Another brake question

[makizoo]

04 Rubi is in the shop for 18K mile service. Dealer says squeaking from front end is due to bad bushing in front drive shaft which is covered under warranty ;D and front brakes are shot. Pads are > 90% warn and rotors are too badly scored to turn without risk of warping. They want $495 to replace front brakes and rotors.

A couple o questions:
1. Is it normal for rotors to be this bad at 18K?
2. How much can I save by doing the brakes myself?
3. Are slotted rotors and ceramic pads worth the money to upgrade or will they get trashed just as fast from sand/mud?
4. This dealer has covered a lot of questionable repairs under warranty including the new DS. I know they get screwed on labor rates for warranty. So is it worth it to freeze my arse off doing the rotors myself, or should I throw the dealer a bone and let them do the work?
Thanks for any advice!
Sean

[bluerocket]

It is not normal at 18k in my experiance.
You can do the brakes yourself FAR cheaper than that, and its not hard.

I would say probably about $30 for front pads, 60$ for 2 rotors? You can look them up online at autozone and see if they have them instock.

[J.T.Woody]

$500 to do front brakes?

Where's the vaseline? You're gonna need it.

www.AutoZone.com prices:

Front rotors= $55.99x2
Front pads= anywhere from $25 to $39 for the front set (both sides come in the box).

So, figure $120 for 2 rotors, plus pads. You could do the entire job for well under $200.

It's up to you. I'm sure you could get by a bit longer on the brakes...dealers like to scare people into doing stuff (oh! they're 90% garbage. We need to replace them NOW).

[1BadTJ]

you can prolly get by for a while on your brakes. you should definitly do it yourself. if the dealer has been okay w/ you in the past let em do your oil changes and tire rotations. brakes are easy money, they try to sell em to everyone. Just do the pads and take a grinder to the edge of the rotors. just to get rid of that little lip on the edge. you'll be all set.

[angler]

495 is a lot of $ for brakes. My TJ is getting brakes done today for the first time @ 65k miles. $122 for parts (pads and rotors) and 2 hours to install.

[dsgray16]

2 hours to install!!!?? you may be getting taken for a ride....last time i did my pads i think it took me 15min a side tops

[angler]

I'm sure you are right. Everyone likes to enjoy a few beers in the process of changing brakes tho.

[jeepgod]

brakes are easy money, they try to sell em to everyone

aren't you a service writer for chrysler?

uhmmmmm . . . yea this 1badtj from "so an so" chrysler jeep it looks like you will need new brakes. wink, wink, nod, nod to the service manager. ;D

[jps4jeep]

I can change those pads in my sleep! $500, no way tell them to go pound sand! If you are not farmiliar with them, I can travel, or tell ya how to do them, very easy. If you have changed a tirem, ya can change pads and rotors!

[chrometj]

Im sure someone on here would give you a hand doing your front brakes! Its very simple wrenching, and I'm sure you can figure it out! I'll give you a hand if you're local! I wouldn't waste your money at the dealer!

Mike

[slab42]

my mechanic friend who tightened up my e brake told me that my rears are almost done, he said that the rear discs are expensive, since they were not on all jeeps, and are failry new. dealer price for rear pads-$160 cuz i guess they are ceramic. price from my friend at napa-$60. oh, and my friend told me that the rotors can't be turned either... so replace the pads before they gouge the rotors.

Something has to be misadjusted, why would the rear pads go before the fronts? I dunno! oh, and my rubi has 35k miles on it, and the brakes are just needing to be done... 18k is too low, something is wrong, or you need to keep the left foot off the brakes!

[jps4jeep]

WOW I got 110,000 miles out of my rear brakes... do you guys ever compression brake?

[makizoo]

Soooooo, I bought pads and rotors at CAP for $130. Did the install in about an hour. Noticed that it was much harder to push the caliper piston in on the passenger side than on the drivers side. Went for a test ride and and the second time I hit the brakes the passenger side seized up. Drove home for ~1/2 a mile smoking my new pads and rotors the whole way
Tried to buy a new caliper but CAP and Autozone don't stock and said it should be warranteeed any way. So back into the garage switch back to all oem and bring to the dealer anyway. Waiting for a call from the service manager

[makizoo]

This $@# just keeps getting better. So they will take off the caliper and replace the caliper under warranty, but they won't cover the pads and rotors. I'm going to have them just give me the part. But to add salt to the wound they say my slight driveline vibe is coming from the rear passenger side. Bent axle shaft! Quoted for shaft, bearing seal and collar and 3.5 hrs labor $775.
Any recommendations for an upgrade? Are they really that easy to bend? Any one want to help with a wrench fest in mid Feb?

[slab42]

the axle shaft should be covered under warranty... drian broke his axle shaft on his rubi, and they replaced it free... 7/70 on the drivetrain, including the rear axle! If you b**** enough about the fact that the caliper caused the wear on your pads/rotors, they will replace them. they just dont want to. I had my clutch hydraulic assy replaced under warranty, and a few months later, my clutch was almost gone. after telling them that I am not paying for a new clutch (a week of arguing) they replaced the clutch/pres. plate under warranty.