Give me a Brake!

By Brian Klaubert and Brian Warbington

What exactly is a “brake job”, how frequently do you need one, how much should it cost, and what parts usually need to be replaced?

It is hard to say what the “average” life of a set of brakes is. If you usually drive in heavy traffic, drive faster, or if you tend to ride closer to the car in front of you, you will likely need brakes more frequently. More aggressive brake users will need brakes after 20,000 – 30,000 initial vehicle miles.  Less aggressive brake users can get 60,000 miles.  The life of the second, and subsequent, set of brakes is also impacted by the quality of brake pad used in the repair service.

Brake service is usually sold separately for the front brakes or for the rear brakes. The front brakes wear at a faster rate and will need to be serviced more times in the vehicle’s life than the rear brakes will. A typical brake service consists of removing the two brake rotors, machining the rotors on a brake lathe, removing and inspecting the brake calipers, cleaning and greasing the guide pins for the calipers, installing new brake pads in the calipers, and then reassembling the complete unit. Drum brakes need to be adjusted after initial installation, and approximately every 5,000 miles thereafter. It is also very important to adjust rear drum brakes after installing new front brakes. Most shops charge additionally for this, as it is not on the axle being worked on.

How much should a brake service cost? It is a simple function of the time allotted and the quality of brake pad used. It takes an absolute minimum of one hour to do a proper brake service on the simplest vehicles. This will be rushed, and may not get all of the cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment that should be done. This, or less, is what you will get in places that offer a very low price. A more complete service will take 1-1/2 hours. More exotic vehicles and 4x4 SUV’s will take even longer. So you can multiply the time by the shop rate to determine the labor cost.

There is a surprisingly large spread in the cost of brake pads. The best grade of brake pads will typically cost $80. These pads are manufactured to the exact material and heat treating specifications of the original vehicle manufacturer. Not surprisingly, not only does every car manufacturer have a different set of specifications, but each vehicle within a manufacturer will also be different. However, these brake pads will provide the shortest stopping distance, longest life, and least amount of squeal or noise. Some of the best brands are Bendix, Wagner, NAPA Premium, and XXX. These pads will have a warranty for performance and noise. The next grade of pads will be approximately $40 per set. These pads use moderate quality materials, and are manufactured to a more average set of specifications covering a wider range of vehicles. These pads offer slightly longer stopper distances and faster wear rates. They will be more prone to noises, either squealing or grinding. They usually will have little or no warranty. The lowest cost pads can be purchased for as little as $6 per set. These brake pads use the lowest quality of materials, without any differentiation in manufacturing or heat treating processes. These pads are very prone to causing braking problems such as chatter, shudder, and squeeling. They are typically not warranted in any manner at all.

If you pay only $49 for a brake service, how much time and what quality of brake pad do you think you have paid for and deserve?

What other parts usually need to be replaced? On most vehicles rotors can be turned at least once before needing replacement. Many vehicles can have the rotors turned twice (that is two brake services). Vehicle manufacturers publish standards for minimum thickness. It is both illegal and unsafe for shops to machine rotors below these minimums.  Our experience is approximately 20% of vehicles need new rotors. Brake caliper problems are usually evidenced by more wear on one side of the vehicle than the other, or even one pad versus another. The calipers can also show signs of hydraulic leaks. Our experience is less than 10% of vehicles require new calipers. Brake cylinders on rear drum brakes are more prone to leakage than calipers. Probably 20% of rear drum brake services require new brake cylinders, but they are much less expensive than calipers.

We hope that this information will make you a better informed consumer for brake service.

Brian Klaubert and Brian Warbington are with Christian Bros. Auto – Hamilton Mill in Dacula.