Humour a novice for a second, would you please, oh blessed gearheads...
How easy is it to change your own brake pads and discs? My front passenger side brake is making a quite alarming grinding noise under brisk braking. Am I better just taking it to Kwik Fit, or can I do it myself with simple tools?
How easy is it to change your own brake pads and discs? My front passenger side brake is making a quite alarming grinding noise under brisk braking. Am I better just taking it to Kwik Fit, or can I do it myself with simple tools?
If it was a choice between Kwik Fit and an untrained chimp I'd choose the chimp. It shouldn't be that hard but if you're unsure just take it to a garage.
It's just that I've never done it before. This isn't a windscreen wiper blade or a hub cab 
DavPaz wrote:
Humour a novice for a second, would you please, oh blessed gearheads...
How easy is it to change your own brake pads and discs? My front passenger side brake is making a quite alarming grinding noise under brisk braking. Am I better just taking it to Kwik Fit, or can I do it myself with simple tools?
How easy is it to change your own brake pads and discs? My front passenger side brake is making a quite alarming grinding noise under brisk braking. Am I better just taking it to Kwik Fit, or can I do it myself with simple tools?
My car mainatainance has changed of late. Now, it is:
MrsA says I can try anything where the worst result is "grinding to a halt in the rain, the engine having lunched itself", and most likely result is "engine doesn't work". That way, I'm not messing about with stuff that is preventing them from ending up in an river.
However, that said, youtube guides are really useful, and a Haynes manual will sort you out, too. I bought disks and pads for big car, then MrsA got local garage to fit them as I was "too busy". My re collection was it seemed fairly straightforward, but watch the caliper doesn't snap shut.
Edit:
http://www.justanswer.com/car/1m0pk-cha ... casso.html
DavPaz wrote:
It's just that I've never done it before. This isn't a windscreen wiper blade or a hub cab
It's about 2 hours each side. And easy to mess up if you're a novice (like me!). It's brakes dude, take it to a reputable garage.
I've done a few sets myself without too much trouble. The only specialised item you are likely to need is a brake winding tool to push the calliper back in.
Much as I love to encourage doing your own maintenance on a car, I don't think you should do your brakes without some form of help the first time. If you can get a mate over who knows what [s]he is doing, then that would be perfect. Otherwise take it to a friendly local garage.
Stay the hell away from Kwik Fit.
Stay the hell away from Kwik Fit.
Grim... wrote:
Much as I love to encourage doing your own maintenance on a car, I don't think you should do your brakes without some form of help the first time. If you can get a mate over who knows what [s]he is doing, then that would be perfect. Otherwise take it to a friendly local garage.
Stay the hell away from Kwik Fit.
Stay the hell away from Kwik Fit.
All of
I thought about it myself and even tried to enlist an experienced friend, but he said he's not keen on doing brakes.
What's wrong with Kwik Fit?
Mr Russell wrote:
What's wrong with Kwik Fit?
Same question
DavPaz wrote:
Mr Russell wrote:
What's wrong with Kwik Fit?
Same question
Seriously?
They're PC World, but for cars.
Grim... wrote:
They're PC World, but for cars.
Back before I knew better, I took my Civic Sport there for an MOT. They insisted I needed new brakes AND discs. The car wasn't two years old and had done under 10,000 miles. Of course being an idiot I paid up.
Last time I used them was because I was in a bind and my MOT had run out on the Clio and I hadn't noticed. I took it to the Kwik Fit over the road from my house and they said again I needed new brakes and discs. I had had the discs replaced only a month previously. I told them this and they looked at the discs again and said "ah yeah, actually the discs are ok". Fucking shysters.
Lonewolves wrote:
Grim... wrote:
They're PC World, but for cars.
The car wasn't two years old and had done under 10,000 miles. Of course being an idiot I paid up.
Considering you don't need to MOT a car until it's three years old you really were an idiot!
Lonewolves wrote:
DavPaz wrote:
Mr Russell wrote:
What's wrong with Kwik Fit?
Same question
Seriously?
I've never had any dealings with them myself, but MrsPaz had a service done there recently. Didn't get a scummy vibe from them.
Last time I used Kwik Fit I needed a battery in a hurry (I thought that even they wouldn't be able to fuck that up), they fitted one that was too small and then didn't secure it so unbeknownst to me it was sliding around and damaged the wiring loom. I don't know how they get away with it really, being so big and so shit I'm surprised they've not a had a few deaths on their hands by now.
Grim... wrote:
Lonewolves wrote:
Grim... wrote:
They're PC World, but for cars.
The car wasn't two years old and had done under 10,000 miles. Of course being an idiot I paid up.
Considering you don't need to MOT a car until it's three years old you really were an idiot!
