Molly wrote:
They are going to nickle and dime us to death!!!!!!
I know EXACTLY how you feel. Next on my list is lower ball joints and bushings in the front end of my car. Not sure how much it's going to cost (I'm assuming not cheap) but I'm not in dire need, nothings broken yet just getting worn.
I was quoted $400 for ball joints on my old truck after they failed inspection. That was on a truck, so your car might be cheaper. I talked to my family about the ball joint thing, and they told me that during inspection a lot of auto-repair places just do a stress test on the ball joints and, if they don't pass, tell you that you need to replace them. When 90% of the time your ball joints just need to be greased and aren't in need of being replaced. Sure enough, I greased the ball joints on my truck, took it to a different place for inspection and they passed.
Molly wrote:$382 + change for front brake work (let them go too long). That's what I took it in for. He calls me & tells me the back ones are almost as bad but not quite. We need to get those fixed too. We don't have $800 to put into car repairs so just do the front brakes. We'll worry about the back ones later.
"1 step up and 2 steps back" as Springsteen says. Will it ever get any better?
I replace my own brakes...it's pretty easy.
I'm betting you can do the whole job for around $100-$150 or so...you just need time and patience. Also, do one side at a time...so if you don't remember how to put the brakes back together, you have the other side as a reference.
The front brakes are pretty easy, the back breaks can be a pain, though, with all the springs.
With something as important as the brakes, I tend to not want to mess around w/ them myself.
They aren't that hard...in fact when you see your front brakes, you'll be amazed that they actually stop you. Really, you pull two pins and replace the pads and put it back together.
The back brakes are a bit harder...but not that bad.
All you need is a screwdriver, mallet, and needle-nose pliers to change your brakes....once you get the tire off.
Standard brake replacement is a high profit job for the shop. Like TFG says, it's not hard, and with the front brakes in particular it's very quick and easy. Of course, that's easy to say if you 've done it before, but if you ever learn how you'll think you've been ripped off in the past.
