Saving money by fitting your own pads

mick15

Hi,guys. I'm a local taxi driver in the swords area.my rear brakes went on my car last Saturday and as it was a long weekend , my machnic was not available until Tuesday ,so already having had a bad experience with advanced tyres swords ,I was left with no alternative.
So I arrived in and asked for a quote. My quote was 219 euro for pads and rotors. I asked there non lookinging Irish man ,how did he know I needed rotors without even inspecting the car.KNOWING that my rotors(discs) had been replaced on my last brake change, he quoted me 120 euro for back pads.the guy told me the pads where 49 euro plus vat.
Already having priced pads for 20 euro ,in swords motor factors ,I informed there counter sales rip off merchant, that he should buy the pads from them.
This company is a Rip Off.
Spurious pads last the exact if not better than original pads.
Anyway, I fitted the pads myself, it took me 2 hour's as I had not done rear pads before,... 20 euro.

People ,,BE AWARE of this RIP OFF company

ba_barabus

In what way did the rear brakes just fail? Just curious

mickdw

mick15 wrote: »

Hi,guys. I'm a local taxi driver in the swords area.my rear brakes went on my car last Saturday and as it was a long weekend , my machnic was not available until Tuesday ,so already having had a bad experience with advanced tyres swords ,I was left with no alternative.
So I arrived in and asked for a quote. My quote was 219 euro for pads and rotors. I asked there non lookinging Irish man ,how did he know I needed rotors without even inspecting the car.KNOWING that my rotors(discs) had been replaced on my last brake change, he quoted me 120 euro for back pads.the guy told me the pads where 49 euro plus vat.
Already having priced pads for 20 euro ,in swords motor factors ,I informed there counter sales rip off merchant, that he should buy the pads from them.
This company is a Rip Off.
Spurious pads last the exact if not better than original pads.
Anyway, I fitted the pads myself, it took me 2 hour's as I had not done rear pads before,... 20 euro.

People ,,BE AWARE of this RIP OFF company

There are spurious pads and there are spurious pads. At 20 euro, you got the cheapest brand in the shop possibly.
Anyway, I'm not going to stand up for advance pit stop but you cannot compare the price of pads v the price of pads and labour and then call it a rip off.
Quoting for discs without looking at the car is an absolute joke.
Is it possible though that your worn pads had half eaten the disc as when you say your brakes suddenly failed, was it that it suddenly went metal on metal?

Special Circumstances

"All the taxi drivers are using these pads .... "
"All the taxi drivers are using these tyres ..."

biko

Moved out from old thread on Adv Pitstop.

Yes, using a garage is much more expensive than fitting the pads yourself.
Welcome to DIY and saving money on learning to fix your own car.

What pads are you getting for 20 euro?

barneygumble99

Am I the only one who finds its a bit strange to have a public service vehicle with brakes being replaced by someone who had never done brakes before?? Its not like changing a wiper blade, or bulb or topping up oil. How does someone who has never done brakes before, under no guidance, know if they have been fitted correctly??

Celly Smunt

In my experience advanced pitstop have a habit of finding problems that aren't there. Go to an indy and get him to change the pads for you.

As for cheap pads, they all have to be manufactured to a certain specification that is beyond safe so I wouldn't get too hung up on whether they cheap or not.

Mycroft H

Changing pads isn't exactly rocket science. Anyone with a hanyes manual can manage on most cars...

pippip

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds its a bit strange to have a public service vehicle with brakes being replaced by someone who had never done brakes before?? Its not like changing a wiper blade, or bulb or topping up oil. How does someone who has never done brakes before, under no guidance, know if they have been fitted correctly??

In fairness they're pretty simple once you know how and there are millions of guides online.

As for knowing if correctly fitted, theres really only one way they can go, they're either right or you can't get them in.

But i would say I don't fully trust the op's story is "genuine" (first post naming company doubts). And I certainly don't think I bother fitting pads for €20.....you'll just be back buying another set in no time at all.

George Dalton

What an absolutely ridiculous post. Using your logic:

Pubs are a rip off.
Pubs want €5 for a pint of Heineken but I can buy a can in the off licence for €2.

Chippers now, they are even worse than pubs!
My local chipper charges €5 for a burger but I can buy one in the butcher's for €1.

But the worst of all have to be the taxi drivers.
I paid €20 for a taxi home last weekend, I could have drove myself and only spent €1 on petrol

Those taxi drivers are the biggest rip off merchants going :P :pac:

pippip

I think the op was more getting at them saying the pads were €49 before fitting but yeh I think overall they're comparing €20 to €120 which as you said is ridiculous to compare.

George Dalton

pippip wrote: »

I think the op was more getting at them saying the pads were €49 before fitting.

Well sure if one is too tight to pay for Heineken they can always go for the Tesco value lager. Still 5% abv, does the same job :pac:

The Muppet

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds its a bit strange to have a public service vehicle with brakes being replaced by someone who had never done brakes before?? Its not like changing a wiper blade, or bulb or topping up oil. How does someone who has never done brakes before, under no guidance, know if they have been fitted correctly??

It's no different to changing a bulb or wiper blade tbh. Changing disk pads is a simple job .

mickdw

The Muppet wrote: »

It's no different to changing a bulb or wiper blade tbh. Changing disk pads is a simple job .

While I agree that it's a simple job, the quality of the job can vary greatly depending on pads used and person who does it.
I once saw a landcruiser with pad put on backwards meaning the back plate was running on the disc.
Less obvious stuff like pads being battered into place and wedged into the carrier or pads being replaced and seized sliders being ignored etc
You could come away with new pads and really have had a terrible job done. The really cheap pads are often terrible in terms of fit.

Duke O Smiley

mick15 wrote: »

Hi,guys. I'm a local taxi driver in the swords area.my rear brakes went on my car last Saturday and as it was a long weekend , my machnic was not available until Tuesday ,so already having had a bad experience with advanced tyres swords ,I was left with no alternative.
So I arrived in and asked for a quote. My quote was 219 euro for pads and rotors. I asked there non lookinging Irish man ,how did he know I needed rotors without even inspecting the car.KNOWING that my rotors(discs) had been replaced on my last brake change, he quoted me 120 euro for back pads.the guy told me the pads where 49 euro plus vat.
Already having priced pads for 20 euro ,in swords motor factors ,I informed there counter sales rip off merchant, that he should buy the pads from them.
This company is a Rip Off.
Spurious pads last the exact if not better than original pads.
Anyway, I fitted the pads myself, it took me 2 hour's as I had not done rear pads before,... 20 euro.

People ,,BE AWARE of this RIP OFF company

Ehhh, I dunno if I'm picking this up wrong or what, but, ehhh

9935452

mickdw wrote: »

While I agree that it's a simple job, the quality of the job can vary greatly depending on pads used and person who does it.
I once saw a landcruiser with pad put on backwards meaning the back plate was running on the disc.
Less obvious stuff like pads being battered into place and wedged into the carrier or pads being replaced and seized sliders being ignored etc
You could come away with new pads and really have had a terrible job done. The really cheap pads are often terrible in terms of fit.

If it was me id let the garage change the pads as my worry would be why did they fail all of a sudden, it could be the likes of a sticking calipers and might only last a few thousand miles . this in my opinion makes the job he did a potentially dangerous one.

blade1

George Dalton wrote: »

What an absolutely ridiculous post. Using your logic:

Pubs are a rip off.
Pubs want €5 for a pint of Heineken but I can buy a can in the off licence for €2.

Chippers now, they are even worse than pubs!
My local chipper charges €5 for a burger but I can buy one in the butcher's for €1.

But the worst of all have to be the taxi drivers.
I paid €20 for a taxi home last weekend, I could have drove myself and only spent €1 on petrol

Those taxi drivers are the biggest rip off merchants going :P :pac:

Hahaha!!
Touché OP! Touché!

SCOOP 64

The Muppet wrote: »

It's no different to changing a bulb or wiper blade tbh. Changing disk pads is a simple job .

I wouldn't say no different from changing bulbs /wipers to changing pads,
still have to push back calipers and bleed brakes in most cases.
most people will change bulbs and wipers,but wouldn't recommend most people to do there own brakes.

nc19

mickdw wrote:

.......Quoting for discs without looking at the car is an absolute joke......

not if the fella heard the taxi on the way in and the brakes were grinding. No need to look in that case. Any damage to the disc is too much damage.