Ah yeah, I was misremembering. It was its first MOT so must have been 3 years old. Still had only done about 15k miles though.
Not all Kwik Fits are shysters, the one nearest to me when I lived in Shrewsbury was awesome and was run by a bloke who really knew his stuff and made sure that his staff were not doing any of this upselling stuff, even when Head Office were pressuring them.
markg wrote:
I don't know how they get away with it really, being so big and so shit I'm surprised they've not a had a few deaths on their hands by now.
I had a "free brake check" done by National back before I knew better. They did the whole "you need new discs and pads" thing, and as it was a relatively old car for the time and I had no idea of it's history, I let them do it.
Paid up, drove off, and about 250 yards down the road there was a loud bump, the car jerked downwards and then I saw my front-left wheel go careening off down the road in front of me.
Got my money back for that, the twats.
DavPaz wrote:
Lonewolves wrote:
DavPaz wrote:
Mr Russell wrote:
What's wrong with Kwik Fit?
Same question
Seriously?
I've never had any dealings with them myself, but MrsPaz had a service done there recently. Didn't get a scummy vibe from them.
You won't. They're a very slick operation. But they will sell you things you absolutely don't need.
Like Grim... says, imagine you went into PC World and they tried to sell you McAfee Antivirus for £100 or whatever - you'd laugh at them. This is what people who know about cars say about Kwik Fit.
GazChap wrote:
Not all Kwik Fits are shysters, the one nearest to me when I lived in Shrewsbury was awesome and was run by a bloke who really knew his stuff and made sure that his staff were not doing any of this upselling stuff, even when Head Office were pressuring them.
I am not criticising the individual mechanics, but the company itself. By the fact their business model is based on upselling how can you trust them to tell you the truth about your car?
So if I've been to Kwik Fit each time I had my MOT and it all passes each time and everything's fine then nothing to worry about.
Mr Russell wrote:
So if I've been to Kwik Fit each time I had my MOT and it all passes each time and everything's fine then nothing to worry about.
No, it will be safe to drive. But they may be telling you to replace parts unnecessarily. I would recommend a good local garage instead.
Finding one of those is not always easy either, though.
markg wrote:
Finding one of those is not always easy either, though.
Absolutely not. It took me 12 years to find one I was happy with in Nottingham that wasn't a specialist miles away!
But it's much easier these days with internet rating sites etc.
I'm lucky in that my local garage owner is friends with the family.
My dad helped him out with some official paperwork when the garage sacked one of their workers. They didn't exactly follow protocol on that one until my dad stepped in.
My dad helped him out with some official paperwork when the garage sacked one of their workers. They didn't exactly follow protocol on that one until my dad stepped in.
At garage. The discs have really nice gouges in them. Full new set of front pads and discs needed. Ah well. They've done at least 20,000 miles while I've had the car, so it was a matter of time.
Lonewolves wrote:
Absolutely not. It took me 12 years to find one I was happy with in Nottingham that wasn't a specialist miles away!
I've been burned so many times with the Celica that I absolutely only trust it with my friendly "local" specialist (98 miles away) GazChap wrote:
Lonewolves wrote:
Absolutely not. It took me 12 years to find one I was happy with in Nottingham that wasn't a specialist miles away!
I've been burned so many times with the Celica that I absolutely only trust it with my friendly "local" specialist (98 miles away)Mine is at the end of my road.
My beemer hasn't had new pads or discs in 30k miles/4 years. Dragging 2 tonnes to a standstill at all is no mean feat, never mind what I (*) make it do.
In fact it's only had rear pads in all that time. Could be less front-biased than I'd expect, I suppose. They're certainly big discs back there.
* Also people who cut me up. Three times yesterday, and the first was a bit of a clencher as they were doing about 40 to my 70-ish, downhill, when they did so without indicating or warning, with maybe two car lengths distance.
In fact it's only had rear pads in all that time. Could be less front-biased than I'd expect, I suppose. They're certainly big discs back there.
* Also people who cut me up. Three times yesterday, and the first was a bit of a clencher as they were doing about 40 to my 70-ish, downhill, when they did so without indicating or warning, with maybe two car lengths distance.
I've traded a car in at 80k miles still on original brakes all round.
I'm up to 43k so far and they aren't particularly worn.
I'm up to 43k so far and they aren't particularly worn.
If your discs are gouged at an early stage it's usually because you've ignored the screeching sound of metal against metal for too long where your pads have worn out. Or something has become lodged in between the pad and the disc.
Grim... wrote:
If you can get a mate over who knows what [s]he is doing, then that would be perfect.
I don't know owt about brakes but I love this
The fact that Grim... Reckons he's got mates? I know. Bless him.
Jem wrote:
Grim... wrote:
If you can get a mate over who knows what he is doing, then that would be perfect.
