Change brake pads

magpies79

So had wheel bearing and a abs sensor changed few weeks back all done and sorted while garage was replacing it said pads were on way out quoted like £240 to change fronts which I thought was a little steep.

anyway rang the good old father in-law who said change them yourself he’s always done his own work but I have always been a little nervous about having ago with brakes if I’m honest.

so just done them while he watched incase I needed a hand and we’ll 45mins later old ones out new ones in was very surprised how smoothly it went.

he did say it normally does unless you can’t get a bolt off or you have a seized calliper but just said take your time have the right tools as that always helps make things a lot easier and should be good to go it alone next time, wished I’d had the courage to do change them years ago when they’ve needed doing as ive spent a lot getting them done lol.

CliveOfIndia

I guess it may depend on the particular model of car, but certainly over the many years I've been doing my own maintenance on loads of different cars, brake pads are a doddle to change.  As you say, you'll inevitably come across the odd seized bolt or whatever, but even then it's usually just a case of perseverance.

Even brake discs are not difficult, though an impact driver can come in handy for those.

It's understandable that people can be reluctant to mess around with something as safety-critical as brakes, but usually they're so simple that you'd have to do something pretty drastic to muck them up.

Oil and filter change is the other one that's usually dead easy to DIY.  On some cars access can be bloomin' awkward, but usually it's a really simple job (just remember to dispose of the old oil at a proper council recycling place - usually the local tip - where they usually have a big tank for old engine oil).

magpies79

CliveOfIndia said:

I guess it may depend on the particular model of car, but certainly over the many years I've been doing my own maintenance on loads of different cars, brake pads are a doddle to change.  As you say, you'll inevitably come across the odd seized bolt or whatever, but even then it's usually just a case of perseverance.

Even brake discs are not difficult, though an impact driver can come in handy for those.

It's understandable that people can be reluctant to mess around with something as safety-critical as brakes, but usually they're so simple that you'd have to do something pretty drastic to muck them up.

Oil and filter change is the other one that's usually dead easy to DIY.  On some cars access can be bloomin' awkward, but usually it's a really simple job (just remember to dispose of the old oil at a proper council recycling place - usually the local tip - where they usually have a big tank for old engine oil).

Yeah definitely he said that with regards to make and model but generally tend to be same set up yeah oil change definitely needs doing on mine but would love to maybe start doing more myself can save quite a bit we have 2 cars the other being a Astra 2014 model so will try do brakes solo on that one hopefully no phone calls to father-law needed lol

CliveOfIndia

Good for you.  Particularly on older cars there's quite a lot of basic maintenance and simple repairs that you can do yourself.  Start with the really simple stuff, then you can gradually start doing more as your experience grows.  Back when I was young, the first thing I always did whenever I got a new car was to nip down to Halfords and buy the appropriate Haynes manual (showing my age there !)

And in terms of tools, it's not worth splashing out a fancy set of tools that covers everything you could possibly need.  Start out with a basic toolkit, then if you find you need a particular tool, a particular sized spanner or socket that you don't have, buy them as and when (as long as it's something you're likely to need again).  If you buy good-quality stuff it'll last you for ever, and it means you're not shelling out a fortune all in one go.  I must have thousands of pounds worth of tools in my garage, but I've build that collection up over the course of 30-40 years or so, as well as stuff I inherited from my grandad (yep, it really will last forever if you buy decent quality and look after it).

Depends how far you want to take it, of course - if you just want to stick to the basic stuff then you won't need much in the way of tools, and you'll still be able to save yourself a fair few bob by doing it yourself.

chrisw

A Haynes manual isn't needed these days. Unless it's a particularly unusual vehicle, there's usually a YouTube video showing how it's done, I would guess there are quite a few for Astra brake pads.

It's always a good idea to watch a couple of videos through first so you can see what's involved, what tools are needed and become familiar with it before you start.

magpies79

Funny you say about the Haynes manual that’s what he was Talking about said he missed his old bay window camper van just open it up everything was easy to get to and when you unplugged anything you didn’t get a million warning lights lol.

Definitely now days it’s just a matter of going on YouTube and finding a good one to follow but I’ve only ever done small stuff but always wanted to try a hand at doing stuff that helps maintain the car and helps with mot time lol. 

But yeah will give the Astra a go when I get some spare time for sure think I need to invest in a better car Jack and some stands as he had all that and I’ve got nothing.

CliveOfIndia

Yep, Haynes manuals are somewhat redundant these days what with YouTube and the like, but back when I started the internet hadn't even been invented 

It's well worth getting some axle stands, they're not expensive.  To be honest, the jack that came with the car will probably be OK.  Sure, a trolley jack makes life a bit easier, but it's not really necessary.

It's important to remember, a jack is designed to lift, not support.  If you're stuck at the roadside needing to change a wheel then you don't have a lot of choice.  But if you're at home working on the car, you should never work on a car that's supported only by a jack - get some axle stands to support it properly and safely.  If push comes to shove, you can make do with some decent chunks of wood placed under the chassis members, but if you're planning to be doing a reasonable amount of work then axle stands are a worthwhile investment.

And it's also worth chocking the wheels that are on the ground, just to be on the safe side.  Nothing fancy, just a couple of old bricks or chunks of wood.

magpies79 said:

always wanted to try a hand at doing stuff that helps maintain the car and helps with mot time lol.

You can learn an awful lot from watching, helping and working with a family member, such as your father-in-law.  That's how I started - right from a young age I used to help my dad when he was fixing his car.  But if you really want to get into it, you might want to see if any local colleges offer night classes.  They'll very often run "basic car maintenance/mechanics" courses which can be really interesting.

magpies79

Appreciate the advice and yeah he said the same as used a Jack and axle stands and don’t ever use a Jack on its own and did ask me how good is the handbrake before putting some bricks behind the wheel haha.

night classes would be cool
might look into that 

Mildly_Miffed

magpies79 said:

Funny you say about the Haynes manual that’s what he was Talking about said he missed his old bay window camper van just open it up everything was easy to get to and when you unplugged anything you didn’t get a million warning lights lol.

Advancing years bring rose-tinted memories.

Bays were HORRIBLE to work on. Utter, utter nightmare.

This is the only access. That's it. No more. On your knees, reach in, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

magpies79

Actually one question you could help me with please bleeding the brakes after changing pads does it always need to or not felt like he was a yeah errrrr no errrrr not always kinda answer 

CliveOfIndia

Under normal circumstances there shouldn't be any need to bleed the brakes after changing the pads or discs.  There's nothing in the procedure that would introduce air into the system.

Obviously, if the brakes are a wee bit spongy then bleeding them is a good idea.  But you then really need to identify the cause - just changing the pads in itself shouldn't necessitate bleeding the system.