So now we have a PSV driving around with possible dangerous rear brakes because no qualified person inspected them!!!!!

Don't get me wrong, advance are a waste of space but not all these types of places are the same

nc19

pippip wrote:

As for knowing if correctly fitted, theres really only one way they can go, they're either right or you can't get them in.

You mustn't be in the trade!!! The things I've seen would make you cry...

visual

nc19 wrote: »

You mustn't be in the trade!!! The things I've seen would make you cry...

What I've seen done in the "trade" would be just as bad but what makes it worse is that they should know better.

Tony Beetroot

George Dalton wrote: »

What an absolutely ridiculous post. Using your logic:

Your analogies are just as ridiculous.

Pubs are a rip off.
Pubs want €5 for a pint of Heineken but I can buy a can in the off licence for €2.

Pubs are a business, have overheads all kind of expenses. You being a business man should know that.

Chippers now, they are even worse than pubs!
My local chipper charges €5 for a burger but I can buy one in the butcher's for €1.

The one you get in the butchers is a raw piece of meat, the one you get in the chipper is cooked and all the trimmings.

But the worst of all have to be the taxi drivers.
I paid €20 for a taxi home last weekend, I could have drove myself and only spent €1 on petrol

You are paying for a service, are you expecting the taxi man just to work for the price of fuel?

Darpa

mick15 wrote: »

Hi,guys. I'm a local taxi driver in the swords area.my rear brakes went on my car last Saturday and as it was a long weekend , my machnic was not available until Tuesday ,so already having had a bad experience with advanced tyres swords ,I was left with no alternative.
So I arrived in and asked for a quote. My quote was 219 euro for pads and rotors. I asked there non lookinging Irish man ,how did he know I needed rotors without even inspecting the car.KNOWING that my rotors(discs) had been replaced on my last brake change, he quoted me 120 euro for back pads.the guy told me the pads where 49 euro plus vat.
Already having priced pads for 20 euro ,in swords motor factors ,I informed there counter sales rip off merchant, that he should buy the pads from them.
This company is a Rip Off.
Spurious pads last the exact if not better than original pads.
Anyway, I fitted the pads myself, it took me 2 hour's as I had not done rear pads before,... 20 euro.

People ,,BE AWARE of this RIP OFF company

Advance vary greatly in quality from outlet to outlet and the staff employed. We've one nearby that are grand, two Irish lads and a Polish guy, but others I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

pippip

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Your analogies are just as ridiculous.



Pubs are a business, have overheads all kind of expenses. You being a business man should know that.



The one you get in the butchers is a raw piece of meat, the one you get in the chipper is cooked and all the trimmings.



You are paying for a service, are you expecting the taxi man just to work for the price of fuel?

I think you missed his point completely.... your comments just explain what he was saying?

George Dalton

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Your analogies are just as ridiculous.

I was using my ridiculous analogies to illustrate how ridiculous I considered the post made by the OP (who is a taxi driver hence the tongue in cheek taxi driver dig)

Surely you didn't think I was actually being serious with my post?

ShaunieVW

Garages have overheads too, staff, electricity, tools and many many teabags.

James Bond Junior

I pay trade price for my parts. I put pads and discs on my focus the other day. 74 for mintex pads and discs. 30 then for fitting. €104 in total. 219 for a place with overheads and trying to make a bit of a profit too is a bit steep but you don't go into advance expecting cheap prices.

166man

Whatever about the margin Advance are hoping to make (you surely can't blame them, they are in the business of trying to make money...), I think this post highlights a much greater issue.

How come a PSV vehicle is able to be worked on by someone with no mechanical qualifications whatsoever, before going back out to collect members of the public? I have little time for the taxi industry in Ireland but this is just a farce, honestly.

You'd wonder sometimes.....

pred racer

166man wrote: »

Whatever about the margin Advance are hoping to make (you surely can't blame them, they are in the business of trying to make money...), I think this post highlights a much greater issue.

