BillJ wrote:
  Take it out of the trunk, silly. Sheesh, I gotta do EVERYTHING around here?

c.

 cc_rider wrote: 

What about my snare drum? It is making a banging noise, how do I check that?

 p4jkafla wrote: 
Good point! I'm not sure WHICH car I'm talking about! It all applies though.
You may have front discs and rear drums (very common), or discs all around (becoming moreso), but the results are the same. Rear discs, like rear drums, see much less braking force, and wear more slowly than fronts. Which is why rear discs are usually smaller than the fronts (see weight savings comment).

If your wheels are 'open' enough to see/feel the brake discs, you can check them yourself. To check drum brakes you have to pull off the wheel and drum. Either way, I wouldn't take the mechanic's word for it: what's that old saying? "Trust, but Verify".

c.

maryte wrote:


Looks like we'll try to go back to the dealer for the timing belt, because the one good mechanic I know is pretty busy (duh). 

In December, the good mechanic will check out the Catalytic Converter ("might just be the Oxygen Sensor" all the car guys said).  I'll have him do the tuneup too because he can do it SO much cheaper than Honda.

None of the car guys I talked to could figure out how Honda got to $1600 for the Converter!

Total?  Closer to $1200 than $3000.  Whew!

 cc_rider wrote:  I'm confused cc_rider...

Are you talking about my car, or Rosedrawers' Honda?

Mine is front DISC brakes...and I was asking about pads on the FRONT of the car...(along with the rotor issue I mentioned...

 Southern_Boy wrote:  Oops.
That changes things: drums hardly EVER need replacing. Wheel cylinders, on the other hand, are often changed during brake jobs.

Rear drums and shoes can often last through two or three sets of rotors/pads: they just don't see the braking forces the front wheels do. That said, heavy trucks, used for hauling and such, can go through drums and discs like popcorn.

I'm skeptical of a mechanic saying you need new drums, particularly without seeing the car first. The guy COULD be legit, but it definitely raises a flag for me. Ditty is right on target: he'll have to pull the drums off to inspect them anyway, so have him show you the cracks, grooves, or whatever it is making him think they need replacing. My guess is he's fishing, and if you ask to see what the real problem is, he'll change his assessment.

c.

 manbirdexperiment wrote:  That's a contradiction in terms, sorry MBE.

Jeeps, especially Cherokees, are notorious repair-magnets. They may be great off-road, but as DDs they seem to need constant attention. As in all things, YMMV.

c.

By the way - she said she needs REAR DRUM brakes replaced.

 rosedraws wrote: 
I've had a Honda and an Acura - $600 for a timing belt is pretty standard (and I've *never* gone to a dealership).  But more importantly, with that kind of milage on the beast, a timing belt is muy importante.  If it goes, you can pretty much kiss the engine goodbye, so you *do* want to replace it before it breaks or you'll have a giant paperweight on your hands.  Although I always remember what Click and Clack say: "There are three kinds of car problems: the ones that will strand you, the ones that will cost you, and the ones that will kill you.", and "First fix everything that makes the car stop, then fix everything that makes the car go."  Those two statements are, of course, related.

 p4jkafla wrote: 
If you described a metal on metal sound, kind of a grinding, it's a good bet that the pads have worn through and maybe that's why he's suggesting rotors. But yes, do ask to see proof of that, and maybe get another opinion.

 p4jkafla wrote: 
ALL brake jobs? No. MANY brake jobs? Yes. Depends on the car, driving style, weather conditions, phase of moon, and driver's Zodiac sign.

Seriously, there's no way to know whether it'll need new rotors until you take a look. But you can do that yourself. Look at the brake disc: check for heavy grooves (a little bit is okay), places where the metal looks 'torn' instead of smooth, anything else that doesn't seem right. Feel the outer edge of the disc: if there is a sharp ridge, you may need a new rotor.

Rotors can be, often are, 'faced' on a special lathe to return the braking surface to flat. In the old days, discs and drums had more sacrificial material, but mftrs are reducing weight wherever they can, and brake discs are a great place to start. So many mechanics assume (rightly) that facing the discs is a low-buck stopgap measure, and the discs will likely need replacing before too much longer.

Check out www.rockauto.com for a good selection of auto parts: I've ordered from them before, and they do a good job. They also have a range of parts, from low-buck to chi-chi performance. I prefer to buy my parts and take them to my mechanic, but I'm a nerd and spend time researching the 'best' parts to use: most people are happy with whatever parts the mechanic uses.

If the discs don't look too bad, don't show any serious grooves, gouges, or edge ridge, they can probably be re-used as is. When I have the time, I take the rotors off and sand them with coarse grit sandpaper glued to a board or pad. I sand them back-and-forth, turning the disc a little each time, so you get a cool 'sunburst' sort of pattern on the disc. This probably doesn't really do all that much, but it's easy, cheap, and might help take the 'glaze' off the discs. It's no substitute for facing the rotors, but it won't hurt either.

Upshot: your mechanic may be right about the rotors. If you told him 'my brakes are grinding', he's guessing they're worn down pretty bad, and he's likely right.

Happy Motoring!

c.

 ditty wrote: 
Easy answer - "Turning them will take them out of manufacturer's specifications. We can't do that. They must be replaced."

 p4jkafla wrote: 

Yep, they are just trying to get you to pay for something you may or may not need.  Don't forget to ask to see the rotors when they take them off and say you need new ones.  Ask about turning them.  That will really throw them off! 

Last time I had brakes done they turned the rotors and did such a bad, uneven job that I took the car back TWICE and ended up with entire new brake assemblies that I DID NOT PAY FOR.

PP -

 ditty wrote: 

Ahhh...got it.

I was wondering because he seemed to know that he was going to put rotors on before he even took everything apart and looked at it. I just told him what it was going, and he said "sounds like pads and rotors"...

 ditty wrote: 
I love it when you go all butch on me ... LOL 

 p4jkafla wrote: 

If you've grooved the rotors by waiting too long to have the brakes done (pads gone so the only thing stopping your car is the rotors) then you can either get new rotors or have them "turned."  Turning them means they will smooth out the rotor to remove the grooves so you don't get weird braking. 

I always ask to see any part they tell me needs to be replaced.  If they can't show that the rotor is grooved, or the belt is cracked, or the hose is leaking, then they are attemtpting to fleece you.  They always try that with women.  It always backfires on them with me

 Alafia wrote: 
Many junkyards will not sell used catalytic converters. Something about Federal emission-equipment laws. My mechanic buddy and I were just talking about the issue the other day.

c.

Question: Do all brake jobs require new rotors? Can't you just put in new brake pads and be done with it? My mechanic is saying that I'll probably need new rotors, and he hasn't even seen the car yet!

JrzyTmata wrote: