I need NEW BRAKE PADS. Cheapest place to get?

[R4pture]

Hi
I own a FORD KA s reg (terrble isn't it? lol )
I have recenty noticed a scraping sound which seems to signal the death of the brakes.
Just wondering if anyone could reccomend the cheapest place to get this work done. I ventured into Quick Fit today and nearly ended up having a heart attack when they told me it would cost near on £160 surely thats a rip off.
I live in NOTTINGHAM by the way
Please HELP :(

[Nile]

Hello R4pture

I'll move your thread to the 'Motoring & Public Transport' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009335#post1009335)) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com (abuse@moneysavingexpert.com).

Regards

Nile

[blue_haddock]

Thats a total rip-off. I could supply you with new discs for £8+ vat each and pads for £10+ vat the set. including delivery and vat you'd be looking at £42.30

Fitting is at most an hour for the full job so maybe £30 at a small garage. Realistically your looking at £75 tops for new front discs and pads.

[CHR15]

Thats Quick fit for you!!!! Bunch of crooks

I needed new front pads on my Ford Mondeo. They are an easy swap but as it had rained almost constantly for days and was dark by the time I finished work I thought I would throw it in kwik fit and just pay them to do it.

New front pads in Halfords were £35 so I was expecting about £60-70.

I was staggered to be quoted over £300 !!!!!!
I hardly felt it necessary to argue about it, I told him to get my car off the ramp ASAP and rip someone other mug off.

I changed them myself, in the rain and in the dark. Both sides done in about 40 mins.

Kwik Fit wont change just pads on a car where the disk shows ANY SIGN OF SCORING AT ALL.
My disks were in very good condition but they simply dont wear evenly.
You never see a perfectly flush disk on ANY car unless they are brand new.

Basically Kwik Fit won't change just pads, they insist on both pads and disks.

Bunch of ripoff merchants.

[R4pture]

Thanks for moving the post, sorry I put it in the wrong place!
I was staggered at the price too! I couldn't believe it. I laughed in his face when he said that. He did say "if you find anywhere cheaper that offers a life time guarentee we wll match it"
The cars only worth £1500 and the insurance for the first two years already goes well overt that :( cars are too expensive. Already had to replace the clutch £300 have some body work done £400 and have a new air flow meter £50 in the last 2 years. Now the brakes too :(

[wazza]

Try Ford garage or Rapid Fit which is part of Ford. Ford sometimes lower prices of parts for older cars. Rapid Fit is part of ford and normally use ford parts but their labour prices are cheaper.

If you want parts then try Halfords. When the discs on my sierra became warped after a couple of years i went to halfords. As long as i had my receipt they will replace them which they did.

Nowadays due to old age i tend to do less work under the car. I use a local garage. He is based in Colwick

Where are you in Nottingham? PM me and i will give you his address and number and you can ask him for a quote. He will probably get the discs and pads a lot cheaper through trade etc.

[Conor]

Thats a total rip-off. I could supply you with new discs for £8+ vat each

And the next week he'll sell you another set when they've warped and again the week after etc etc repeat ad infinitum.

At the end of the day, the R4ptures problem happened BECAUSE (S)HE DIDN'T SERVICE THE CAR PROPERLY.

So instead of having low pads which would have got changed in plenty of time, because the pads got down to the metal the brake discs need changing as well.

What is even more surprising is that non of you seem to see a problem with somebody not bothering to maintain their cars brakes.:rolleyes:

So in future R4pture, you might actually try maintaining a car properly and maybe it'll be a lot safer and cheaper to own.

[Iamthesmartestmanalive]

The fact is places like kwik fit charge you for the convenience, speed and also the "lifetime warranties" on top of parts and labour

It may be a bit more expensive but you have the convenience of drive in service etc which in my area small operators dont offer

Also anytime ive used kwik fit their prices have been competitive

i.e £100 for 3 parts including a cat on a hyundai accent
£70 for anti roll bars on same car
£60 for brake pads
£140 for 4 dunlop tyres, and tracking

Yes it could be done cheaper but on each occasion it was done when I wanted and in normally under a hour whilst I sat in their internet cafe

If I went to a local garage I might have saved a bit but then I would have been without a car all day, had to use public transport, pay for that, get up early etc etc

Kwik fit etc often get a bad press but their are more good branches imo than bad ones and they do offer a service I and many others want albeit at a small premium

[JoeyEmma]

That seems pricey. I have a local garage that I take my car into and I trust them. I've just had my winter service and they noticed my brake pads were low. It cost £40 to have them replaced.

