In article , Steve Firth
scribeth thus
Spamlet wrote:


You may have got off lightly too. Plenty of places seem to insist that you
need new discs as well...

TBH replacing pads and disks is such a simple job that it's aggravating
to see what garages charge. Charging 1.5 hours to replace pads is a
rip-off.

In the instance quoted how do you know that something wasn't sized or
needed some other work doing that might have taken that bit longer?..

That's too long even if the job was to replace both front and
rear pads. It takes about 30 - 45 minutes to change every single pad on
the cars that I own, and I'm fussy anout cleaning everything in sight
while I do it. It is the sort of job that anyone with reasonable DIY
knowledge could do. With 90 minutes to spare I actually changed all four
calipers and pads on one of my cars. After all, all it needs is to
undo/redo a total of eight to 12 bolts (depending on the vehicle) and a
willingness to get one's hands slightly mucky. I've changed everything
in that area of the vehicle (bearings, disks, pads, change of brake
fluid) in an afternoon taking lots of time off for tea and pondering.
After all I'm not in a hurry and not getting paid.

On accasions when the job has needed doing and I have been too busy to
do it mself I've been charged up to £600 + VAT by a main dealer for
replacement of two disks and pads. If I buy all four disks, calipers and
pads from a motor factors, using original parts, I can expect to pay
£260 for the parts. The price of the calipers includes the brake pads.
The main dealer marks these prices up to three times the parts cost and
then charges almost as much again to fit them.

Yes rather pricey..

Never mind, when the OP qualifies and is up to being a consultant then I
suppose she'll be grumbling about what main dealers charge;!!.
--
Tony Sayer