Depending where you go, what questions you ask and how honest the mechanic, your estimates for a brake job can be wildly different. That’s because there are so many interpretations of a “brake job” and many elements that are part of your braking system. If you aren’t familiar with those elements and what you really need now and you end up with a shady auto shop, you could end up paying much more than you need to.
Parts of Your Brake System
Your brakes entail much more than just the brake pads or shoes that many people are familiar with. The elements of your braking system include:
- Pads or shoes
- Shims
- Rotors or discs
- Calipers
- Brake fluid
Not every brake job requires replacement or work on all parts of your braking system. For example, your brake pads or shoes are going to need replacing more often because they become worn and at a certain point need to be replaced. Your driving habits and vehicle will determine how often they need replacing. For some cars and drivers, it might be 50K miles while a large SUV driven in traffic may need new brake pads twice as often.
Don’t be Oversold
Just because one part of your brake system needs work, doesn’t mean it all does. Although experts agree that certain parts, like pads and rotors, should be replaced in pairs, don’t let a less than ethical mechanic sell you on services you don’t need. How much you drive and the driving conditions influence how often different elements need to be replaced. And just because your front brakes need new pads, doesn’t mean your rear brakes necessarily do.
What is a Complete Brake Job?
A complete brake job should include new linings for front and back brakes, either resurfacing or replacing of rotors and drums and all associated hardware including calipers, replacing hoses and flushing brake fluid. If your car has ABS brakes, a complete diagnostic of any fault codes should also be performed. Every car should also have its parking brake checked and adjusted.
The mechanics at Oldsmar Automotive will provide you with an honest assessment of your vehicle’s braking system. It’s important to us that you trust us and that you are safe, so we’ll always make recommendations based on what we see, hear and feel. We don’t offer “$99 brake specials” which are often promotions that end up costing the consumer much more that they may or many not really need.
If you need your brakes checked, stop by and speak with us. We’ll take your car for a test drive and look at the pads and other elements and provide you with an estimate. When you approve the work, we’ll never present you with a final bill that’s different from the estimate without first discussing other issues we find with you first. Call (727) 784-3501 or stop by our shop at 3166 Tampa Road in Oldsmar today.
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