[cajef]

I've just had my winter service and they noticed my brake pads were low. It cost £40 to have them replaced.

Which also confirms the post by Conor above, if the OP had the vehicle serviced properly the worn disc pads would have been noted and changed before they damaged the actual discs themselves and the extra cost of replacing the discs would have been avoided.

[goldspanners]

dont put cheap brakes on your car.
whats the thing you look for most in an emergency?
thats right the brakes.
fit a half decent set of brakes (mintex, etc..) they usually arent that much more expensive than the cheap ones.
try and get a mintex brake kit which will include pads and discs that are properly matched to each other.
i got one for my focus it was £50 and fitted myself.and new mintex rear shoes for £20.
and they will outlast your cheap ones no problem.

[R4pture]

And the next week he'll sell you another set when they've warped and again the week after etc etc repeat ad infinitum.

At the end of the day, the R4ptures problem happened BECAUSE (S)HE DIDN'T SERVICE THE CAR PROPERLY.

So instead of having low pads which would have got changed in plenty of time, because the pads got down to the metal the brake discs need changing as well.

What is even more surprising is that non of you seem to see a problem with somebody not bothering to maintain their cars brakes.:rolleyes:

So in future R4pture, you might actually try maintaining a car properly and maybe it'll be a lot safer and cheaper to own.



WOW aren't you rude and rather judgemental?

This is my first car and I dont really know a great deal about cars. When I took the car to the garage for its MOT last month it went through fine and passed.
Generally speaking that meas the car is alright doesnt it?
Not just that but Im not made of money.
So I would appreciate if when I ask for help and advice from people with more knowldge. rather than posting something so judgemental you would be helpful.
There is a saying my very wise grandmother used to say to me "If you have nothing nice to say. Don't bother!"
In that vein, thank you for your useful post
JUST to clarify as well the disks don't need replacing there is nothing wrong with them.
also the car went in for MOT last month this should obviously have been pointed out to me at that stage
Why do I feel that I have to defend myself here? Friendly community isn't it?

[roddydogs]

Why should an MOT find low brake pads? you have to take the wheels off which is not part of the MOT. you could have 1mil of linings and still pass with no "Rubbing Sound", and great brakes.

[cajef]

When I took the car to the garage for its MOT last month it went through fine and passed.
Generally speaking that meas the car is alright doesn't it?
it?

The MOT is not a service, all that that means is that on that day it passed an inspection, they would not check the brake pads only that the brakes are working, it could become unroadworthy the next day.

A vehicle needs to be serviced regularly so that it is fit for the the road and does not become dangerous, worn brake pads are dangerous, if you don't know much about cars that is even more reason to have it serviced.

[R4pture]

How can brakes NOT be a part of the MOT I don't understand? If a car is to be roadworthy is an MOT not supposed to pick up something as serious as brakes?
The servicing thing is something they dont teach you when you pass a driving test.
I thought you were supposed to get it moted each year and get the oil changed every 6monthns and make sure the water and oil were ok before long journeys. and obviously check he tires.
No one ever told me any different. :(

[cajef]

The MOT is not a service, all that that means is that on that day it passed an inspection, they would not check the brake pads only that the brakes are working, it could become unroadworthy the next day.


That is what the MOT consists of, they do NOT take wheels off and check brake pads, if they did the MOT would cost a lot more, that is your responsibility, they are inspecting the car NOT servicing it.

[roddydogs]

Doh ................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

[R4pture]

Thank you very much for your help. Its obvious I know nothing about cars or the proper poceedures to maintain one.
I am a very stupid individual which you have quite helpfully pointed out to me.
You have all been most helpful

[tomstickland]

Brake pads will be £25 at motor factors, easy to fit DIY.

