Cheap place to get pads/discs?

[Seany88]

Its for a 320d, so nothing special needed really. Are Eurocarparts stuff decent?

[mustard]

Stick to OEM Spec stuff from the likes of ATE, Sachs etc (who make the stuff that appears in BMW boxes ) and you'll be fine

[bennno]

German, French and Swedish offer o.e. parts

bennno

[mustard]

bennno said:

German, French and Swedish offer o.e. parts

bennno

as do eurocarparts

[mat205125]

GFS or Euro Car Parts are fine, and perfectly suited to replacing for road use.

Give a ring around some other local motorfactors too though, just to compare prices.

Even better, surely everyone has a friend in the trade that can get the parts for them at cost plus VAT haven't they?

[Neil_Bolton]

As everyone else - GSF are spot on for price, but try Eurocarparts for comparison.

Bear in mind, they also don't add VAT to the price they quote you, so bear in mind the 17.5% addition.

Also something to consider is that BMW will moan that they are not BMW supplied pads and that they cannot test the pad thickness when they do the checks on your car...

[Seany88]

OEM spec it is then. About checking the thickness...i do most of it all myself anyway so nay bother there.

[mat205125]

Neil_Bolton said:

Also something to consider is that BMW will moan that they are not BMW supplied pads and that they cannot test the pad thickness when they do the checks on your car...

Which is a blatent fking lie, as a pad is a pad, and any mechanic worth £10 an hour, let alone £125, can manage this easily.

I'd never set foot in a main dealer service area. Find a local friendly Indy who will look after you for sensible money.

[Neil_Bolton]

mat205125 said:

Neil_Bolton said:

Also something to consider is that BMW will moan that they are not BMW supplied pads and that they cannot test the pad thickness when they do the checks on your car...

Which is a blatent fking lie, as a pad is a pad, and any mechanic worth £10 an hour, let alone £125, can manage this easily.

I'd never set foot in a main dealer service area. Find a local friendly Indy who will look after you for sensible money.

Yup, I raised my eyebrows when the Service centre chap told me this, and marked it down as one of those "You're clearly telling me a load cobblers, you know it, I know it, so lets just move on" things.

I changed my own pads. I'm not particularly gifted in the mechanic department, but a bit of swearing, hammering and catching my finger behind the brake disc and dust cover, and I had a fesh set of pads

Used Mintex Extreme pads (thats all that GSF had - £60) and they are very very good...

[mat205125]

Discs and pads on the front should be well withing the realms of a half competent home mechanic, and is a very satisfying job to do. Especially when you know that your morning on the drive, and couple of cuts and scrapes has saved you enough money for a weekend away in a B&B for you and the GF.

Rear discs and pads may (probably do, but haven't done a modern beemer) require a wind back tool for the piston in the caliper. It is possible to get around this, but not particularly effectively. The tool is not mega bucks, and is certainly less than the labour you are saving. Do not just get a clamp onto the piston and force it back into the caliper. You'll wreck it, and the cost of a pair of calipers is a lot more than the labour you will save!

[jamoor]

mat205125 said:

Discs and pads on the front should be well withing the realms of a half competent home mechanic, and is a very satisfying job to do. Especially when you know that your morning on the drive, and couple of cuts and scrapes has saved you enough money for a weekend away in a B&B for you and the GF.

Rear discs and pads may (probably do, but haven't done a modern beemer) require a wind back tool for the piston in the caliper. It is possible to get around this, but not particularly effectively. The tool is not mega bucks, and is certainly less than the labour you are saving. Do not just get a clamp onto the piston and force it back into the caliper. You'll wreck it, and the cost of a pair of calipers is a lot more than the labour you will save!

i usually leave the old pad there and use a g clamp

[Vee]

jamoor said:

mat205125 said:

Discs and pads on the front should be well withing the realms of a half competent home mechanic, and is a very satisfying job to do. Especially when you know that your morning on the drive, and couple of cuts and scrapes has saved you enough money for a weekend away in a B&B for you and the GF.

Rear discs and pads may (probably do, but haven't done a modern beemer) require a wind back tool for the piston in the caliper. It is possible to get around this, but not particularly effectively. The tool is not mega bucks, and is certainly less than the labour you are saving. Do not just get a clamp onto the piston and force it back into the caliper. You'll wreck it, and the cost of a pair of calipers is a lot more than the labour you will save!

i usually leave the old pad there and use a g clamp

Agreed, my 330 just needs a large G clamp to push back the piston.
My Golf however needs the windback tool mentioned above - £20 from Halfrauds.