How come a PSV vehicle is able to be worked on by someone with no mechanical qualifications whatsoever, before going back out to collect members of the public? I have little time for the taxi industry in Ireland but this is just a farce, honestly.

You'd wonder sometimes.....

ah stop, a shaved monkey could change a set of brake pads, its hardly rocket science!

and if by some miracle you do it wrong, its not like he's not gonna notice until next week;)

166man

166man wrote: »

Whatever about the margin Advance are hoping to make (you surely can't blame them, they are in the business of trying to make money...), I think this post highlights a much greater issue.

How come a PSV vehicle is able to be worked on by someone with no mechanical qualifications whatsoever, before going back out to collect members of the public? I have little time for the taxi industry in Ireland but this is just a farce, honestly.

You'd wonder sometimes.....

My neighbour had 580k miles on his taxi, it was a 2002 avensis, he did most of the maintenance work himself over the years, no mechanical qualifications.

Considering the extra mileage only a taxi is about 6 times more likely to be in an accident, considering half the time they have no passengers a taxi man working in his car is 12 times the farce of a normal Joe similarly qualified working on his imo

Youve done pads on a few cars lately IIRC so maybe 4 times the farce compared to yourself

166man

pred racer wrote: »

ah stop, a shaved monkey could change a set of brake pads, its hardly rocket science!

and if by some miracle you do it wrong, its not like he's not gonna notice until next week;)

I understand that they're easy, don't get me wrong, I just feel a PSV should have minimum requirements, like other PSV vehicles.

Augeo wrote: »

My neighbour had 580k miles on his taxi, it was a 2002 avensis, he did most of the maintenance work himself over the years, no mechanical qualifications.

Considering the extra mileage only a taxi is about 6 times more likely to be in an accident, considering half the time they have no passengers a taxi man working in his car is 12 times the farce of a normal Joe similarly qualified working on his imo

Youve done pads on a few cars lately IIRC so maybe 4 times the farce compared to yourself

That's great for him, fair play, he obviously knew what he was doing. But not all taximen are like that.

I really don't know what the rest of your post is talking about tbh so I'm just going to move on

It is a personal opinion of mine that PSV taxis should meet minimum requirements. The current system is a joke, cars going around with bald tyres, bumpers hanging off the,, cracked windscreens etc etc.

Mycroft H

They go through an NCT sure? Bald Tyres, bumpers and windcreens would all be picked up like that. If you think buses are all a bed of roses, think again.

quadrifoglio verde

166man wrote: »

I understand that they're easy, don't get me wrong, I just feel a PSV should have minimum requirements, like other PSV vehicles.




That's great for him, fair play, he obviously knew what he was doing. But not all taximen are like that.

I really don't know what the rest of your post is talking about tbh so I'm just going to move on

It is a personal opinion of mine that PSV taxis should meet minimum requirements. The current system is a joke, cars going around with bald tyres, bumpers hanging off the,, cracked windscreens etc etc.

In that case shouldn't any car on the road. What makes a psv with dodgy brakes because they were fitted incorrectly any different to any other car? I crash I do damage, he crashes he does damage.
I mightnt carry paying passengers, but I still carry passengers from time to time.
Should we ban everyone from doing any work on their cars because they could do it wrong and cause an accident resulting in many deaths or maiming?

mick15

biko wrote: »

Moved out from old thread on Adv Pitstop.

Yes, using a garage is much more expensive than fitting the pads yourself.
Welcome to DIY and saving money on learning to fix your own car.

What pads are you getting for 20 euro?

There nissian pads and the only pads they hold in stock.original pads would have had to be ordered in and driving professionally for 20 years I can tell you spurious pads last the same time as original pads.

mick15

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds its a bit strange to have a public service vehicle with brakes being replaced by someone who had never done brakes before?? Its not like changing a wiper blade, or bulb or topping up oil. How does someone who has never done brakes before, under no guidance, know if they have been fitted correctly??

I have done brakes before, just not rear ones on this vehicle, the method is similar on most vehicle.the only difference with these brakes is the piston has to be twisted while be pushed back.
The internet is an encyclopedia of information , you should try it sometime if you have a problem.
You sound like a begrudger, I wouldn't be surprised if you work for this company.

mick15

pippip wrote: »

In fairness they're pretty simple once you know how and there are millions of guides online.