Warping of discs is usually associated with the pads sticking to them, not wearing the pads down to metal. I've worn pads down to metal before and the discs survived without any problems.

[R4pture]

Brake pads will be £25 at motor factors, easy to fit DIY.

Warping of discs is usually associated with the pads sticking to them, not wearing the pads down to metal. I've worn pads down to metal before and the discs survived without any problems.

How easy is it to ft these yourself with no experience?
also how safe is it?

[cajef]

I am a very stupid individual which you have quite helpfully pointed out to me.


Hey we have all been there and we all learn through experience, all we are trying to point out is the need to have your car serviced so you do not have an accident or cause one.

When the man does an MOT all he does is sit in the drivers seat and press the pedal to see if the brakes are working, he does not physically inspect to see how worn the pads are.

Oh and do not drive it around if the pads are scraping or you will damage the disc's which will become a much more expensive job.

[tomstickland]

If you have no experience at all of car maintenance then I wouldn't advise it. If you have some then it's pretty easy.
Jack car up and support on axle stands
remove front wheel
remove calliper bolts
remove old pads
push pistons out with something like a woodworking clamp
fit new pads
reattach callipers
put wheel back on

Takes me about half an hour to do the fronts.

[rockrat]

i work for the Automotive industries largest technical information provider/publisher, supplying vehicle manufacturer specifications to our traditional garage/mechanic.... so i might be able to help.

First.... do not scrimp in any way on your brakes. You have already said you know little about your car, and the brakes are their to save your life and those around you, so get them done at a reputable outlet.
Dont think that you know better than a time served mechanic based on price alone.

Kwik-fit actually are not just the "fast fit" centre of yester-year... and now-a-days have the highest of mechanical skills, training, tools and yes... information!
so, don't just dismiss them... instead ask them to explain and prove the quote they have given.
If they or any other garage are supplying quality parts, installed with expert skill all designed to ensure your safety, then that is worth a premium in my mind.

secondly, i can help by letting you know what the manufacturer states is the warranty repair time to do the discs and pads on your ford Ka.

the front discs and pads , to remove and install has a time of 42 minutes as specified by Ford.
the rear brake shoes , to check and adjust and to remove and install the rear brake drum has a total time of 60 minutes as specified by Ford.

add on the usual 6 mins drive in and out and test time , to do the full job would be a total of 1 hour and 48mins-ish.

If Kwik-fit are charging say £50 an hour plus parts + VAT, then you start to see that maybe £160 could be realistic for a skilled job to do ALL the above, though they may only be doing the front, i cant tell from your first post.

the point to my reply is that we as consumers need to have the facts before we just make price based decisions, thats why we like the food at M&S even though we know its more expensive than Netto.

I DO NOT work for any garage or Kwik-fit in any way, just thought i might be able to help a fellow MSE. Now you know the individual recommended warranty times, just ask what the hourly rate is and then add (quality) parts costs

[Conor]

WOW aren't you rude and rather judgemental?

This is my first car and I dont really know a great deal about cars. When I took the car to the garage for its MOT last month it went through fine and passed.
Generally speaking that meas the car is alright doesnt it?
Not just that but Im not made of money.



An MOT is an inspection which tests a certain number of items. IT STATES CLEARLY that no dismantling is done for inspection, so no it doesn't mean it is alright. An MOT is only an indication of the condition of the car at the time of the MOT test. It is no indication of the state of the car at any point after that test.

As for not made of money, if you can't afford to maintain your car properly, you shouldn't have one. I couldn't give a toss what harm you do to yourself but inevitably people who run poorly maintained cars tend to cause damage or injury to a poor innocent victim who was unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity when it all went wrong. People have died because people have neglected to service their vehicles.

