.
You can get pads that will exceed original spec of course and will pay accordingly.
Lets be fair who cares how long they last as long as they stop you when needed

MercMad

I am shocked that many of you DIT'ers are encouraging someone to change their own brake pads and nobody has reminded the OP to PUMP THE PEDAL when finished.

Pump it when you have completed one side, until the pedal gets hard, may take 3 or 4 pumps !

Then do the other side. Always do one side first, so you can use the other side as reference in case you dont recall how a clip or sensor fits.

You may need a set of Allen Keys to remove the caliper, usually you can take off the bottom slider bolt and just loosen the top one and swing the assembley up out of the way, sometimes not !

This would be my way to do it,

Open the brake fluid resevoir and ensure it is not already full, because it will spill out. Chances are it will be below 1/2 which is perfect.

Loosen wheel bolts on one side, jack the car and support it with an axle stand.

Observe if there are any brake pad wear sensors, and gently remove as/if neccesary. these things can be fragile and if they are broken the light will stay on unless you short it out.

Before dissaembling anything take a large screwdriver/pry bar and 'gently' prise back the piston, usually on the inner side, all the way..........slowly. If you do it too fast you risk damaging the master cylinder.

Unbolt the floating part of the caliper, NOT the bolts that connect it to the hub or the ones that keep both sides of the caliper together. This will be obvious but I thought I'd mention it anyway. There may be little rubber covers over the retainers.

Remove one pad at a time and refit any shims present to the new set up. Use some copper grease on the contact surfaces on the back of the pad/shim only and avoid getting any onto the friction lining or disc. the contact surface will be obvious because it will be the area free of dirt. Do the other pad the same way.

Refit is a reversal of the above and use new bolts if supplied with the pad set or else a very small amount of thread lock on the bolts is a good idea. Do not overtighten these.

Refit the sensor and rubber covers if present.

Ensure the pads are fitted correctly, with the lining touching the disc, I know its obvious but I've seen it done incorrectly many times !!

It helps if you can get the entire front end off the ground on axle stands first as you can then ensure that things are refitted correctly before moving on to the next side !

Remember to pump the pedal when you are finished before moving the car. Check the brake fluid level and refit the cap.

As you slowly move ensure the brakes do actually stop the car ! Also the pedal will seem a little softer for the first 50 miles or so and you should avoid heavy braking, but do press them firmly occasionally when nobody is behind you.

If you do the above you have less chance of making a mistake but if you DO have an accident its your problem, not mine, I am only telling you the way I would do it from memory !

I would also recommend you sue a good quality OE type Brake Pad such as Pagid, Tarox, ATE or EBC.These generally come with replacement sensors, screws, shims etc... and are well worth it but do check the cost of the main dealers too. I have been surprised that Opel and Mercedes pads are cheaper form the dealers occasionally !

Good luck !

Supercell

Thanks for the detailed post MercMad, Saturday is brake change day, I'll be rereading your post for sure!!

overdriver

MercMad wrote:

I am shocked that many of you DIT'ers are encouraging someone to change their own brake pads and nobody has reminded the OP to PUMP THE PEDAL when finished.


!

Imagine my horror as I drifted out of the driveway and tried to stop, but the pedal went to the floor!!!!

Pulled the handbrake and pumped the brakes til they came back, but it was a brown-trouser moment.

johnjohn3423

I rang up an opel dealer down the country for the cost of rear brake pads for a vectra.
€35 plus vat was the price given.
And a front set was €65 plus vat.
I was just wondering it is usual for the back brakes to cost less than the front ones?
I know the front do more of the breaking but I thought they would be the same item; just the front would wear out quicker.
I rang up an opel dealer in Dublin and the price given for a set of rear brake pads was €65 plus vat.
So im just wondering was I given the incorrect price by the opel dealer down the country, but he specifically said a set of rear brake pads.

kbannon

kbannon wrote: »

I would not buy yokes from any motor factors.
I tend to do a bit of research on brakes (and tyres, etc.) before buying. Just because they meet some EU spec means sweet FA. I would rather have top class disks and pads trying to stop me rather than something that was designed to meet minimum standards.

I put the pads from OTTO on my 3 series last time around. I have 20k miles of fairly hard driving on them and I cannot fault them for wear or stopping ability.

dodzy

johnjohn3423 wrote: »

I rang up an opel dealer down the country for the cost of rear brake pads for a vectra.
€35 plus vat was the price given.
And a front set was €65 plus vat.

I was just wondering it is usual for the back brakes to cost less than the front ones?

Yes, this is normal, although I'm surprised with the price difference you were quoted

I know the front do more of the breaking but I thought they would be the same item; just the front would wear out quicker.

Nope, front are larger.

I rang up an opel dealer in Dublin and the price given for a set of rear brake pads was €65 plus vat.

supply only i'm sure. You'll get them far cheaper from local M/F

DublinDilbert

dodzy wrote: »

supply only i'm sure. You'll get them far cheaper from local M/F

+1

I done the rear pads on the Peugot 307 recently, the cost of the pads varied:-

• From dealer €55 + Vat (€66)
• From motor factors in blanch village €35 (inc VAT)
• From finglas auto parts €25 (inc VAT)

Not giving a dealer an extra €41 euro priceless


When I went to finglas auto parts and got them, they were made/branded by bosch.

Muckie

If your going to change your brake pads, dont forget to pop the
bonnet, open the brake fluid reservoir, put a cloth around it,because
sometimes they overflow a bit once you start pushing the brake piston
back in, an hour taking your time and you'll have the job done.

corktina

overdriver wrote: »

"Brakes", not "breaks"!!!

They're hydraulic, so no cables. Just check the fluid level when you're done.
Is there a Haynes manual for your car?

check the level before you start as well in case its very high...pushing in the pistons will cause the level to rise and you dont want corrosive fluid running all over your engine bay. Should be OK , but just be aware of it.

Really is an easy job, shouldnt take more than an hour

johnjohn3423

Thanks for the replies.
I will let ye know once I have the job done.