[PaleRider1975]

Hi guys, as per the title as I need my brakes looking at and will more than likely needs the pad replacing and was wondering can anyone recommend them?

I don't suppose anyone would know what sort of cost I'd be looking at to have the pads replaced on a Fiat Grande Punto?

Cheers in advance.

[treaclesponge]

MOD COMMENT....please read the forum rules re what you can and can't say about companies. No doubt they will attempt to sell you new discs as well, maybe even some new suspension or an exhaust. Find a local garage and go there, much more reasonable. Or if you are relativly mechanically minded do it yourself, pads are about £40 and its an hour job to replace both sides on your drive...

[chrisw]

Originally Posted by treaclesponge

Sh!t Fit! No doubt they will attempt to sell you new discs as well, maybe even some new suspension or an exhaust. Find a local garage and go there, much more reasonable. Or if you are relativly mechanically minded do it yourself, pads are about £40 and its an hour job to replace both sides on your drive...

Agreed. I naively took my first car, a Clio, there for new pads when I was 18 and they wouldn't give me a quote unless I agreed to have the work done??!! And I was too young / stupid to question this... and shockingly enough I needed new discs too (the car had only done 11k miles. D'oh!).

They are expensive, rude and are a last resort for me for tyres in an emergency... so I'd shop around and go to a local independent garage. Have a look online and you should be able to find some reviews of garages near you. It's a pretty simple task to change them...

[PaleRider1975]

Thanks for that, think I'll wait until I head up to Liverpool in a couple of weeks time then as my uncle has his own garage.

I was just curious as to the costing as there are no prices on their webiste.

[treaclesponge]

If you wanted you could purchase the pads/shoes and just pay for fitting. Ive used EBC Brakes Direct in the past and found them to be competitively priced

:: EBC Brakes Direct Limited : Cars :

[FZR400RRSP]

I'm doing the wife's car's pads myself.
Cleaning up the calipers too (sliding pins are sticking, need a clean)
Been doing it for years on bikes, piece of proverbial.
I would class myself as only having average mechanical ability too.
I'm no F1 spanner-jockey.

[DVD-Man]

I'll have to buck the trend of kwik fit haters.

I recently had a squealing noise from my front wheel which i thought could be a wheel bearing.

I went to Kwik Fit as they were open at weekends and i thought they wcould have it sorted for Monday.

Upon arrival I waited about 20 mins then a nice chap took my car for a spin and came back and diagnosed it as a siezed caliper by demonstrating to me that the wheel that was squeezing was very hot to the touch.

He then quoted me a price for the work required, please note the siezed caliper causes discs to warp so new pads, discs and a caliper.

The work was carried out to the letter with no hiccups and I got a courtesy call later in the week to ask if I was happy, to this I responded yes, my car no longer squeals and drives smoothly, pain free transaction, would use again.

Liam

[Bursar]

Yeah, but how much was it? I think the theme of this thread isn't that their work is below-par, just that their prices are over the top.

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by Bursar

Yeah, but how much was it? I think the theme of this thread isn't that their work is below-par, just that their prices are over the top.

I thought the opposite.
I thought they were offering cheap fixed-price deals, but the quality of their work was in question.

[Bursar]

Originally Posted by treaclesponge

No doubt they will attempt to sell you new discs as well, maybe even some new suspension or an exhaust. Find a local garage and go there, much more reasonable.

Originally Posted by chrisw

Agreed. I naively took my first car, a Clio, there for new pads... and shockingly enough I needed new discs too.

They are expensive

Originally Posted by bowfer

I thought the opposite.
I thought they were offering cheap fixed-price deals, but the quality of their work was in question.

Maybe, but the previous posters all seem to indicate high charges, or charges for work that didn't really need to be done.

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by Bursar

Maybe, but the previous posters all seem to indicate high charges, or charges for work that didn't really need to be done.

I think their basic prices for things like a brake-pad change are cheap.
If people are daft/naive enough to let them do other work, that's their lookout.

[debtmachine]

Any one know the score with their free break pads for life ?

Whats the score you go back when your pads are worn for your free replacemens to be told , you need new disc's sir
or,
tyres, exhaust ect.....

[zircon3035]

I had a tyre fitted by my local Kwik Fit. They offered me a "free MOT check". Guess what they found? One of the directional tyres was fitted the wrong way around. It was the one they had just fitted.