[goldspanners]

the brakes are tested during the MOT with the use off the rolling road and dynometer.
you can have a good brake but badly worn pads,you will only realise this when you really need them for a long period on a real road.

why do the public grudge paying for a skilled mechanic to do a good job on thier vehicles,but any other trade they dont mind being ripped off.
think about it,would you lie underneath a rusty old car with rust falling into your eyes,oil over your cold numb hands which are starting to get affected by dermatitis,and a potential bomb (fuel tank) beside you when using burning gear?
its not just the time and parts involved,its the health and safety risk.

if you are given enough time to do your job you will do it properly,if you are rushed you will make mistakes and rush things especially when under time constraints.

[Noodles-21]

My car was in for its MOT a few weeks back and it passed, but I was advised to have my front brake pads replaced due to wear. I recieved this information on a VOSA Advisory Notice form that came attached to the MOT certificate. It states "Advisory Items 001 - Front brake pad wearing thin [3.5.1f]". So it certainly looks like some MOT testers DO check the brake pads.

[the_big_fact_hunt]

Firstly Tomstickland.... good advice but you forgot to include undo the wheel nuts a small amount before raising the car, removing the brake master cylinder cap before pushing/winding back the pistons, as somebody may have topped the fluid up, which will probably result in the fluid being forced through the relief hole and severely damaging the paintwork, and coating the reverse side of the pads with copper grease (before fitting) to prevent brake squeal, and after replacement PUMP THE PEDAL BEFORE DRIVING as the pistons may be further away from the pads and the brakes may not work immediately as the first press of the pedal will merely push the pistons back out towards the pads, then finally road test and try the brakes. Hopefully your information was only intended as a basic guideline.
Secondly R4pture, the MOT is a test of the required items on the vehicle, it only applies at the time of the test, and cannot be used as a guarantee of the condition of the vehicle at any other time, and if the brakes work satisfactorily at the time of test they will pass. Obvious wear (where visible) will be noted or result in the refusal to issue a test certificate.
I also live in Nottingham and the cheapest place to buy good quality replacement brake pads (to my knowledge) would be Parkers on Longwall avenue (behind Pork Farms) tel 9861861, fitting is not an option for you as they are a safety fitment to your vehicle, and with your lack of knowledge, any mistakes during fitment could prove fatal to yourself or others.:naughty:
£160 IS excessive for the repairs, you should ideally pay no more than around £75 at any good garage for new brake pads, and i myself would only normally charge around £20 for fitting (plus parts) and i would guess the pads would only be around £15+vat.
If you would like a good local garage recommending just ask

[anewman]

MOT testers will usually look at the brake pads if it is possible to see them with no dismantling. In Noodles-21's case I'd advise getting the rears checked/replaced when the fronts are done too, as chances are they're not visible.

An MOT tester failed to notice a badly rusted upper spring cup on my suspension. I noticed this later and replaced it myself, it only cost under £2 for the cup itself. Another MOT tester told me that it would have been a fail. See extent of the rusting below. I suppose it could have been covered in mud at the time so the MOT tester could not see it, hence could not fail it, despite it having safety implications. The tester was very thorough and picked up on some things I didn't think he would like the rear door opening from inside only, and the battery being held in by spring grips (which there's never been a problem with as it's held firmly and has survived heavy braking [the bolts snapped off]).
http://www.an1.co.uk/cuprust.jpg

Another thing cars usually need to have done that OP may not be aware of is brake fluid renewal, usually every 2 years. It has safety implications as old brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and loses it's efficiency. Engine oil changes are also important. Coolant renewal is also usually done every 2 years, but new funky coolants in pink purple and red colours have much longer change intervals. It's often worth getting everything done (full major service) as soon as you buy a car if the service history is missing or dubious, or the car has obviously been neglected.

Car maintenance/repairs is definitely among the four main expenses of motoring. Fuel at the top, Insurance and Car Maintenance/repairs at either 2nd or 3rd depending on costs, road tax at bottom.

To OP we all started somewhere so don't feel hard done-by. Grab yourself a Haynes manual and you'll see what should need doing and how often, even if you don't try the things in it yourself you'll know what to expect to be done by a garage, how it's done, and look like a more discerning customer who knows what their talking about.