As for knowing if correctly fitted, theres really only one way they can go, they're either right or you can't get them in.

But i would say I don't fully trust the op's story is "genuine" (first post naming company doubts). And I certainly don't think I bother fitting pads for €20.....you'll just be back buying another set in no time at all.

What part of the story do you think is not genuine?.

The Backwards Man

Good mechanics are like hen's teeth, I can count the ones I know of on one hand, and only go to them in an emergency or for a big job, as they usually have work queued out the door. Far too many of the 'tighten one nut, loosen two' variety. I would never dream of going to a mechanic to change brake pads. Brake pipes maybe, if they're awkward enough.

All PSVs are tested every year, older vehicles twice a year. Though I wouldn't consider the NCT a stringent examination of a car's road worthiness, it's a lot more than private cars get.

pippip

mick15 wrote: »

What part of the story do you think is not genuine?.

Don't take offense...I trust its genuine now as you're back continuing the thread. 9 times out of 10 when a first time poster starts a thread naming a company and critising them the person has a more sinister motive. You generally also get a load of old threads being dragged up with said company again being bad mouthed.

tossy

mick15 wrote: »

I asked there non lookinging Irish man

Was he blind?

Kenny Logins

tossy wrote: »

Was he blind?

No, just wasn't looking.

zzantara

If the Guy put a sign up in his Taxi saying, FOR YOUR SAFETY and SECURITY "
" In order to save money I bought the cheapest possible set of Brake Pads and because i did not want to pay a trained/qualified person to fit them I did the job myself, it's my first go at this but it's "probably" ok"
I WILL be charging you the Full/Normal Taxi fare for this journey.
If my Brakes fail I am absolutely positive that my Insurance Company will be fine with my repair - I hope- and if they won't pay and you have a claim for Injuries because of my amateur repairs --- sure I will cover It ! , sure didn't I save €50 , wasn't it all worth it ?????

mick15

OK.as in my original post,I correct myself in explaining the suitation. I have changed brake pads before, not rear one's on this vehicle. Most brake pads I've changed are very similar, the piston on this vehicle need to be twisted and pushed back at the same time not like other cars I have worked on,as for the comment that monkeys could do this job ,yes if trained,not rocket science.as off the comment of using spurious pads,anyone not using a main dealer probably and very likely has spurious brake pads fitted to there car.as of the comment about the non looking Irish man that can see around corners, when he suggested I need rotors, looked Pakistan, spoke with a Pakistan accent and I don't know if he was blind,what that has to do with looking Irish I don't know..as of the comment about rip off taxi drivers, get onto the nta, 100% of drivers I spoke with did not agree on the latest price change.as for barney rubble,what time do advanced tyres close.
My objective in my op was to warn people of rip off company's,like Advanced tyres. Not for criticism from people who have nothing else to do in work but check there emails.most taxi drivers I know work 70 hour weeks and can not afford to lose out on a weekend night due to there car being off thee road.
Any critics out there, your more than welcome to use advanced tyres, let us know how you get on.

beauf

zzantara wrote: »

If the Guy put a sign up in his Taxi saying, FOR YOUR SAFETY and SECURITY "
" In order to save money I bought the cheapest possible set of Brake Pads and because i did not want to pay a trained/qualified person to fit them I did the job myself, it's my first go at this but it's "probably" ok"
I WILL be charging you the Full/Normal Taxi fare for this journey.
If my Brakes fail I am absolutely positive that my Insurance Company will be fine with my repair - I hope- and if they won't pay and you have a claim for Injuries because of my amateur repairs --- sure I will cover It ! , sure didn't I save €50 , wasn't it all worth it ?????

You seem to be implying that just because something is expensive, its better, and just because something is cheaper its of a lesser quality.

http://www.theaa.ie/blog/aa-mystery-shop-shows-serious-failings-in-servicing-standards/

My own experience of main dealers has been very poor, in terms of the quality of work and parts. Some even fitting spurious parts but charging the price of OEM parts, without informing the owner that they were doing so. So I wouldn't jump to assumptions and scaremongering.