Worse was to come a year later when I was about to trade in the car. I thought that I'd take off the locking wheel nuts. It was then that I found that they had given me back the wrong wheel nut key!

[Lee]

Like DVD-Man I have good things to say about Kwik Fit. The handbrake on my wifes car wasn't working properly. I took the car to them to have one of their free break checks. They found that a rear calliper was stuck and they spent an age spraying it while working the handbrake until it was working properly.

They then gave me some advice on what to do to see if I could keep it working. The charge for this?...Nothing. To say I was impressed is an understatement. I got a price off them for a new calliper fitted and their price was about the same as a mate doing it for me and alot cheaper than other garages in the area.

[chrisw]

It's the same with all big organisations, you go to one shop / garage and get really good service, and go to another and receive the opposite. I'm lucky enough to have a really good indepent down the road who I trust and who does all kinds of bits and pieces for free, knowing that when something bigger comes up, he'll get the work.

[DVD-Man]

Originally Posted by Bursar

Yeah, but how much was it? .

£283

£120 for the caliper and £163 for the brakes and yeah yeah I here you cry I could get them for much cheaper but they include labour in those prices so it was working out pretty reasonable.

Unlike Kwik fit, National Tyres sold me 4 tyres then after fitting gave me a reciept which included 4x£5 tyre insurance which was never spoken about in the quote, after a lot of crappy excuses I got a refund for the £20.

Liam

[Jay J]

I used to use Kwik Fit for tyres, insurance and even an oil change for my old metro. Their place was next to my college and sold Colway remould tyres, I found them better than cheap budget tyres I had afterwards, (Sava and Debricas).

I would be always wary of the quality of the pads they use (never used them for pads, I DIY). My father once put cheap pads on his car just before an MOT, within braking for 5 corners, they were smoking. We always insist on Mintex or Ferrodo and now use EBC and never skimp on your brakes.

[JagoPlasma]

only have good things to say about kwik-fit

had loads of freebies out of them

was doing brothers oil change, couldnt get sump plug off, rang KF who said pop in anytime, took it to them straight away and within 2 mins they ramped it up changed the oil for us and didnt charge a penny.

wifes car had a leak, took it in ramped it up and said it was just condensation from air con. no charge

wifes car failed mot, took it to them for verification and to ask if it was worth fixing. had a good look around it, said all faults were true. would be best to scrap it as needed lots of work. no charge

exhaust fell off my car, took it in straight away. replaced back and middle for just over 100 notes (old exhaust was knackered btw as it had holes in it and tailpipe fell off it)

when i asked them if they think itd pass its mot they said they think the cars fine and to bring it back when its due

so all in all good results for me

[davidwatsonok]

On a Fiat Grande Punto I'd expect the pads to be IRO £35 a set. Easy DIY job for anyone with a little knowledge. Jack up, wheel off, 2x calliper bolts to back of hub and pull away from disc. Remove fluid res lid under bonnet and use adjustable pliers on the face of the old pads to push the pistons back in. Pop out old pads. Copper-slip all but the braking surface of the new pads and slot into place. Refit reverse of removal. Once all tightened up and res lid back on, a few pumps of the pedal until firm.

A couple of hours for an amateur on the driveway, an hour max to a mechanic with ramps and full tools.

[JagoPlasma]

Originally Posted by corradoboy

On a Fiat Grande Punto I'd expect the pads to be IRO £35 a set. Easy DIY job for anyone with a little knowledge. Jack up, wheel off, 2x calliper bolts to back of hub and pull away from disc. Remove fluid res lid under bonnet and use adjustable pliers on the face of the old pads to push the pistons back in. Pop out old pads. Copper-slip all but the braking surface of the new pads and slot into place. Refit reverse of removal. Once all tightened up and res lid back on, a few pumps of the pedal until firm.

A couple of hours for an amateur on the driveway, an hour max to a mechanic with ramps and full tools.

*brain fart*

[davidwatsonok]

Originally Posted by JagoPlasma

*brain fart*

What !

[JagoPlasma]

you said it was simple but i could hardly understand the terms you were using

[stu.artd]

Originally Posted by JagoPlasma

you said it was simple but i could hardly understand the terms you were using

I'll 2nd that. Doesn't sound simple to me.

