Front left wheel base on car is squealing I think it needs front brakes but was wondering how hard and how much cheaper it would be to do it myself.
2006-09-19 05:36:55 · 15 answers · asked by jimmy the saint 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It's not hard, but if you have never done it, remember that your brakes are what keep you from running into other innocent people who are not too cheap to take care of THEIR brakes
2006-09-19 05:39:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with all on the opinion that it is cheaper to do your self if you have the tools and knowledge. However being a certified mechanic, I advise you to take it to a repair shop or a person who knows what to do. There is much more to a brake system than just swapping pads and having the rotors machined. If you have an ABS system, it could get damaged if you don't do it right. I have seen several minor $150 brake jobs turn into $500-$2000 jobs because of not doing it correctly.
2006-09-20 07:18:55 · answer #2 · answered by racingfool71j 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
From the stand point of brakes and pads it's cheaper to do it yourself if you know what you are doing. Changing brakes is a relatively easy job, but you have to look at your initial start up costs.
1. Need a good set of Jack Stands! Never work on a vehicle that is off the ground with out them! $20
2. Good set of tools. Don't get cheap tools, they only lend themselves to hurting yourself. You can get an inexpensive Craftsman ratchet and socket set at Sears for $50
3. A large C-Clamp. Again I go with craftsman. $30
4. I like having a hydraulic jack, but you can use the jack that comes with the car. $25.
5. Brake Pads typically $20-$30 (Get the lifetime wear warranty ones from autozone and it will be the last set of pads you purchase if you don't go metal to metal. They don't honor the warranty if you go metal to metal)
6. I would advise turning the rotors at a machine shop or auto parts store. Typically $20 ($10 per rotor is pretty standard)
So your initial start up costs is approximately for the first brake job. $175
Each additional time you do the brakes on that vehicle yourself will cost you only $20 (the cost to get the rotors turned).
Can definitely save you money in the long run!
However if you don't know what you are doing. Killing your self in an accident or hitting something/someone is never worth it.
2006-09-19 05:47:35 · answer #3 · answered by hsueh010 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doing anything yourself is always a tradeoff. Yes, it's probably less expensive, tho not as much as you might expect. That's not figuring in your time. A mechanic can probably do the job in under an hour. How much time are you willing to spend? If you've never done it before, it might take you an entire day.
Then too, there's the cost of tools if you don't have the proper ones for your car.
And, there's the issue of liability. If you do the job and don't do it properly, there's no one to blame but yourself. Your insurance company might look at it that way too if you get in an accident.
I've done it a few times and, for me, it's not worth the aggravation. Of course, if you like to work on cars, that's another consideration.
2006-09-19 06:24:41 · answer #4 · answered by r_moulton76 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Assuming you haven't let it wear to the point that the rotors need to be resurfaced or replaced, and you have some idea of what you are doing, it's always cheaper to buy the parts and do it yourself rather than pay for the labor. Do you have the needed tools?
2006-09-19 05:41:59 · answer #5 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do it yourself. It's not very hard (find a friend that knows a bit about cars and get them to help) it took me about an hour to an hour and a half and cost me a total of about $20 (i didn't have to do my rotors) it would have cost an easy $80 to pay someone to do it, so I made nearly $50 an hour doing the job myself.
Greg
2006-09-19 05:40:22 · answer #6 · answered by Greg C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you know how to do it, it's cheaper to do it yourself. If you don't, your life, and the lives of other could hang in the balance. The extra $200 max just isn't worth that.
2006-09-19 05:45:08 · answer #7 · answered by mzJakes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
...and you magically have a brake lathe hiding around in your garage to turn your rotors?? go to a repair shop! if your brakes fail because you wanted to save $20, it's not just you you're endangering... it's everyone else on the road as well. good luck!
2006-09-19 11:49:41 · answer #8 · answered by Jennifer B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you know what you're doing then it's way cheaper to do it yourself but if you don't take it somewhere to get it fixed... you might break something or not do it right then it'll cost you more to get it all fixed...
2006-09-19 05:39:25 · answer #9 · answered by secret agent lady 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably the easiest job on a car.
2006-09-19 05:45:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