Toyotafanboi

beauf wrote: »

You seem to be implying that just because something is expensive, its better, and just because something is cheaper its of a lesser quality.

What he seems to be implying is that repairing the brakes on your car to save €50 when you openly admit you don't really know what you are doing is probably not the best idea, particularly so when said car is a taxi.

No mention of main dealers or being fleeced, there is a certain something to be said for paying a qualified person to carry out a job that could lead to serious consequences if not carried out correctly, that you can't do yourself.

beauf

See that is scaremongering again. Its a car. It gets tested. OP didn't say they didn't know what they were doing. There's poor quality professionals. No need to make stuff up. The thread isn't about the perils of DIY servicing. TBH that its a taxi isn't relevant either. Its about how he was quoted for the work. Yes you can't directly compare the costs of DIY and a Garage. It really about how to get a quote and the correct process for dealing with a garage and/or mechanic.

If you get a quote or response you're not happy with you should walk out of the place. That's all there is to it.

Fleeced?

tossy

mick15 wrote: »

.as of the comment about the non looking Irish man that can see around corners, when he suggested I need rotors, looked Pakistan, spoke with a Pakistan accent and I don't know if he was blind,what that has to do with looking Irish .

What has the way he looks or sounds got to do with brake pads? Do they not have brake pads in Pakistan ? We only have brake pads in Ireland is that it? Anyone from anywhere else clearly shouldn't be meddling in grown mans business.

jca

George Dalton wrote: »

Well sure if one is too tight to pay for Heineken they can always go for the Tesco value lager. Still 5% abv, does the same job :pac:

Except you can't go to work the next day as you'll need to be within a 5 Ft radius of the Jaxx.

mickdw

zzantara wrote: »

If the Guy put a sign up in his Taxi saying, FOR YOUR SAFETY and SECURITY "
" In order to save money I bought the cheapest possible set of Brake Pads and because i did not want to pay a trained/qualified person to fit them I did the job myself, it's my first go at this but it's "probably" ok"
I WILL be charging you the Full/Normal Taxi fare for this journey.
If my Brakes fail I am absolutely positive that my Insurance Company will be fine with my repair - I hope- and if they won't pay and you have a claim for Injuries because of my amateur repairs --- sure I will cover It ! , sure didn't I save €50 , wasn't it all worth it ?????

Just to correct you there, other parties will always be covered when insurance is in place. Even if the taxi man sticks his wheels on with chewing gum and a passenger was injured, the insurance company are bound to pay out. Sure they can chase taxi driver to recover costs and he will likely get jailed for having endangered the public but it is not correct to say that his insurance won't pay out

The Muppet

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

No mention of main dealers or being fleeced, there is a certain something to be said for paying a qualified person to carry out a job that could lead to serious consequences if not carried out correctly, that you can't do yourself.

A monkey with a spanner and a wind back tool could change brake pads stop trying to make out it a difficult thing to do properly, it's not.

How do you know the pads he was quoted for are of superior quality to the ones he got in he motor factors. I'm from swords myself and I'd take the advice from the guys in my local motor factors over the employees of the company named in the op every time .

166man

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

In that case shouldn't any car on the road. What makes a psv with dodgy brakes because they were fitted incorrectly any different to any other car? I crash I do damage, he crashes he does damage.
I mightnt carry paying passengers, but I still carry passengers from time to time.
Should we ban everyone from doing any work on their cars because they could do it wrong and cause an accident resulting in many deaths or maiming?

Do you not get the paying customer part?

If I'm paying an airline for a flight, do I want to know that the wheels and tyres have been checked by someone who has once fixed a puncture in his car, or a chap that has been trained professionally and knows exactly what he's doing?

In an idea, world people should be trained to work on their cars, otherwise not work on them...

The Backwards Man

166man wrote: »

Do you not get the paying customer part?

If I'm paying an airline for a flight, do I want to know that the wheels and tyres have been checked by someone who has once fixed a puncture in his car, or a chap that has been trained professionally and knows exactly what he's doing?

In an idea, world people should be trained to work on their cars, otherwise not work on them...

I'd rather a pilot that knew the ins and outs of his plane than one that just took the word of the lowest bidding ground crew.