Front Brake Job
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Front Brake Job
I just left my dealer and they quoted me $200 plus to replace the front brake pads and "machine" the rotors on my 2003 Expedition.
I stopped by Car-X on the way home and was quoted $89 and they would turn the rotors if needed for that price.
Am I missing something here? I expected the dealer to be a little more money but not that much or should I be worried about Car-X low price.
I stopped by Car-X on the way home and was quoted $89 and they would turn the rotors if needed for that price.
Am I missing something here? I expected the dealer to be a little more money but not that much or should I be worried about Car-X low price.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Brentwood,CA
well i know for a fact car x will not use the oem part nor will they turn the rotors right.
the brake pads alone are 92.34 from ford. and the expy is a royal pain to do. so the price seems fair.
the brake pads alone are 92.34 from ford. and the expy is a royal pain to do. so the price seems fair.
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brakes
I just did my front brakes on the 2001 expy and it was fairly simple. I had to take my rotors(basically fell off!) into checker auto and have them turned, $9 a piece. I replaced the pads with a mid grade semi-metallic pad that cost around $60. Put everything back together and the brakes work great. The whole job took about 2-3 hours. For $89 you are probably going to get the $19.99 pads and maybe a rotor turn. $200 doesn't sound bad if they use OEM pads and turn the rotors.
Brad
Brad
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Originally Posted by bnewkirk
...and they would turn the rotors if needed for that price...
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Thanks to all for the good information. 
I have decided to take it to the dealer and have them do it with the correct parts. I have 47000 on the truck so I can't complain. Not much sense in cutting corners with breaks.
I have decided to take it to the dealer and have them do it with the correct parts. I have 47000 on the truck so I can't complain. Not much sense in cutting corners with breaks.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Las Vegas
Spend the money, and use OEM stuff or a very high quality pad. And yes, one should always turn the rotors for the reasons stated above...Think of it like this; Gee, I spend 60.00 for some "cheap" pads (thinking, man what a deal, screw those Ford engineers who might know what it takes to stop these big monsters), and all of a sudden, this thing will not stop as well as it did before. HMMM! Good quality is just that GOOD QUALITY. Dont be scared! 
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From: Louisiana
Yesterday I forked over $569 (including tax) for a front and rear brake job at the dealership I bought my 04 Eddie Bauer. Yep, that sounds like a lot but I got the "new" pads, which supposedly cure the awful brake dust problem. The pads alone ran me $250. I'm hoping that was money well spent. By the way, do the new Ford pads substantially reduce brake dust?
Last edited by dlafleur; Oct 30, 2005 at 04:11 PM.
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Man, I use good aftermarket pads and shoes, turn rotors and replace calipers as needed, and probably still haven't spent $500 on brakes in the 29 years I've been driving. I do my own work whenever possible. I also pull a 3000+ pound boat regularly with no braking problems. Keep away from the Stealerships.
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Originally Posted by Krashed989
You should ALWAYS at least get your rotors properly lathed EVERY time you change the pads. This ensures that the pads will "mate" properly with the rotor, and will give you maximum performance out of your brakes, as well as reduce the chances that the rotor will become warped. If they said "if needed" to me I would just leave and never even think about going to them again. I wouldn't trust them with changing a light bulb.
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Lithia Springs, GA
I agree it is not absolutely necessary to turn the rotors every time. After buying the truck new, first brake job at about 35,000 miles - the rotors were as smooth as glass and well within spec, so a very simple pad swap was it. And no problems whatsoever after 25,000 more miles.
New User
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: rhode island
Yes they do..I work for Ford and have noticed a considerable difference. On my 2004 F-150 the updated pads have considerably reduced the dust. I USED to wash my wheels twice a week,now probably only once a month.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Tucson
If money is not a super tight option go to checker's and get new rotors. 29 dollars a piece if your truck build date is after 11/29/99 when they changed wheel studs. Not sure of the price on the pre 99.
Dave
Dave
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Originally Posted by holiday187
you don't have to.......this is coming from a ase certified brake specialist.
As your brakes wear down, streaks of tempered metal form in the rotors and the pads. These tempered streaks are more dense and so they wear down slower than the metal around them. This creates ridges in the pads and rotors. Normally the ridges on the one surface will fit directly inside a trough on the other surface. If you take away the ridges from one side and replace them with a flat surface (new pads), the ridges on the other surface will no longer have a trough to go into. This will cause a smaller area to contact the other surface, also the smaller contact area will undergo excessive heat build up. These two factors combined will greatly lower friction (ie. less braking power). Furthermore, since the heat is now more centralized, and builds up and cools down faster, the whole surface will start to distort (warped rotor).
editted for content
I guess you never have to, BUT it usually will save you money in the future if you do.
Also I have seen rotors that are warped right out of the box, so checking the run out is usually a good idea when you first put them on.
Last edited by Monsta; Nov 3, 2005 at 01:57 AM.