Front brake pads

[mph999]

Hi Guys,

Any ideas the best place to get font brake pads done in Berks area ...

Had my Volvo C30 servced yesterday, and they have advised that the front brakes will need doing at the next service - which will be 60K, so not too unhappy about that - but their cost will be around £170, which is probably fair enough for parts and labour but I wondering if anyone knows a good indy around here.

Don't have axel stands etc to do myself (well, not safely) so looking for receommendations ....

M

[Rich1973]

Sounds like they are a long way off needing doing anyway, but surely thats a bread & butter job for somewhere like kwik fit..

[Toaster Pilot]

Buy a jack and stands for about £40 and pads for £15 (plus a couple of quid for copper grease), do it yourself. Really easy job.

Just did discs and pads on my old Skoda without much hassle.

[mrmr96]

Toaster Pilot said:

Buy a jack and stands for about £40 and pads for £15 (plus a couple of quid for copper grease), do it yourself. Really easy job.

Just did discs and pads on my old Skoda without much hassle.

Pads for £15?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!??!?!!?

What are they made of, cream cheese?

[300bhp/ton]

mrmr96 said:

Toaster Pilot said:

Buy a jack and stands for about £40 and pads for £15 (plus a couple of quid for copper grease), do it yourself. Really easy job.

Just did discs and pads on my old Skoda without much hassle.

Pads for £15?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!??!?!!?

What are they made of, cream cheese?

What are yours normally made from then?

[Toaster Pilot]

mrmr96 said:

Pads for £15?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!??!?!!?

What are they made of, cream cheese?

Absolutely nothing wrong with them, granted that's for a 1.9D Skoda Felicia so pads for something newer might be more expensive.

Sounds like you've been going to the wrong places for parts.

[RizzoTheRat]

I'd have thought £30-40 per side would be more realistic, but still worth getting some stands and having a go if you're mechanically minded. Might need a separator to push the pistons back in, but some cars you just rotate them, and sometimes you can get away with a couple of G-clamps.

[mph999]

Thanks all, I suppose I should really do the myself (done plenty in the past) - set of stands / jack + parts will be a tad cheaper than any garage I suspect ...

[93Jay]

The most expensive brake pads my cars spare place had was Ferodo's for £20 and £20 to my mechanic to fit, £170 is a lot.

[STW2010]

93Jay said:

£170 is a lot.

My thoughts exactly. With the correct equipment (specifically, a lift) the garage should be able to do both sides in an hour.

Just do them yourself.

[jamieduff1981]

Not all brake pads are equal... Some are staggeringly crap actually.

Anyway, it's normally just rear calipers that need a windback tool to retract the piston and fronts are normally a dawdle.

Invest in a trolley jack and pair of axle stands and they'll be valuable items for anyone remotely interested in cars for many years to come.

[ajcj]

jamieduff1981 said:

Not all brake pads are equal... Some are staggeringly crap.

This is absolutely true. There is no quality standard you can rely on - e-marking doesn't mean much. If you want to avoid pads made from Weetabix and Pritt-stick I suggest Unipart brand, which is made to match the quality of what went on the car when it was manufactured. The shims on the back are a quality indicator (reducing vibration and noise) - look for rubber and metal. If they are just metal, or even cardboard, costs have been cut.

[spaximus]

Brake pads are variable in quality and performance. If you want OE quality then use TRW, APEX, Ferodo Bendix. Out of all of those and I work in the parts industry, TRW is what I fit to my cars. They come with every bit you need have a special coating to speed up bedding in and anti squeal fittings as standard.
They also come with an important bit, they stop better for longer than cheaper makes. If you think about it car manufacturers could fit as standard cheaper pads, they don't because they know what works repeatedly, lasts a reasonable length of time and are safe why risk your life for what is only a few pounds

[blueg33]

Halfords Auto Centre - they replace them for life and will cost a lot less than the dealer. I use them on all my cars and they will fit OEM pads if you ask.