If wanting to money save it's definitely worth looking at the Haynes and giving some of the basic things a try yourself, like oil and filter change, air filter change, coolant renewal (probably best done by popping off the bottom radiator hose than by using any coolant drain plug as damage there is difficult to fix), spark plugs, brake fluid renewal (best done with something like Gunson Eezibleed that uses pressure from a spare tyre, pumping the pedal can damage seals.) Once you have made the initial outlay on the tools (which usually cost less than paying a garage labour costs) you have them to use next time.

In addition to the Haynes, search the internet for owners forums of your car. Most have been there, done that, and share similar problems with the cars, and will help if you have a question.

[Noodles-21]

I'll be taking my car to Kwik-fit tomorrow morning for new front pads. They quoted me £57.50 all-in. I got a couple of more quotes, £50 and £59. But am going with Kwik-Fit because they offer a life-time warrenty on the parts.

[CHR15]

Let us know if they charge £57.50 without comment or try the hard sell trying to get you to pay for more work??

[Noodles-21]

Let us know if they charge £57.50 without comment or try the hard sell trying to get you to pay for more work??

I'll post back here before 9pm tomorrow about my experience. Saying that, I took my previous car to Kwik-Fit to have part of the exhaust replaced and found them to be ok, they just did the work I asked them to do and didn't once try to sell me anything else. :confused:

That was about 3 years ago, and times change. We'll see?.wysiwyg !! background-attachment: scroll; background-repeat: repeat; background-position: 0% 0%; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: none; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal } p !! margin: 0px; }

[Noodles-21]

Sorry to go off topic, but does anyone have an idea why my post text is messing up?

[anewman]

Lifetime guarantee

To ensure your brakes are always at their best, we offer a unique brakes lifetime guarantee. Once you have pads or shoes fitted at Kwik Fit, the replacement of these parts when they wear out is absolutely free to you, as long as you own the car.
Note that they do not have such a guarantee on brake discs. My guess is it's a ruise to get you in and everytime you come back to get the pads done free, they'll try sting you for something else, probably brake discs or an exhaust which will be overpriced. I suppose if you stick to your guns and know that the discs are pefectly fine, it's a good deal. The pads themselves cost next to nothing in real terms, most of the cost is labour.

I know of someone who had kwikfit intentionally damage a brake disc, and they saw it happen - making the disc illegal and necessitating it's change. I have read a story on the internet of kwikfit spraying oil onto suspension struts to try tell them it was leaking and illegal. It seems from forum posts that a common kwikfit tactic is to tell you it's illegal to drive the car and you have to pay the money to get it fixed when there's nothing wrong with it, and in which case it's not their position to behave in such a way even if it is dangerous to drive. So it's sort of like blackmail. If you can avoid all this, and get even one replacement free with no unnecessary work you've got a good deal.

The code you have in the post is CSS code, which is not valid in the forum posts. For the type of code used, click on the icons to see the code it inserts in the advanced editor.

[goldspanners]

Another thing cars usually need to have done that OP may not be aware of is brake fluid renewal, usually every 2 years. It has safety implications as old brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and loses it's efficiency.


its a bit more dangerous than loosing efficiency.
if your brake fluid absorbs moisture it means you think there is enough fluid in the resevoir,unfortunatly under hard to medium braking the water in the fluid will boil up,this will then cause your brakes to get worse the harder you use them.
i.e. when you really need to use them they disappear sometimes completely.
you will never notice this using them lightly for short periods but under heavy or motorway braking then you will.

[anewman]

www.breakeryard.com (http://www.breakeryard.com)
Hi Guys please try not use this company. I've heard & read some the reviews & they are not 100% Positive. A good friend bought a mirror, paid for it full. Nearly 2 weeks later he is still waiting for a mirror. The number is 0905 232 3000. It will cost you £1.00 per minute and when you call them asking for your order, they normally put the phone down on you. I don't know what kind of delivery service they use!!! But once you pay for car parts don't expect them to try & chase your order!! That problem will soley be down to you. Not too sure if the OFT has been informed yet.. Breakeryard are crooks.
Be careful

Doesn't seem to have any relevance to this thread.