New Rotors + Pads + Install = $400-600??

[Farbin Kaiber]

I am new to the e30's but I have done a lot of break jobs and someone charging you six hundred dollars to do a brake job is ripping you off. Hell, I may be cheap but 400 sounds like a rip off to me too. Do it yourself and save a boatload of money.

You really have no idea how the automotive repar pricing system works. Go pay for your 99 dollar brake jobs at Pep Boys.

Damn you got raped! Napa will do it for around 10 to 15 bucks for both of them.

I think he means all four.

[atomic]

I think he means all four.

I did mean all 4 rotors! I don't recall exactly what I paid but it seems to have been around $12-15 per rotor and took just under an hour.

Oh and Indepenant BMW shop > NAPA turned rotors...

[Kristeun]

All you need is the right tools and the desire to do it.

Have a basic tool set to work with? Any special tools I'll need?

[Simon S]

Have a basic tool set to work with? Any special tools I'll need?

off top of head:
vaccumm bleeder is a god-send re: fluid changes (good, "while you're in there" preventative maintenance thing) (I picked up a vaccumm bleeder kit from an auto parts store for ~$20, and have happily used it on ~4 jobs thus far)

impact driver: for any rusted rotor set screws (after soaking said set screws w/ PB Blaster/WD40/etc.) (you'll find the impact driver usefull time and again if you wrench at all) (got mine at a harbor freight for ~$20 and that cheap fucker has lasted for years and numerous beatings)

while you're at any near-by auto parts store, might be good to pick up that anti-squeal adhesive goop that can be applied to back side of pads which diminish pad movement, squealing, etc. + loctite (blue) for placement on caliper hanger bolt threads when re-assembling.

another item which comes to mind is brake caliper tool that can push the piston in easily (also which I picked up at a harbor freight for ~$20). A huge C-clamp has also been known to work for this purpose.

All told, working on brakes has been one of the easiest/cheapest components I've takent the time to DIY. The real bitch jobs come when the shit hasn't been serviced in years and the time needed to beat on/soak/heat/soak more/beat on starts sucking.

[ShowStopper]

go to fap99.com

you can get brembo blanks and pbr pads for no more then 250. install them yourself

[Kristeun]

Thanks for all the help guys! Finally got them all done today. Had to drive around with just the rears replaced for a week. Job was actually very easy except for the fronts since all the bolts were completely stuck. Also my front right caliper gets stuck sometimes so I think I'm just gonna rebuild it. Do I have to do this in pairs? or can I just do one for now?

[Zmann42087]

I think I paid $50-75 bucks last summer to have that done before installing my new brakes. The process takes roughly about an hour from a reputable shop to do.

I would also get new rotor retaining screws (very cheap)...

Damn you got raped! Napa will do it for around 10 to 15 bucks for both of them.

I just do it myself using the brake lathe in the auto tech lab at my school. Costs me free-fifty-free. :mrgreen:

I've never bothered turning new rotors though. Haven't had any problems either.

[kishg]

brakes are cake, learn to swap your own. if the rotor hexnut is rusted in it will most likely strip when you go to remove it. nothing some pb blaster and heat (propane torch can be handy) can't handle. get blanks, the fancy slotted/cross-drilled is just bling. i don't bother turning new rotors, that's what brake pad bedding in is for :)

[Kristeun]

^Yea like I said I found the job pretty easy. And strangely all the rotor nuts came off instantly, almost like they were a little too loose. The ones holding the front caliper's were just a pain though.

[einstein57]

I would probably not waste the $30-80 to turn your rotors. Unless you have a race that you can't wait a few hundred miles of break in for. And invest in a cheap brake caliper compressor. Any autoparts store will have them. Best $5 you'll ever spend. Great tool to avoid chipping painted calipers (had 337 calipers on my gti)

[Mtriple]

Thanks for all the help guys! Finally got them all done today. Had to drive around with just the rears replaced for a week. Job was actually very easy except for the fronts since all the bolts were completely stuck. Also my front right caliper gets stuck sometimes so I think I'm just gonna rebuild it. Do I have to do this in pairs? or can I just do one for now?

You could certainly do one for now, but it makes more sense to do them in pairs. Easy job and rebuild kits are pretty cheap.