Brake Time, DIY or take it in?
 

brakes are starting to hit the indicators now on my 2005 xb, after reading around sounds like im lucky at 56k miles, i got a long life outta them.

so i was hoping to jump on SL and see a nice how to in the tech section, but nothing... then searching the forums and nothing. thats weired, SL always had what i needed before. so as i do more research i ask you this...

DIY or take it in? ive never been to keen on paying people to do work i can easily do, and on my old car it was pretty simple, like 3 screws, remove pads, compress piston, replace pads, screws back in, done. HOWEVER i live in a condo now in Santa Clara off Montague and i don't think they'll be too keen on me sitting down there experimenting and finding out for myself, lol.

if take it in, and recomendation on local shops? i work off de la cruz and live at rivermark plaza

If it's anything like the tC (and it should be...) there is one bolt on the front caliper to remove an then the pads flip out. Compress the piston. Put new pads in. Tighten bolt.

On the rear for the tC, it's just the same, except a different size and different location (bottom vs top).

found a quick how-to @ http://www.clubxb.com/forums/f18/diy-front-brakes-any-disk-brakes-31253.html#post529979 looks pretty easy.

However and i am in a condo and don't have much time to do this, any recommendations on local xb friendly shops? i don't want to take it to a place that has to go lookup the instructions on how-to and then charge me like 3 hours to do a 20 minute job

I would suggest instead of finding a shop, post up in your regional section and see if you can borrow a member's garage or driveway for an afternoon. Probably for the cost of a pizza or a 12 pack, you can have access to their tools and make some new friends. :)

sounds like a good idea, but i was just asking for shops because its like my oil, i could change it myself, but i found a good recomended place that i go to now and it only costs me like 23 bucks, i drive up, they change my oil while im in my car, check my other fluids, show me the new oil and the dipstick after changing it, and i leave 7-10 minutes later. for that price its not bad, my girl goes there and get synthetic for her gti for like 30 or 35 i think.

It's such an easy job, better off finding someone who's willing to let you use their driveway for an hour... you'll be done in less than an hour unless your caliper bolts are crazy tight or something.

Ill call around to prices also, but i think i'm leaning towards going to my brothers house and borrowing his driveway for an hour.

FYI. A friend refereed me to this guy Du at Perform Transmission on El Camino, he estimated $150 for a pad swap plus rotars, im assuming turning my rotars and not new ones but he didn't specify. a little more than i wanted to spend but i dont have much free time so its an option. i was just going to do a pad swap and the prices for brakes i found ranged from $19-88. So its either be lazy and get pads and turned rotars, or for about the same price get pads and new rotars which i probably don't need. its just a daily driver.


Heres the sheet of info for manufacture, part, part number and estimated price range
---Brakes---


EBC BRAKE
Front Ceramic Pads - RED ($70-88 )
DP31459C
Front Premium Organic Pads - GREEN ($66-77)
DP21459

WAGNER
F CERAMIC PADS - Non-Asbestos Organic Disc Brake Pad Set ($27-39)
PD990
F CERAMIC PADS - ThermoQuiet Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set ($27-47)
QC990

AKEBONO
F CERAMIC PADS - ProACT Ultra-Premium Ceramic brake pad ($41-65)
ACT822

BECK/ARNLEY BRAKES
F CERAMIC PADS - Ceramic Brake Pads($33-59)
086-1621C
F O.E. BRAKE PADS
089-1621
F SEMI METALLIC PADS - ($19-40)
087-1621
F PREM ORGANIC PADS - ($23-44)
082-1621

---ROTARS---


PB/QUALIS
F DISC BRAKE ROTOR
31332G

EBC BRAKE (EBR)
F DISC BRAKE ROTOR - Slotted, Dimpled, Iron, Gold Zinc Plated, - ($216)
GD7202
F DISC BRAKE ROTOR - OEM Plain Rotor ($56-63)
UPR7202
F SLOTTED ROTOR - Ultimax Slotted Rotors ($158-193.37)
USR7202

BECK/ARNLEY
F DISC BRAKE ROTOR - PREMIUM VENTED ($37.83-41.06)
083-2996

Did ya do this yet?How many miles ya got?Rotors will not be needed for a while.And your rears will be changed out maybe after you do the fronts twice you just need pad's and to resurface the rotors thats about 20 each.Id say go with the stock pad's and just toss them on.I did a slap job on mine had no issues.If ya still need help lmk my step dad has been a mechanic for about 25 years so he has the the tools.

By the way...that was a great link to the pad changes but you only need to touch those 17 mm capscrews if you are changing the rotors. If your rotors are fine you only have to touch the two smaller capscrews on the caliper itself. I think they are 12 mm's. You loosen one, take the other out and pivot the caliper up. I just did my friends Corolla S and it was $38 for the pads and 40 minutes to change out the pads from pull into the garage to back it out.