I don't know owt about brakes but I love this
I don't, I hate unclosed tags. That's better.
Oh man. BBCode jokes.
As mentioned above re doing your own brakes, you need a calliper tool to wind them back in. Luckily my sisters other half works for the council and can borrow quite a large selection of tools at weekend from the compound.
I'll be doing my own front brakes after watching him do the rears on mine last time. A set of Brembo pads and disks from Mr Auto weighs in at £80 delivered (with a voucher code).
I'll be doing my own front brakes after watching him do the rears on mine last time. A set of Brembo pads and disks from Mr Auto weighs in at £80 delivered (with a voucher code).
Cras wrote:
Oh man. BBCode jokes.
AW CRAS YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS IT'S THE BB CODE.
Zardoz wrote:
As mentioned above re doing your own brakes, you need a calliper tool to wind them back in. Luckily my sisters other half works for the council and can borrow quite a large selection of tools at weekend from the compound.
I'll be doing my own front brakes after watching him do the rears on mine last time. A set of Brembo pads and disks from Mr Auto weighs in at £80 delivered (with a voucher code).
I'll be doing my own front brakes after watching him do the rears on mine last time. A set of Brembo pads and disks from Mr Auto weighs in at £80 delivered (with a voucher code).
If we're ever driving anywhere in two cars I'll follow you.
*types*
*deletes*
*touches wood*
Ok.
*deletes*
*touches wood*
Ok.
Let go of my wood.
And if it's one car, you're using Mark's.
Kwik fit sold me me brakes after 5000 miles from new. I have always blamed the dealer for this. Until reading this page. It never occurred to me they would lie like that. Surely it is illegal?
Kwik fit sold me me brakes after 5000 miles from new. I have always blamed the dealer for this. Until reading this page. It never occurred to me they would lie like that. Surely it is illegal?
*smells fingers*
Three things to consider before someone else says you need new brakes.
Sound: Do they squeal / grind?
Performance: Are you taking longer to stop than you're used to?
Smell: Is the back of your keks like a sewer or summer meadow?
Sound: Do they squeal / grind?
Performance: Are you taking longer to stop than you're used to?
Smell: Is the back of your keks like a sewer or summer meadow?
My dad changed the brakes, both pads and discs, on my Fiesta when I was a young teen and I helped.
It looked pretty straightforward - when everything was going smoothly on the first side.... But then, the disc on the other side was a real pain to get off. Luckily dad had a 'rotor puller' (I think it was called that, it was like a three pronged claw with a screw thread in the middle - it hooks round the back of the disc pulls evenly so it doesn't bend / snap / mess things up) and he knew what he was doing.
Then, we had to bleed the brake line or something. It was during this that I realised, while I am happy to have a go with basic things, the critical stuff is best left to someone that knows what they are doing and has the tools needed (both for doing it easy, and also for responding if something goes wrong or gets a bit tricky).
The feeling I hate is getting part way through and then getting stuck, with important things 'in bits' and not sure how to either proceed or return to the previous state.
It looked pretty straightforward - when everything was going smoothly on the first side.... But then, the disc on the other side was a real pain to get off. Luckily dad had a 'rotor puller' (I think it was called that, it was like a three pronged claw with a screw thread in the middle - it hooks round the back of the disc pulls evenly so it doesn't bend / snap / mess things up) and he knew what he was doing.
Then, we had to bleed the brake line or something. It was during this that I realised, while I am happy to have a go with basic things, the critical stuff is best left to someone that knows what they are doing and has the tools needed (both for doing it easy, and also for responding if something goes wrong or gets a bit tricky).
The feeling I hate is getting part way through and then getting stuck, with important things 'in bits' and not sure how to either proceed or return to the previous state.
TheVision wrote:
The fact that Grim... Reckons he's got mates? I know. Bless him.
My dad helped me
Grim... wrote:
TheVision wrote:
The fact that Grim... Reckons he's got mates? I know. Bless him.
My dad helped me
Aw
It begins.
The Rover turned itself off in traffic this morning requiring a reboot. 40 minutes later, the fans died.
The Rover turned itself off in traffic this morning requiring a reboot. 40 minutes later, the fans died.
Car felt a little rough on the last couple of miles home last night. got in the car this morning, and there was a hell of a rumbling -got 100 yards down the road, stopped, checked, and it turns out I had a flat. Not just a flat, but the tyre was migrating its way off the rim, inwards. Must have been a bit more than a couple of miles on it last night. Got back onto the driveway, jacked the car up, then the jack fell over as I was on a slope (I'd thought it'd be fine. It's not that steep....). Drove car out onto flat road, tried again. Got tyre replaced at friendly tyre place in town.