I took our old car (02 Vectra) into Kwik Fit earlier this year not long before trading it in as it was making a terrible metallic grinding noise when braking to a complete stop and had 2 discs and a pad replaced (I'm sure the guy that did the work told me 2 pads had been replaced but my bill only shows 1), cost £183.
Don't know if that's reasonable or very expensive , but it fixed the problem and the brakes were fine.

[Buckster]

our local Formula One garage is superb - polite staff

and even better they allow you to take in your own parts .. adn they'll fit them for you

I think for front pads - I provided genuine Honda parts which I bought direct from Honda ... and they fitted them - I think they charged me all of £18 or something stupid to fit them bargain

[davidwatsonok]

Originally Posted by JagoPlasma

you said it was simple but i could hardly understand the terms you were using

Once the wheel is off, the brake callipers are held on by two large bolts, usually requiring a 16mm (ish) socket to remove. You can then slide the whole calliper away from the brake disc and hub.

Under the bonnet there is a plastic bottle which contains the reserve fluid used for the hydraulic systems of the car (brakes and clutch). When pushing the piston in the calliper back to its starting position you need to remove the cap off this 'fluid reservoir' to allow the release of the pressure due to the movement of the fluid back through the pipework.

The old pads will be going in the bin, so it doesn't matter if they get further damaged, so they can be used to push the piston back using a pair of adjustable (plumbers) pliers. Then pop them out.

The new pads need some grease applying to ensure they move freely and to prevent a little vibration which usually result in a squealing noise. Copper slip (grease) is usually preferred as it can handle the heat better than normal grease, but there are some new substances marketed by brake manufacturers too. This can be applied everywhere on the new pad EXCEPT the face of the pad which contacts the disc. Obviously braking systems work better with friction and lubricating the friction surfaces might prove dangerous.

Once the new pads are in, relocate over the disc and refit the 2x calliper bolts, replace the fluid res lid and give the pedal a couple of pumps to push the pistons and pads to meet the disc. I usually do this with the engine running so the servo is operating.

Some cars don't even need the calliper removing. My old Subaru was a simple case of removing a wire clip, two pins, push back the pistons and pop out the pads. Slide in the new, relocate the pins and pop the wire retainer back on. The only tool needed apart from the jack and wheel brace was a pair of pliers, and I could do both sides on my driveway in under 20 minutes.

[Jay J]

I agree with the above.

I actually use a crow/pry bar to lever the pistons back with the old pads as packing. I think you can buy a tool to do it. I have read on some forums that you should clamp the brake line and open the bleed nipple when doing this to stop muck entering the system, but I never do it. On most cars where the hand brake operates the rear calliper, you need a special tool to retract the piston. I think Subarus have a separate brake drum for the hand brake

On the cars I have worked on you don't need remove the calliper from the hub to change the pads, only to change the discs. The only additional thing I will add is buy a Haynes Manual or look on owners Forums to find out the Torque settings for all the bolts, so you can use a Torque wrench to tighten them up correctly.

[Johnmcl7]

I wouldn't take my car anywhere near a Kwik-Fit garage - I was down in Edinburgh and had a brake warning light, as I needed to drive 150 miles north with a reasonable load so against my better judgement I went to a nearby Kwik-Fit. I didn't know any other garages to take it to and assumed they weren't as bad as the Inverness garage however I was wrong.

They found the problem with the brakes was that the hydraulic cylinder had burst on the rear drum and could be seen visibly bleeding. They wanted to replace that and the one on the other side since they were both the same age which seemed reasonable, I didn't want to skimp on the brakes. However they also wanted to replace all four tyres and the front brakes despite the car having new tyres and new front brakes. When I pointed this out they told me I'd been unlucky and the tyres had worn unevenly and the discs were warped. I wasn't convinced and just wanted the rear brakes repaired and I'd get the rest checked over which they weren't happy about, eventually I told them if they wouldn't just do the rear brakes I'd just take it elsewhere.

The car checked out fine at another local garage I trusted (they'd neither fitted the tyres or brakes) with the alignment looking good and both the tyres/brakes fine. I was getting a grinding coming from one of the repaired brakes and not the other, I took it to the local Kwik-Fit who could find nothing wrong but coincidentally the noise disappeared after they'd had it for half an hour...

I'm not one of these people that holds a single incident against a company but I frequently see stories of people being put under pressure to buy parts they don't think they need (and subsequently been found not to be required) and/or poor quality of work. I guess before taking the car to the local Kwik-Fit garage it's best to find out how others have got on with that specific garage.

John